Can my sister get Social Security disability benefits based on her husband's record when she doesn't have enough work credits?

She cant get SSDI on her husbands record, its only based on your own work. She might qualify for SSI though if their income/assets are low enough. SSI is different from SSDI, its needs-based. She should apply for that.

Your sister cannot receive SSDI on her husband's record. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) is only available based on your own work credits. What you're thinking of are spousal benefits, but those aren't available until she reaches retirement age (62 at the earliest). Even at that point, she would receive spousal retirement benefits, not disability benefits. As the previous commenter mentioned, she should look into SSI (Supplemental Security Income) if they have limited income and resources. SSI has strict financial limits - generally less than $2,000 in assets for an individual ($3,000 for a couple) and limited income. Your sister should contact SSA directly to explore her options and confirm if she might qualify for SSI based on their financial situation.

My husband was on SSDI for years before he qualified for retirement benefits, and I couldn't get ANYTHING from his record until I was 62!! The system SUCKS for younger disabled spouses. It's criminal how they treat people - if your disabled in your 50s your basically LEFT TO SUFFER until retirement age!!!! Your sister should definitely try for SSI but those asset limits are RIDICULOUS in today's economy.

I want to clarify something important here. The previous responses are correct that your sister cannot receive SSDI on her husband's record. However, she should check if she actually does qualify for SSDI on her own record. Many people don't realize that there's a special rule called the "Date Last Insured" (DLI). If she became disabled before her DLI expired, she might still qualify for SSDI even if she applied after her work credits would normally have expired. For example, if she had enough work credits when she first developed severe MS 8 years ago, but then applied several years later when she no longer had enough recent work credits, she might still qualify if she can prove she became disabled before her DLI. This is a technical but important distinction, and she should specifically ask about this when she contacts the SSA. She should say, "I want to apply for SSDI based on becoming disabled before my Date Last Insured expired."

Getting through to SSA is going to be crucial for your sister's case, especially if she's going to pursue that Date Last Insured angle the previous commenter mentioned. I was in a similar situation trying to help my brother with his disability claim and spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU This made a huge difference because we were able to talk to someone who explained exactly what documentation we needed for his specific situation. For your sister, getting clear guidance on the DLI issue could be the difference between approval and denial.

My sister has MS too and got denied SSDI at first. She appealed with a lawyer and eventually got approved. Tell your sister not to give up after first denial, almost everyone gets denied first time. The trick is getting a lawyer who specializes in disability cases for MS specifically.

I want to emphasize what was said above about the Date Last Insured (DLI) - this is absolutely worth investigating. MS cases can be particularly complex because the onset is often gradual, but she should focus on documenting when the condition first prevented her from working at a substantial level (what SSA calls Substantial Gainful Activity or SGA). Additionally, regarding spousal benefits - your sister would need to wait until age 62 for reduced spousal retirement benefits, or full retirement age (67 for her) for unreduced spousal benefits. If she pursues the SSDI route based on her own record with the DLI approach, she should gather: 1. All medical records documenting her MS progression, especially from 8 years ago 2. Employment records showing when she reduced hours or stopped working 3. Statements from former employers or coworkers about how her condition affected her work 4. A detailed written statement about how her symptoms progressed This documentation will be crucial if she needs to prove she became disabled before her DLI expired.

Just wondering has she tried applying for state disability programs? Some states have their own disability benefits that aren't as strict as SSDI with the work credits thing.