Can I elect "permanent disability" for IRA distributions if I lost my job due to disability but SSDI has not been approved yet?

Yes, the IRS has some definitions for permanent disability but essentially they are the same and you can avoid the 10% penalty for this reason.

• Retirement Topics Disability

As long as you have a doctor who can verify your disability, it's not necessary to be approved by the Social Security Administration (SSA) first.

 

Permanent and Total Disability:

If a retirement account owner becomes disabled, the IRS will waive the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty so long as they can show that they are unable to perform any substantial gainful activity and that the condition causing the disability is expected to result in death or last for a long time.

 

A person is permanently and totally disabled if both of the following apply. 

1. They can't engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition. 
2. A physician determines that the disability has lasted or can be expected to last continuously for at least a year or can lead to death.