Social Security disability letter says I meet medical requirements but non-medical decision still pending - what does this mean?

This is actually good news! The medical decision is the harder part to get approved. The "non-medical requirements" typically refer to things like work credits (have you worked enough quarters to qualify), income/resource limits (mainly for SSI), and making sure there's no fraud concerns. Since you mentioned waiting 9 months, I'm guessing this is for SSDI not SSI. At this stage, they're probably just verifying your work history and earnings records to calculate your benefit amount. In my experience, once you get past the medical approval, the rest usually goes through without issues as long as you have enough work credits.

The same exact thing happened to me!!! They approved me medically but then took ANOTHER 2 months for the "non-medical" part. It was so frustrating I almost had a breakdown waiting. Nobody tells you anything and when you call they just say "it's processing" over and over. I got approved eventually but had to live on credit cards while waiting.

congrats ur basically approved! the non-medical stuff is just paperwork they gotta do. my brother got the same letter 3 months ago and got his first payment like 3 weeks after that letter came

The non-medical requirements for SSDI include: 1. Having enough work credits (generally 40 total with 20 earned in the last 10 years, though this varies by age) 2. Not engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (earning more than $1,550/month in 2024) 3. Meeting the technical definition of disability (unable to do substantial work due to medical condition expected to last at least one year or result in death) Since they've determined you meet the medical requirements, they're now just verifying your work history and that you haven't been working above SGA levels during your application period. This is typically much faster than the medical determination, often 2-6 weeks.

DONT COUNT ON IT COMING QUICKLY!! They told me "soon" too and it took over 2 months!!! The system is BROKEN. They don't care that people are losing their homes waiting for decisions. Call them EVERY SINGLE DAY until they process it or you'll end up at the bottom of some pile.

My husband got that same letter in January and we're STILL waiting for the non-medical decision. Every time he calls they say different things. One person said it was approved waiting for payment, another said they needed more employment verification. I don't trust anything they say anymore.

To clarify some confusion in this thread: SSI and SSDI are different programs. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is needs-based and doesn't require work credits, but has strict income and resource limits. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) requires work credits earned through employment but doesn't have the same resource limits. For the original poster: When they approve the medical portion but are still reviewing non-medical, it typically means they're calculating your benefit amount, checking work credits, and processing the administrative details. While the actual timeframe varies, the median time at this stage is about 3-4 weeks.

When I got that letter last year, it took about 5 weeks for the final approval to come through. The back pay took another 3 weeks after that. Make sure all your contact information is up to date in the system so they can reach you if they need anything else. Also, if you haven't already, create a my Social Security account online - sometimes updates appear there before you get letters in the mail.

Based on my experience working with SSA cases, getting medical approval is definitely the biggest hurdle - congratulations! The non-medical review typically involves verifying your work credits through your earnings record, confirming you haven't exceeded substantial gainful activity limits during your disability period, and calculating your benefit amount. Since you mentioned working for the same company for 15 years, your work history should be straightforward to verify. Most cases at this stage are resolved within 4-6 weeks, though it can vary by processing center workload. Keep monitoring your online account and consider calling for a status update if you don't hear anything after 6 weeks from the date of that letter.

This is really encouraging to hear from everyone! I went through something similar about 6 months ago. Once they approved the medical part, the non-medical review took about 3 weeks for me. During that time, they were mainly verifying my work history and calculating my benefit amount. One thing that helped me was keeping a record of all my communications with SSA - dates, times, and what was discussed. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you have direct deposit set up because once they approve everything, the payments can start flowing pretty quickly. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but getting past the medical approval is a huge step forward. Hang in there!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! Getting the medical approval is honestly the hardest part - they reject so many people at that stage. The non-medical review they're doing now is mainly administrative stuff. They need to verify you have enough work credits (sounds like you do with 15 years at the same company), make sure you haven't been working above the substantial gainful activity limit while disabled, and calculate your monthly benefit amount. In my case, this took about 5 weeks from the date of that letter. The good news is that once you get final approval, they'll pay you retroactively from your established onset date, so you'll get a lump sum for all those months you've been waiting. Try not to stress too much - you're basically approved at this point, they just need to do the paperwork!

Congratulations on clearing the medical hurdle - that's honestly the biggest challenge in the SSDI process! I went through something very similar about a year ago. The "non-medical requirements" they're reviewing are pretty straightforward: verifying your work credits (which with 15 years at one employer should be no problem), confirming you haven't earned over the substantial gainful activity threshold while disabled, and calculating your benefit amount. In my case, this stage took about 4 weeks. One tip: if you haven't already, make sure your direct deposit info is current in your online account - once they approve everything, payments can start surprisingly quickly. The waiting is nerve-wracking but you're essentially approved at this point. They're just crossing the t's and dotting the i's on the administrative side. Hang in there!

I'm going through something very similar right now! I got the exact same type of letter about 3 weeks ago saying I met the medical requirements but they were still reviewing non-medical stuff. Like you, I was really confused about what that meant. From what I've learned by calling SSA and reading online, the non-medical review is mainly about verifying you have enough work credits and haven't been earning too much money while disabled. Since you worked 15 years at the same company, the work credits shouldn't be an issue. I'm still waiting for my final decision but the representatives I've spoken with have been more optimistic once you get past the medical approval. The medical determination is definitely the hardest part - most denials happen there. Try to stay positive! I know it's easier said than done when you're worried about finances, but it sounds like you're in a good position.

I just went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! Getting that letter saying you meet the medical requirements is actually huge - that's where most people get denied. The "non-medical requirements" they're reviewing are pretty standard administrative checks: making sure you have enough work credits (which you should with 15 years of work), verifying you haven't earned over the substantial gainful activity limit while disabled, and calculating your monthly benefit amount. In my case, it took about 6 weeks from that letter to final approval, but I know others who got theirs faster. The hardest part is definitely the waiting, especially when your other benefits are running out. One thing that helped me was calling every 3 weeks or so for a status update - not to pressure them, but just to make sure nothing was stuck or needed additional information from me. You're basically approved at this point, they just need to finish the paperwork! Hang in there.

I've been helping people navigate the SSDI process for several years, and I want to echo what others have said - getting medical approval is absolutely the biggest milestone! The non-medical review is much more straightforward and predictable. They're essentially doing three things: (1) verifying you have sufficient work credits through your earnings record, (2) confirming you haven't worked above substantial gainful activity levels during your disability period, and (3) calculating your monthly benefit amount based on your lifetime earnings. Given your 15-year work history with one employer, the first two should be very straightforward. The calculation might take a bit longer since they need to pull all your earnings records, but this is typically completed within 3-8 weeks. One helpful tip: if you haven't already, consider setting up text or email alerts through your my Social Security account so you get notified immediately when there are updates to your case status. You're in the home stretch - congratulations on making it this far!

I went through this exact situation last year! Getting the medical approval is honestly the hardest part - most SSDI denials happen at that stage. The "non-medical requirements" they're reviewing now are much more straightforward: verifying your work credits (which shouldn't be an issue with 15 years at one company), confirming you haven't worked above the substantial gainful activity limit while disabled, and calculating your benefit amount. In my case, this took about 4 weeks from getting that letter to final approval. The waiting is definitely stressful, especially with your work disability ending soon, but you're essentially approved at this point. They're just handling the administrative side now. One thing that helped me was calling every few weeks for status updates to make sure nothing was stuck. Also, make sure your direct deposit info is current because once they approve everything, payments can start pretty quickly. You'll also get backpay from your established onset date, which really helped me catch up on bills. Try to stay positive - you've cleared the biggest hurdle!

I completely understand your anxiety - I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! Getting that letter saying you meet the medical requirements is actually fantastic news. The medical determination is by far the most difficult part of the SSDI process, and that's where most denials happen. The "non-medical requirements" they're reviewing are pretty standard administrative items: verifying you have enough work credits (which with 15 years at one employer should be no problem), confirming you haven't earned above the substantial gainful activity threshold while disabled, and calculating your monthly benefit amount. In my case, this final stage took about 5 weeks from receiving that letter. You're essentially approved at this point - they're just crossing the administrative t's and dotting the i's. One tip: make sure your direct deposit information is current in your online account because once final approval comes through, payments can start surprisingly quickly. Also, you'll receive backpay from your established onset date, which really helped me catch up on bills during the long wait. Try to stay positive - you've cleared the biggest hurdle!

I'm going through this exact same process right now and found your post really helpful! I got a similar letter about 2 weeks ago saying I met the medical requirements but they're still reviewing non-medical aspects. Like you, I was completely confused about what that meant. After reading all these responses, I feel so much more optimistic. It sounds like the medical approval really is the hardest part, and now it's just administrative work they need to complete. I'm also worried about timing since my long-term disability benefits end soon, but hearing from so many people who've been through this successfully gives me hope. The information about backpay from the onset date was news to me too - that would make such a difference financially. Thanks for posting this question because the answers have been incredibly informative for someone else in the same boat! Fingers crossed we both get our final approvals soon.

I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share what I learned when I went through this same situation about 4 months ago. Getting that medical approval letter is huge - congratulations! The non-medical review they're doing now is much more routine. They're basically verifying three things: that you have enough work credits (which you definitely do with 15 years of employment), that you haven't been working above substantial gainful activity levels while disabled, and calculating your monthly benefit amount based on your earnings history. In my case, this stage took about 6 weeks, though I know others who got theirs faster. The most important thing to know is that you'll receive backpay from your established onset date once everything is approved, so all those months of waiting will be compensated. Make sure your direct deposit info is current because once they process the final approval, payments start quickly. You're basically approved at this point - try not to stress too much about the timing, even though I know that's easier said than done when benefits are running out. The hardest part is behind you!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds exactly like what you're going through! I got that same letter about 3 months ago - medical requirements met but non-medical decision pending. I was terrified it meant they might still deny me after getting so far. Turns out the non-medical review is mostly just verifying your work history and calculating benefits. Since you worked 15 years at the same company, that should be very straightforward for them to confirm. In my case, it took about 7 weeks from that letter to final approval, and then I received my first payment about 10 days later along with a substantial backpay check covering all the months I'd been waiting. The relief was incredible! I know the timing is stressful with your work benefits ending soon, but based on what I've learned, getting past the medical approval really does mean you're essentially approved. They're just handling the administrative paperwork now. Make sure your banking info is current in your online account so payments can start immediately once everything is processed. You've made it through the hardest part!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some encouragement since I went through this exact situation about 5 months ago! Getting that letter saying you meet the medical requirements is actually fantastic news - that's where the majority of SSDI applications get denied. The "non-medical requirements" they're reviewing are pretty standard administrative checks: verifying your work credits (which shouldn't be an issue with your 15-year work history), confirming you haven't worked above substantial gainful activity limits while disabled, and calculating your monthly benefit amount. In my case, this final stage took about 4 weeks from receiving that letter to getting final approval. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking, especially with your work disability ending soon, but you're essentially approved at this point. Make sure your direct deposit information is updated in your online account because once they process everything, payments start quickly. You'll also receive backpay from your established onset date, which really helped me catch up on expenses during the long wait. Try to stay positive - you've cleared the biggest hurdle in the process!