Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are paid to those who have worked in recent years (five out of the last ten years in most cases) who are now disabled. You have paid for this disability insurance with the FICA taxes that have been withheld from your wages over the years.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are paid to those who are disabled and are also poor. It does not matter for SSI whether you have worked in the past or not. Both Social Security disability and SSI have the same standard for disability. You must be unable to maintain employment due to physical and/or mental impairments. If you are filing an application for benefits, or if you have been denied benefits, Maine attorney Gordon Gates can assist you.