Disability Benefits With Heart Failure: 5 Essential Tips

Medically reviewed by Vedran Radonić, M.D., Ph.D.

Written by Ted Samson

Updated on September 10, 2026

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Key Takeaways

People living with heart failure may find that symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest pain make it hard to keep working, but financial help is available through the Social Security Administration in the form of disability benefits like SSDI and SSI.

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For many people living with heart failure, symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest pain can make working full time extremely difficult.

“Tried to go back to work today but almost blacked out just standing and being a cashier,” a MyHeartDiseaseTeam member shared. This inability to work can lead to financial difficulties.

Fortunately, financial assistance is available through the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) in the form of disability benefits, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The following information can help you navigate the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits.

🗳️ Have you applied for disability benefits because of heart failure?

Yes, and I was approved.

Yes, but I was denied or I appealed.

No, but I plan to.

No, and I don’t plan to.

1. Understand the Difference Between SSI and SSDI

SSDI and SSI are two federal disability programs in the U.S. It’s possible to get both SSDI and SSI.

Social Security Disability Insurance

SSDI provides disability benefits based on your previous work history and contributions to the Social Security fund. Your disability must prevent you from performing basic tasks required for most jobs, like standing for extended periods, walking, lifting, and sitting. You must also prove that you are unable to do any work you did previously.

To get SSDI, you need to have worked in one or more jobs covered by Social Security and have earned enough work credits to qualify. Work credits are earned based on the amount of money earned per quarter of the year. The amount of money needed to earn a credit can change by year.

Check the Social Security Quarter of Coverage site to learn more. Most people will need 40 credits to qualify for SSDI.

SSDI has a waiting period of five full calendar months since the date that your disability began. Benefits start in the sixth month. If you’ve been disabled for at least a year before claiming SSDI, you may be able to get back payments of disability benefits for one year.

You’re also eligible for Medicare (federal health insurance), including prescription drug benefits, 24 months after you start receiving SSDI.

Supplemental Security Income

SSI provides benefits to people who have a disability and little to no income. If you’re 65 or older, you don’t need to have a disability. SSI benefits are not linked to any previous work history.

SSI eligibility and payment amounts depend not just on job earnings, but on other sources of income, existing assets, and your living situation. For example, other disability benefit payments can count toward income and could lower your SSI payments. To find out whether you’re eligible for SSI, go to the official social security website.

If you’re approved for SSI, you can receive benefits in the next month. You may also be eligible for back payments of SSI if you became disabled before your approval.

Most states grant Medicaid eligibility to people who qualify for SSI. In addition, almost every state offers an SSI supplement, but eligibility rules vary by state.

2. Know Heart-Related Disability Criteria

To receive SSDI or SSI, you need to have an eligible disability. The Social Security Administration Listing of Impairments (also known as the Blue Book) covers specific circulatory and heart conditions, including:

Chronic heart failure
Ischemic heart disease
Recurrent arrhythmias
Symptomatic congenital heart disease
Heart transplant
Aneurysm of the aorta or major branches

Each listed condition has its own set of criteria — such as specific symptoms, signs, and diagnostic test results — and these criteria must be medically documented.

3. Get Evidence for Your Disability Claim

Medical evidence is typically the most important component of a disability claim. Make sure your cardiologist or other healthcare providers are aware that you’re applying for disability so they can provide you with documentation.

The information and documentation you’ll need to submit include:

The names and contact information of members of your healthcare team who can discuss your condition

Copies or photocopies of medical records, doctors’ reports, and recent test results

A complete list of medications, both past and present

A description of how your symptoms affect your ability to perform daily activities

Other types of information and documentation you’ll need to include in your application include:

Personal information, including your full name as well as those of past or present spouses and your children

Earnings and employment history going back as far as 15 years

Documents, including your birth certificate, Social Security card, W-2, and other tax forms, and proof of any workers’ compensation

The SSA website can help walk you through the process of applying for SSDI and SSI. The SSA accepts online applications, including documents signed using a software product like Adobe Acrobat or DocuSign. For more assistance, call 800-772-1213 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.

4. Prepare for a Long Wait After Applying

Once you submit your application, the SSA will review it to see if you meet basic requirements. They’ll review your current employment activities and send the application to a state agency or field office. Generally, it takes six to eight months to get an initial decision from the state agency.

If you disagree with the state agency’s decision, you have the right to request an appeal within 60 days. At this stage, your application could be reconsidered, heard by a judge, reviewed by a council, or reviewed by a federal court.

Once you are awarded benefits, your case will undergo periodic review. Reviews are scheduled depending on your prognosis. If you’re living with a condition that isn’t expected to improve, your case won’t be reviewed as often.

Ways To Speed Up the Process

You may qualify for the Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program, through which people with certain serious health conditions may have their claims processed faster.

Eligible heart-related conditions include:

Heart transplant graft failure
Cardiac amyloidosis (AL type)
Heart valve atresias (pulmonary, mitral, aortic, and tricuspid atresia)

The SSA also has a terminal illness (TERI) program. This program covers untreatable conditions that are expected to result in death. Such conditions include the need for a heart transplant and some kinds of chronic heart failure.

Veterans with 100 percent permanent and total disability compensation as defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs and military members who sustained an injury or illness while on active duty can also receive a quicker disability benefit review.

Your claim may also be processed more quickly if it meets the criteria for a dire need case. This means you don’t have resources for food, medical care, or housing.

5. Ask for Help

Given how complex and time-consuming the application process can be, consider looking for additional support.

Trusted Friend or Family Member

Friends and family members can help you gather necessary documentation, put together your application, make calls on your behalf, and attend any in-person meetings.

The SSA website has a useful section for people who are helping others apply for benefits.

Social Security Disability Attorney

Hiring a disability lawyer or advocate may boost your chances of getting your claim approved. A qualified lawyer will know what medical evidence you need to submit, how to work with healthcare providers, and how to navigate the process from application to appeal, if necessary.

Social Security Offices

Your local Social Security office can point you to organizations, such as legal aid services or a local bar association, for help. You can find a local office through the SSA website.