You can receive both, but the rules depend on which disability program you're in and your age
If you're receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you cannot also receive Social Security retirement benefits at the same time — you get one or the other, not both. However, if you're receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the rules are different: SSI is a needs-based program, and you can receive it alongside other income sources, including Social Security retirement benefits, though that other income will reduce your SSI payment.
The confusion usually comes from mixing up the two disability programs. SSDI is an insurance program you've paid into through payroll taxes. SSI is a welfare program for people with low income and few resources. They have separate rules about what else you can receive.
If you're already on SSDI and reach full retirement age, Social Security will automatically convert your SSDI to a retirement benefit of the same amount — you don't choose, and there's no gap in payment. If you're on SSI, reaching retirement age doesn't change your SSI status, but you may become may be able to access for a small Social Security retirement benefit that will reduce your SSI check.
Key Takeaways
- SSDI and Social Security retirement benefits cannot be received at the same time; Social Security converts your SSDI to retirement benefits automatically when you reach full retirement age.
- SSI recipients can receive Social Security retirement benefits at the same time, but the retirement benefit will reduce their SSI payment dollar-for-dollar after a small exclusion.
- SSDI is based on your work history and taxes paid; SSI is based on income and resources, so the two programs have completely different rules about outside income.
- If you receive SSDI and also work, your earnings may trigger a work incentive that temporarily protects your benefits while you test your ability to work.
How SSDI and retirement benefits interact
When you turn your full retirement age — which varies by birth year but is typically 66 to 67 — Social Security automatically converts your SSDI to a retirement benefit. The payment amount stays the same. You don't file anything; Social Security handles it on their end. Your benefit continues without interruption.
This matters because SSDI has a work limit: if you earn more than about $1,550 per month (the 2024 figure, which changes yearly), Social Security can stop your benefits. Retirement benefits have no work limit — you can earn as much as you want. So the conversion actually removes a restriction on your income.
You cannot receive both SSDI and a retirement benefit from your own work record at the same time. Social Security will not pay you twice. If you're may be able to access for both, they pay whichever is higher, or they convert you to the retirement benefit when you reach full retirement age, whichever comes first.
SSI and other income sources work differently
SSI is a means-tested program, meaning your income and resources determine how much you receive each month. If you're on SSI and you start receiving Social Security retirement benefits, your SSI payment will decrease. Social Security counts the retirement benefit as income.
However, SSI has an income exclusion: the first $65 of any monthly income is not counted, plus half of earnings above that. So if you receive a $200 Social Security retirement benefit, SSI counts $135 of it ($200 minus $65 exclusion, minus half of the remaining $135). Your SSI payment drops by that $135.
This means you can receive both programs, but the total of SSI plus retirement benefit will usually be less than SSI alone was. The point of SSI is to bring your total income up to a federal minimum (about $943 per month in 2024 for an individual, though states can add more). Once you have other income, SSI fills the gap down to that floor.
Work incentives that let you test your ability to work
Both SSDI and SSI have work incentives designed to let you try working without immediately losing benefits. These are temporary protections that give you a runway to see if you can sustain employment.
On SSDI, the most common is the Trial Work Period: you can work and earn any amount for nine months without affecting your benefits. After those nine months, Social Security looks at your average earnings. If you're consistently earning over the work limit (about $1,550 per month), your benefits stop, but you enter an Extended may be able to access Period where you can still work and keep benefits for three more years as long as you don't exceed the monthly limit in any given month.
On SSI, the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal without it counting against your SSI. For example, if you're saving for vocational training or a car needed for work, you can exclude that money from the SSI resource limit and exclude that income from the SSI payment calculation.
What happens if you receive benefits from a spouse or ex-spouse
If you're receiving spousal or ex-spousal benefits from Social Security — meaning you're getting a benefit based on someone else's work record — you cannot also receive SSDI based on your own disability. Social Security will pay you one or the other, whichever is higher.
However, if you're on SSDI and your spouse or ex-spouse also receives Social Security, that doesn't affect your SSDI. Your benefit is separate. The issue only arises if you're trying to receive a benefit based on their record while also claiming disability on your own record.
If you're on SSI, spousal benefits from another person's Social Security record count as income and will reduce your SSI payment, just like any other income source.
How to report other income to Social Security
If you start receiving another income source — a job, a pension, a settlement, or Social Security benefits from another program — you must report it to Social Security. The deadline is usually the end of the month in which you received the income.
For SSDI, you report work earnings through your online account at ssa.gov, by phone, or in person at your local Social Security office. If you don't report, and Social Security discovers you've been working over the limit, they can overpay you and demand repayment.
For SSI, you report all income the same way. SSI is more sensitive to income changes because it's needs-based, so reporting on time is especially important to avoid overpayment.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I'm on SSDI and I turn 65, do I automatically get Medicare?
Yes. After you've been on SSDI for 24 months, you become may be able to access for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) automatically at age 65, even if you haven't reached your full retirement age yet. You don't have to do anything; Social Security enrolls you. You can decline Part B if you have other coverage, but Part A is automatic.
Can I receive SSDI and workers' compensation at the same time?
Yes, but Social Security will offset your SSDI by a portion of your workers' compensation benefit. If your SSDI plus workers' comp exceeds what's called your "average current earnings" before you became disabled, Social Security reduces your SSDI so the total doesn't exceed that threshold. The offset is complicated and varies by case, so contact Social Security directly to understand how it applies to you.
What if I receive a lump-sum payment, like a settlement or inheritance, while on SSI?
A lump sum counts toward your SSI resource limit, which is $2,000 for an individual (2024). If the lump sum pushes you over that limit, your SSI stops until your resources drop back below $2,000. However, some lump sums — like certain tax refunds or life insurance proceeds — may be excluded depending on the source. Report it to Social Security immediately so they can tell you how it affects your benefits.
If I'm on SSDI and I get married, does my spouse's income affect my benefits?
No. SSDI is based on your own work record and disability status. Your spouse's income does not reduce your SSDI payment. However, your spouse may become may be able to access for spousal benefits based on your SSDI record, and if they do, that doesn't affect your payment either — Social Security pays you and them separately.