You can receive both Social Security retirement benefits and SSDI, but the rules depend on how you became disabled

Whether you can draw both Social Security and disability payments comes down to when you became disabled and how old you are. If you became disabled before reaching your full retirement age, you receive SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). Once you turn your full retirement age — which ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year — your SSDI payments convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits at the same rate. You do not receive both simultaneously; the program switches one to the other.

If you became disabled after you started collecting Social Security retirement benefits, you cannot switch to SSDI. You keep receiving your retirement payment, which does not increase because you are now disabled. The only exception is if you are caring for a child under 16 or a disabled adult child — in that case, your family members may be able to receive benefits based on your record, but your own payment does not change.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI converts to regular Social Security retirement benefits automatically when you reach full retirement age; you do not collect both at once.
  • If you started Social Security retirement benefits before becoming disabled, you stay on retirement benefits and cannot switch to SSDI.
  • Family members can receive benefits based on your Social Security record whether you are on SSDI or retirement benefits.
  • The payment amount stays the same when SSDI converts to retirement benefits — the program name changes, but your monthly check does not.

How SSDI converts to retirement benefits at full retirement age

The Social Security Administration treats disability and retirement as two ways of receiving the same benefit. When you turn your full retirement age, the SSA automatically converts your SSDI case to a retirement case. Your monthly payment amount does not change. You receive the same check under a different program name.

You do not need to do anything to make this conversion happen. The SSA handles it on your behalf. Your case worker may send you a letter explaining the change, but some people receive no notice at all. If you want confirmation that the conversion occurred, you can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office.

Why you cannot receive both SSDI and retirement benefits at the same time

Social Security is structured so that each person receives one monthly benefit based on their own work record. That benefit can be SSDI if you are disabled and under full retirement age, or it can be a retirement benefit if you have reached full retirement age. The program does not pay both simultaneously because they are two different ways of accessing the same underlying benefit.

This is different from how family benefits work. Your spouse, ex-spouse, or adult children can receive payments based on your Social Security record in addition to any benefits they earn on their own record. But you, as the worker, receive one benefit amount.

What happens if you started retirement benefits before becoming disabled

If you began collecting Social Security retirement benefits and then became disabled, you remain on your retirement benefit. You cannot switch to SSDI, even though SSDI has different rules about work and medical review. Your payment stays at the retirement rate you were receiving.

This matters because SSDI has a higher earnings limit than retirement benefits. Under SSDI, you can earn up to $1,550 per month (in 2024) without affecting your benefits. Under retirement benefits, the earnings limit is higher, but the rules are different. If you are under full retirement age and still working, your retirement benefit is reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. Once you reach full retirement age, there is no earnings limit at all.

Family members receiving benefits on your record

Whether you are on SSDI or retirement benefits, your family members may be able to receive payments based on your work record. may be able to access family members include your spouse at any age if they are caring for your child under 16, your spouse at 62 or older, your ex-spouse at 62 or older (if you were married at least 10 years), and your unmarried children under 19 (or up to 23 if in high school full-time).

Adult children can also receive benefits if they became disabled before age 22 and remain disabled. These family payments do not reduce your own benefit amount. The SSA calculates a family maximum — the total amount all family members can receive based on your record — but that maximum does not come out of your payment. It limits what your family members receive, not what you do.

How your payment amount is calculated

Your SSDI payment is based on your average lifetime earnings, not on how disabled you are or how much you need. The SSA calculates a figure called your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the same whether you receive it as SSDI or as retirement benefits. When your SSDI converts to retirement at full retirement age, your PIA does not change.

If you delay claiming Social Security past your full retirement age, your benefit increases by about 8 percent per year until age 70. This applies whether you are on SSDI or retirement. However, most people on SSDI do not delay because they need the income, and the SSA automatically converts your case at full retirement age regardless of whether you have claimed it yet.

What to do if you think you should be on SSDI instead of retirement

If you are receiving retirement benefits and believe you became disabled before you started claiming, contact the SSA directly. Call 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office with medical records showing when your disability began. The SSA can review your case, but they cannot retroactively switch you to SSDI if you already started retirement benefits. The conversion only happens automatically if you were on SSDI when you reached full retirement age.

If you are currently disabled and have not yet claimed any Social Security benefits, you may be able to file for SSDI instead of retirement. The SSA will evaluate your medical condition and work history. This is different from the automatic conversion and requires a separate information of disability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my SSDI payment go up or down when it converts to retirement benefits?

Your payment stays the same. The program name changes from SSDI to Social Security retirement, but your monthly check amount does not change. The conversion is automatic at your full retirement age.

Can my spouse receive benefits if I am on SSDI?

Yes. Your spouse can receive a benefit based on your record if they are 62 or older, or at any age if they are caring for your child under 16. These family benefits do not reduce your SSDI payment.

What if I am still working when my SSDI converts to retirement?

Once you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn without affecting your benefit. If you are under full retirement age, your retirement benefit is reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above the annual limit, which changes each year.

Can I go back on SSDI if I retire and then become disabled again?

No. Once your SSDI converts to retirement benefits at full retirement age, you remain on retirement benefits for life. You cannot switch back to SSDI, even if your condition worsens.

How do I know when my SSDI will convert to retirement?

The SSA converts your case automatically when you reach your full retirement age. You can find your full retirement age on your Social Security statement or by calling 1-800-772-1213. The SSA may send you a notice, but you can also check your account online at ssa.gov.