Can I receive Social Security disability insurance while I cannot work during treatment?

Monica Bryant, cancer rights attorney and chief mission officer at Triage Cancer

Social Security disability insurance, or SSDI, is a federal long-term disability insurance program run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It provides monthly payments while you are out of work due to a disability, which can include a cancer diagnosis. Recipients must meet the SSA’s definition of disability: a condition that prevents you from doing your job or adjusting to another job you’re qualified for. Your cancer-related disability also must be expected to last for at least a year or to result in your death.

Your eligibility to receive SSDI will depend on your age, how long you’ve worked and the amount of SSDI taxes you’ve paid through your wages. To qualify, a person who develops a disability will need to have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least five years in the past decade. The requirement for years worked and taxes paid can vary based on a person’s age when they develop a disability. Visit ssa.gov to find out how much you’ve paid into Social Security in your lifetime and the monthly payment you’d receive if you qualify for disability benefits.

You can also apply for SSDI at ssa.gov. The online application’s first question is whether your monthly earnings exceed what the SSA calls “substantial gainful activity.” This threshold, which changes every year, will be $1,690 in 2026. If you currently earn more than this amount, you will not qualify to receive SSDI.

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Next, you’ll answer questions about how you expect your condition to affect your ability to work. You will be asked what work you can perform. For example, if you can’t work full-time but are able to work part-time, you may not be eligible. To answer these questions, talk with your care team about your prognosis and expectations for treatment, including side effects. Remember to consider any physical, mental or emotional challenges that could keep you from working.

Most applications take six to eight months to be processed. If you get denied, you can appeal either online or by mail within 60 days. It can take anywhere from a few months to years to receive a decision on your appeal. If approved, you’ll need to wait five months from when your disability began to start receiving payments. You will receive benefits for as long as you are considered disabled, with the SSA periodically confirming your status. If you reach full retirement age, your disability benefits will automatically convert into retirement benefits.

Sometimes people hesitate to apply for SSDI because they feel it means they’re giving up on the possibility that their condition may improve. But that’s not the case. Think about SSDI as a benefit that you’ve paid for and are entitled to access when you need it the most.

DISABILITY BENEFITS // Triage Cancer offers guides, webinars and other resources about disability insurance. // The American Cancer Society describes how people can apply for SSDI.

The expert’s response was edited for clarity and based on an interview with Kendall K. Morgan.