Can You Get SSDI for CTE or a Brain Injury?

Yes, if your symptoms are documented and severe enough. Social Security doesn't require a confirmed CTE diagnosis, and no living person could get one. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy can currently be diagnosed only after death, by examining the brain. SSA looks instead at what medical tests and exams show about how your brain works, and at what you can still do.

The new study

Boston University researchers reported on October 28 that an estimated 74.5% of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had CTE. Of 387 players whose brains were studied, 362 (94%) had some degree of the disease. The researchers adjusted that share down because players with cognitive symptoms were about five times as likely to have their brains donated. The study was published in JAMA Network Open (BU's announcement).

For living former players, and for anyone with a history of head injuries, the practical question is whether memory loss, confusion or mood changes can qualify for disability benefits. The rules below apply no matter how the injury happened.

SSA needs evidence, not a label

Under 20 CFR 404.1521, an impairment has to be shown by objective medical evidence from an acceptable medical source. SSA won't establish one from your description of symptoms, a diagnosis or a medical opinion alone. That cuts both ways. A doctor's note saying "probable CTE" won't qualify you by itself. Brain imaging, neurological exams and neuropsychological test results that document a decline can.

Two listings that fit

SSA's Listing of Impairments has two entries that cover most brain-injury claims.

Traumatic brain injury, listing 11.18. You meet it if one of these lasts at least 3 consecutive months after the injury:

• poor control of movement in two limbs, causing an extreme limitation in standing up from a chair, keeping your balance, or using your arms; or
• a marked limitation in physical functioning, plus a marked limitation in one of SSA's four areas of mental functioning.

The four areas are:

• understanding, remembering or applying information
• interacting with others
• concentrating, persisting or keeping pace
• adapting or managing yourself

SSA generally wants evidence from at least 3 months after the injury. If that isn't enough to decide, it waits for evidence from 6 months after.

Neurocognitive disorders, listing 12.02. This covers dementia and other cognitive decline, and SSA's rules name traumatic brain injury as one cause. You need medical records showing a significant decline in memory, attention, language, planning or a similar area, plus one of these:

• an extreme limitation in one, or marked limitations in two, of those four areas; or
• a disorder documented for at least 2 years, with ongoing treatment and very little ability to adapt to changes or new demands.

If you don't meet a listing

SSA keeps going. Under its five-step process, it works out what you can still do, then asks whether you can do your past work or any other work, given your age, education and experience. Age matters here: SSA's rules say that from 50 on, age can seriously affect your ability to switch to other work, and from 55 it counts even more.

Records that help

• Neuropsychological testing, which measures memory, attention and reasoning against what's expected
• MRI or CT results and neurology notes
• A record of each concussion or accident and when symptoms began
• Statements from family, friends or former coworkers about what you can and can't do day to day. SSA's rules let it consider evidence from people who aren't doctors, including you.

The rules that aren't medical

• The condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months.
• If you're working and earning more than $1,690 a month in 2026 ($1,770 in 2027), SSA generally won't find you disabled.
• You need enough work credits. If you're 31 or older, that's generally 20 credits in the 10 years before you became disabled.
• Benefits start after five full months of disability. Medicare follows after 24 months of SSDI.

Any league, union or employer disability plan is separate from Social Security and has its own rules.

To estimate a monthly amount, use our SSDI calculator. The SSDI basics guide covers how benefits are figured, and if a claim is denied, see how disability appeals work.

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This article is general educational information, not legal or medical advice. Disability criteria are summarized from SSA's Listing of Impairments (listings 11.18 and 12.02, with sections 11.00Q and 12.00B) and 20 CFR 404.1509, 404.1513, 404.1520, 404.1521 and 404.1563. Study figures are from Boston University's October 28, 2026 announcement. Confirm your situation with the Social Security Administration. SocialSecurityNews.com is not affiliated with the SSA.