My husband was approved for SSI disability the first time he applied. In his case, he had been laid off (pandemic) for about 4 months. He had worked full time his entire life until then. He had a well-documented serious medical condition that was no longer responding to medical intervention. He also was diagnosed with early onset dementia (which we are pretty certain was the clincher). He was unable to safely drive himself anymore. His income from SSI was actually about what he was bringing home from his job, which wasn’t a huge amount but we were happy with the amount in his case.

From my research during the process, they generally need well-documented diagnosis and a history of regular treatment. Usually they say you have to have been unable to work for a year. I think in my husband’s case, it was clear that his employer had made significant accommodations that were beyond what most employers would ever consider. And his medical conditions were highly debilitating. During the process, they discovered a doctor’s notation recommending assessment for memory loss that we hadn’t had the chance to pursue, and social security paid for having that assessment done during the process.

All I can recommend is that you go onto the website and look at the information. I was very unsure he would qualify because he had worked within the year, but my gut told me his medical history would trump the timeline which it did. You just don’t know until you try.