I applied on-line and the next day an attorney called and started the ball rolling. They will ask you about your medical/mental problems and will want doctors names to get your records. As above poster stated the income is based on work history. I left the last job I had because the suffering was unbearable. That was the date they used as the onset of the disability. When it was approved(to my surprise) I was given an appt. to see SSDI and to provide info on assets etc. As it took 1.5 yrs to get approved I received back pay for those 18 months. I used the back pay to clean up all my debts. I live frugally but since I never had a need for material things it is easy to live on the SSDI even with a little left over. When you get your back-pay and SSDI the first thing to do is intensify your treatment so you can get to a point where you can think of your future. As you like to code, there are work at home jobs to do just that. Maybe you can start a project of your own. According to SSDI you can earn up too $999 a month without the SSDI going down and you must report earnings every year. Personally, I am rather uncomfortable living off the "state" so I rarely tell anyone(of course I am a recluse). To reiterate the most important goal is to get better! If your SSDI is decent you'll be able to cover the necessities like food/rent/utilities. I read aplenty and spend time at the VA plus I look at TV. This site is a good resource to obtain ideas as to what you can do with the "down" time. You might discover new interests or find support groups near you. So good luck and don't lose hope!