Can someone be eligible for disability if they have never worked?

The short answer is "No" for SSDI and "Yes" for SSI!

If the applicant has never worked, they will not be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSDI eligibility criteria require that you have worked long enough and recently enough to be insured for Social Security disability. However, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is based upon need, not insured status.