If you need to know how to apply for Social Security Disability in North Carolina, keep reading. The Bishop Law Firm represents clients with disabilities in Raleigh and surrounding areas of North Carolina. We don't get paid unless you win! We offer free case reviews by phone at (919) 615-3095. Or you can start a free online case review today.
Realizing that you can no longer work due to health reasons is devastating. Many of our clients tell us that they would rather work than file for disability. If you are unable to work due to medical reasons, you need to apply for disability benefits as soon as possible. Waiting could cost you valuable benefits!
Types of Social Security Disability Benefits
Before you apply for disability benefits, you need to understand the types of benefits you may be eligible for.
SSA (generally speaking) provides two types of disability benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI is based on credits for work you have done throughout your life, while SSI is a need-based program.
SSDI benefits (or variations thereof) may be paid to disabled workers, disabled spouses of deceased workers, disabled surviving divorced spouses, and disabled adult children.
SSI is available to children and adults with low resources/limited income who have not been employed full-time for five of the past ten years.
Also note: Who should apply for SSDI/SSI? [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMOzS3QO4_E[/embedyt]
How do I apply for disability in North Carolina?
One way to file for disability in North Carolina is to call your local Social Security office and make an appointment to file your initial claim over the phone. This is the method used by most of my clients. You will need this information to apply for disability benefits.
The Social Security Administration also has an online application for SSDI, but for SSI you must meet certain criteria to submit online. You are eligible to submit your SSI application online if you meet the following criteria: (via SSA)
Aged between 18 and 65 years old;
never married;
Not a blind man;
Be a U.S. citizen residing in one of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands;
Have not applied for or received SSI benefits in the past; and
Apply for Social Security Disability Insurance at the same time as you file your SSI claim.
To apply please see here.
The Supplemental Security Income application process involves disclosing financial information to ensure you qualify for SSI payments. To qualify for SSI, an adult must have no more than $2,000 in countable resources. Countable resources for a married couple cannot exceed $3,000.
Countable resources include cash, bank accounts, land, life insurance, personal property, vehicles and deemed resources.
Fortunately, there are some exceptions that don't count as resources for the SSA: the home you live in, a car, personal items in your home, insurance policies up to $1,500, and burial plots.
Considered a resource means that the SSA treats other people's income as your income. Your spouse's income (if you live in the same house) and your parents' income (for children under 18) may disqualify a claimant from receiving SSI disability benefits. Even those who are not legally married but represent themselves to society as a married couple may be subject to the deeming rule.
The SSA checks a claimant's financial eligibility when they first apply, and again if the SSA finds they have a disability. If your resources exceed what the Social Security Administration allows, you will not be able to apply for or receive SSI benefits.
It's certainly better to be denied initially because of resources than to go all the way through the disability process, be found disabled, and then be told you're ineligible because of resources.
As mentioned above, SSDI is credits based on work you have done over the past 10 years. Generally, you must have worked for 5 of the past 10 years to qualify for SSDI.
If the SSA determines that you are eligible for SSDI or SSI, your case will begin the disability process.
When you apply for disability benefits, you should tell Social Security about any disabilities your medical provider has told you about and your living situation. SSA provides expedited processing services to urgently needed personnel, veterans, and those eligible on the Compassionate Allowance List.
What happens after I apply for Social Security Disability benefits in North Carolina?
After you apply for disability benefits, your local Social Security office will send your case to Disability Determination Services (DDS). At DDS, an examiner will be assigned to your file. They will request medical evidence from your healthcare provider and send you forms to fill out your profile. If they don't have enough medical evidence to make a decision on your claim, they may send you for a consultation exam (learn more inside North Carolina's Disability Determination Services).
DDS will use SSA's five-step sequential assessment to determine whether you have a disability:
- Step 1 – Are you working? The Social Security Administration defines work as “substantial gainful activity” (SGA). A rough definition of SGA is a job with an average monthly income of more than $1,620 (in 2025). If you earn this amount, you generally do not qualify for disability.
- Step 2 – Is your condition “severe”? When it comes to qualifying for a disability, severity is key. The Social Security Administration defines severe as: Your condition must interfere with essential work-related activities for your claim to be considered.
- Step 3 – Is your condition on the list of disabling conditions? In most cases, these lists are difficult to satisfy and are not always interpreted as ordinary reading would suggest. If you come across a list, you're seriously ill. The list can be found here.
- Step 4 – Can you do what you did before? The Social Security Administration will look at your past employment and determine whether it was sedentary, light, moderate, or heavy. They will also assess skill levels: unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled. For example, being a lawyer would be a sedentary, technical job. A dictionary of professional titles can be found here.
- Step 5 – Can you do any other types of work? If the Social Security Administration finds that you can't do the things you used to do, they'll see if you can do something else. This is where the “grid” comes into play. The Grid is a guide to medical careers. Grids are only suitable for movement disorders. The grid does not take into account non-exercise injuries. You will not be found disabled if you are found to be able to perform any other job. Read the Grid and Your Social Security Disability Case.
FAQ
- HHow much does SSI cost in North Carolina? Currently, SSI is $967 per month (in 2025) for qualifying individuals and $1,450 per month for qualifying couples. The actual amount of SSI you receive will depend on your financial situation. In North Carolina, SSI comes with Medicaid.
- Is SSI the same as disability? Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Income are both types of Social Security disability benefits offered by the Social Security Administration, but the requirements for each benefit are different. You must be found to be disabled before you are entitled to any of the benefits.
- How far back can SSI back wages be?? There is no need to pay SSI until you apply. This is different from SSDI, which can be paid up to a year before you file, depending on when you were discovered to be disabled. Therefore, it is imperative to apply for SSI as soon as possible.
- How long does it take to get SSI approval? Once the SSA notifies you that you have been approved for SSI (usually by mail), they will contact you to schedule an appointment with resources to determine your financial need. You will not receive any benefits until you complete an appointment with the resource and provide the requested information to SSA. Typically, it takes several months for customers to receive payment after approval.
- Which pays more, SSI or Social Security? Social Security disability is based on work performed during your lifetime, while SSI is fixed at $967 per month. If you earned more while working, your Social Security Disability benefits will be higher than the amount paid by SSI.
- What conditions qualify as a disability? In our experience, the SSA can deem you disabled regardless of the name of your condition if it significantly affects your ability to work. Severity is the key, not the name of the disease. The SSA does maintain an impairment list, but it is not an all-inclusive list.
- How do I apply for temporary disability? Social Security does not provide temporary disability benefits. The SSA does provide closed-period benefits for those who get sick and then return to work. The illness must last for 12 calendar months. The process for obtaining a closed period is the same as for obtaining ongoing benefits.
The Bishop Law Firm represents Social Security disability clients in Raleigh, North Carolina, Durham, Fayetteville, Cary, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Smithfield, Lewisburg, Chapel Hill, Roanoke Rapids, Winston-Salem, Garner, Greensboro, Greenville, and the surrounding areas. Call us today for a free case review at (919) 615-3095.
Also Read North Carolina Social Security Disability Lawyers
