Connecticut SSDI and SSI Benefits

If you live in Connecticut and you can't work for a year or more, you may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare. SSI benefits are needs-based and available to disabled adults with earnings and assets below a certain threshold. SSDI eligibility is determined by your employment history and how much you've paid into the system by way of payroll taxes.

Both SSI and SSI benefits require that you have a medical condition that keeps you from working any full-time job for at least twelve months. Although SSDI and SSI are federal programs, Connecticut supplements the federal SSI payment and sets its own guidelines for Medicaid eligibility.

How Do I Apply for Social Security Disability in Connecticut (CT)?

There are three different ways to apply for disability. These options depend on whether you're eligible for SSI or SSDI.

• SSDI applicants can apply online. SSDI applicants can apply for benefits online at the official Social Security website.
• Both SSI and SSDI applicants can apply by telephone. You can call 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778 if you're deaf or hard of hearing) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a Social Security representative.
• Both SSI and SSDI applicants can apply in person. There are about 16 Social Security field offices in Connecticut. You can find the one closest to you using the locator tool. At the field office, a representative can help you complete the forms and explain the process to you. Some offices require an appointment, so you should call before going in.

After you submit your application, Social Security will check to make sure you meet the financial eligibility criteria for the type of benefit you're applying for. Once Social Security is satisfied that you're legally eligible to receive SSDI or SSI, your file will be sent to a state agency that will determine whether you meet the medical criteria for disability.

CT Disability Determination Services

Connecticut's Bureau of Disability Determination Services (DDS) is the department responsible for making the initial decisions about whether you're disabled according to Social Security's guidelines. Claims examiners at DDS will review your daily activities, request your medical records, and may schedule consultative examinations with an agency doctor.

DDS is part of the Connecticut State Department of Aging and Disability Services. The contact information for DDS is as follows:

309 Wawarme Avenue
Hartford, CT 06114

Telephone: 800-842-8320

In fiscal year 2023, claims examiners at Connecticut's DDS approved around 44% of initial disability applications. If your application isn't approved at the initial level, you can appeal within 60 days of receiving a denial notice by asking that DDS "reconsider" your claim. Not many reconsideration appeals are approved, however—only around 15% in Connecticut. If you're denied a second time, you can appeal further by requesting a disability hearing.

Social Security Disability Hearings in CT

When you request a hearing, DDS will send your file to Social Security's Office of Hearings Operations (OHO), the agency responsible for scheduling and conducting disability hearings. OHO has two offices in Connecticut, located in Hartford and New Haven. You can find the contact information for each office below.

Hartford
William R. Cotter Federal Building
135 High Street, Room 331
Hartford, CT 06103-1193

Telephone: 866-931-2878
Fax: 833-359-0111
eFile Fax: 877-787-5224

New Haven
Connecticut Financial Center
157 Church Street, 7th Floor
New Haven, CT 06510

Telephone: 866-613-2750
Fax: 833-563-0485
eFile Fax: 877-482-0827

As of April 2024, the wait time between requesting and conducting a disability hearing in Connecticut was about 8 months. Judges in the Hartford office issued favorable decisions (awarding benefits) in around 43% of hearings, while judges in the New Haven office issued favorable decisions slightly less frequently, about 41% of the time.

CT Disability Benefits Amounts

After you've been approved for SSDI or SSI, Social Security will calculate how much money you can expect to receive monthly. The exact amount will vary depending on your work history (for SSDI) and whether you have any countable income (for SSI).

How Much is the SSI Amount in CT?

In 2024, the federal government will pay you up to $943 per month in SSI benefits. You may also be eligible for a supplemental payment from the state of Connecticut. For example, if you're living independently (meaning not in a boarding home or residential care facility), you may receive up to about $150 a month in additional cash assistance. If you reside in a boarding or residential care home, the supplement amount depends on how much it costs to run that specific facility.

You can learn more about Connecticut's SSI supplement on the Department of Social Services webpage. To apply online, you can use the ConneCTbenefits portal.

How Much is the SSDI Amount in CT?

State supplements aren't available for people receiving SSDI. Instead, Social Security uses a complex system to calculate your monthly benefit based on your earnings history. You can receive a maximum monthly benefit of $3,822 in 2024, although the average benefit is much lower, at around $1,357.

Am I Eligible for Medicaid or Medicare?

Connecticut residents who qualify for SSI aren't automatically enrolled in Medicaid, unlike most other states. In CT, the Medicaid program for SSI recipients is called Husky C. You can qualify for Husky C if you meet the following income and asset criteria:

• Monthly income limits. Single people can qualify for Husky C if they have $723 or less in countable income every month. Married couples can qualify with a combined monthly income of $980 or less.
• Asset limits. Single people can qualify for Husky C if they have $1,600 or less in assets. Married couples can qualify with $2,400 or less in combined assets. Some assets, such as your main home and part of your car's value, aren't counted towards these limits.

If you make too much money to be eligible for Medicaid, you may become eligible by deducting medical expenses from your excess monthly income. This is called a "spend down." If you spend down to a certain amount, you can qualify for Medicaid.

If you're receiving SSDI benefits, you're eligible for Medicare starting two years after your benefit entitlement date. The entitlement date is the first date you're eligible to receive SSDI. For most people, this date will be five months after their established onset date (the date Social Security determines you became disabled plus a five-month waiting period for SSDI).

Depending on when your onset date is, you might not be eligible for Medicare immediately upon qualifying for SSDI. If you need help finding an insurance plan that will cover the gap between getting approved for benefits and when Medicare coverage kicks in, visit healthcare.gov.

Should I talk to an SSI Lawyer in CT?

You don't need to have a lawyer at any stage of the disability application process, but it's smart to hire one. Your lawyer can help you gather all the medical records you need to establish disability, keep on top of appeal deadlines, and represent you at a disability hearing. Many disability lawyers offer free consultations, so you can discuss your case briefly and get a good sense of whether you want to pursue your claim with a particular attorney.