Important: We updated this article in February 2025 after reviewing current Social Security Administration policies and data. The Volunteer State of Tennessee isn’t just home to Graceland and the Grand Ole Opry. It’s also highly affordable, boasting a cost of living that’s well below the national average and many other states. Why does this matter? Because more than 1 in 10 (10.7%) Tennessee residents younger than 65 live with some type of disability. If that describes you, you might wonder how to get disability in Tennessee if you’re unable to hold down a job.
Below, we explain eligibility rules for disability payments, the application process, average dollar amounts, and more helpful info.
How to Get Disability in Tennessee: Key Takeaways
- Two federal programs offer disability benefits in TN: Supplemental security income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The Social Security Administration (SSA) accepts applications and administers payments for both programs.
- There are no federal or state government programs that pay temporary or short-term disability benefits in TN. But if your disability started from a work injury, you may want to apply for workers’ comp benefits.
- To qualify for payments, you must prove with medical records that you cannot work for a minimum of one year. If you can return to work sooner or already get other Social Security payments, then you are not eligible for disability assistance.
- An SSA representative will review your income and work history to make sure you meet all technical requirements. Only then will they forward your claim to Disability Determination Services to review your medical records.
- Once approved, you must complete a review every 3-7 years to re-confirm your disability status.
Two Programs Offer Social Security Disability Benefits in TN
The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages two programs that pay monthly cash benefits to disabled applicants. If you’re disabled and your health prevents you from working at all for at least 12 months, here are your options:
How to Get Disability in Tennessee from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program
This program insures most American workers in the event they become unable to work for medical reasons before age 67. Below is a quick “cheat sheet” that should tell you whether you might be eligible before you apply:
- You worked at least 5 in the last 10 years full time while paying Social Security taxes through your employer. Think about it like you would any other insurance policy; if you stop paying the premiums, your coverage ends. So if you stopped working more than 5 years ago, you can’t apply for SSDI now. The SSA will automatically reject your claim.
- You’re not currently receiving benefits from Social Security (i.e., regular or early retirement or SSI). This is because SSDI is essentially an “early withdrawal” option for regular Social Security that applies if you become disabled. Federal law also forbids anyone from drawing 2 payments on the same work record. So, no one can get both retirement and disability benefits at the same time.
- You are not currently working full-time and your income is less than $1,620 per month. If you’re blind, that amount rises to $2,700 before you make too much money to qualify. If you still work even part-time, the SSA will argue that you are not disabled and reject your claim.
- Your doctor treats you regularly for a medical condition that will last a year or longer or is terminal in nature. Why do regular treatments matter? Because you need lots of medical evidence to support your claim that you cannot work any longer. If you haven’t seen a doctor lately, that could hurt your case.
How Long Does It Usually Take to Get SSDI Benefits?
Six months from your SSDI application date is usually the soonest you can expect your first payment. On average, the SSA takes 3-5 months to review every initial claim. And federal law requires a five-month waiting period before the SSA can pay anyone SSDI benefits. However, the SSA awards benefits to just 1 in 4 people on their initial application. So, you may have to wait a lot longer.
Right now, SSDI claims for Tennessee disability benefits take 400 days, on average, to process. If you decide to apply on your own without a lawyer, you’ll likely wait 18 months for your first payment. That’s because the SSA currently denies 4 in every 5 people the first time they apply. Then, you have 60 days to appeal your denial in writing. The first appeal step is called reconsideration, which takes about 100 days to complete. That puts you around 10 months out from your initial filing date. Only 2% of people get benefits at this stage. Then, the next step is to request an appeals hearing in court. If you’re in Chattanooga, you’ll wait another 9 months to plead your case. But if you’re in Franklin, it takes 13 months before your appeals hearing. In other words, you might wait 2-3 years for your first payment!
How Much Money Is SSDI Disability In Tennessee?
The most anyone can get in 2025 is $4,018, according to federal law. That means you earned at least a six-figure salary for 10+ years before you became disabled and stopped working. Nationwide, the average monthly SSDI payment is $1,580 per month.
You should know, however, that disabled individuals approved within the past year receive somewhere between those two pay amounts. For men, it’s about $400 more than the national average. Women can expect about $300 more each month.
Important: SSDI also pays Tennessee disability benefits to dependent children and spouses. Your wife, husband, or child can get up to 50% of your SSDI check amount every month after you’re approved.
Does SSDI Pay for Doctor Visits?
No, but once you get SSDI benefits for 24 months, you automatically qualify for Medicare coverage.
How to Get Disability In Tennessee from Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security income pays benefits only to blind or disabled adults and minor children as well as seniors aged 65+ who qualify.
To Qualify for SSI, You Need Very Limited Income and Almost No Assets
If you apply for yourself alone, then you need to have less than $2,000 in total income to qualify. You also must own less than $2,000 in assets to be eligible for SSI payments. This means anything you can sell for cash, such as jewelry, stocks, bonds, your 401(k), etc.
The SSA automatically denies your claim if you own too many things or have more than $2,000 in the bank. If you file as a married couple, you need less than $3,000 in assets.
How Much are Tennessee Disability Benefits from the SSI Program?
SSI payments are no more than $967 for one person, or $1,450 per couple. However, those amounts can go up every year with an approved cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
How Can I See a Doctor on SSI?
The same month you get your first SSI payment, you also qualify for Medicaid health coverage.
How to Apply for Disability Payments from the Social Security Administration
Most people have 3 ways to apply for Social Security disability benefits, and all of them are free:
- Apply in person at your local Social Security office. You may wish to make an appointment, since it the application process can take 4-5 hours, minimum.
- Call 1-800-772-1213 Monday through Friday during normal business hours. This way you can start your application with the SSA over the phone.
- Work with a Social Security attorney to file your claim. This is the only option that triples your approval chances on your initial application.
Filing for SSDI benefits only, not SSI? Then you can also apply online at SSA.gov. However, you should know that the SSA does not accept SSI disability claims online anywhere at this time.
How to Get Disability in Tennessee Within 6 Months of Your Application Date
Want your first disability payment in months, not years? You’re 2.9x more likely to succeed on your first application if a TN disability lawyer helps you file. In fact, a lawyer can tell you during a free consultation whether you may qualify for benefits before you fill out any paperwork. All SSD lawyers work on contingency. That means you owe $0 in legal fees if the SSA fails to award you monthly payments. And if you succeed, then you’ll only pay one small fee taken out of your backpay.
Ready to get started? Click the button below now to start your free online benefits quiz and see if you may qualify:
Get Your Free Benefits Evaluation
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.
