You cannot receive both SSI and SSDI at the same time, but you may be able to receive one or the other depending on your work history and income

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are two separate programs with different rules about who can receive them. The key difference is that SSDI is based on your own work history and Social Security taxes you have paid, while SSI is a needs-based program for people with limited income and resources. You cannot collect both programs simultaneously, but you may transition from one to the other, or you may be able to receive one program while your situation changes.

If you have worked long enough to have paid Social Security taxes, you may be may be able to access for SSDI. If you have not worked enough, or if your SSDI benefit is very low, you might be may be able to access for SSI instead. Some people receive SSDI and then later become may be able to access for SSI if their benefit drops below a certain threshold, or vice versa. Understanding which program you may have access to for depends on your work history, age, and current income and resources.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI is based on your work history and Social Security taxes paid; SSI is based on financial need and has strict income and resource limits.
  • You cannot receive both programs at the same time, but you may switch from one to the other if your circumstances change.
  • If you have worked enough quarters to may have access to for SSDI, you will receive SSDI first; SSI is only available if you do not meet SSDI requirements or if your SSDI payment is very low.
  • If you receive SSDI and your benefit amount is below the federal SSI limit, you may be able to receive a small SSI payment to bring you up to the minimum.

How SSDI and SSI differ in their basic requirements

SSDI requires that you have worked in jobs covered by Social Security and paid Social Security taxes for a certain number of quarters (three-month periods). The exact number of quarters you need depends on your age when you become disabled, but most people need 40 quarters of work history, with at least 20 of those quarters in the last 10 years. If you meet this work history requirement and you have a medical condition that prevents you from working, you may be may be able to access for SSDI.

SSI has no work history requirement at all. Instead, it is based entirely on your current financial situation. To receive SSI, you must have limited income (currently under about $943 per month for an individual, though this amount changes yearly) and limited resources (currently under $2,000 in countable assets for an individual). You must also be disabled, blind, or age 65 or older. SSI is designed for people who have never worked enough to earn SSDI, or who worked but did not pay enough Social Security taxes.

Because SSDI is based on work history and SSI is based on need, a person might may have access to for one but not the other. Someone with a strong work history but very low current income might may have access to for SSDI but not SSI. Someone with no work history but a disability might may have access to for SSI but not SSDI.

What happens if you may have access to for both programs

If your work history qualifies you for SSDI, you will receive SSDI first. The Social Security Administration will not pay you SSI if you are already receiving SSDI at the full rate. However, there is one exception: if your SSDI payment is very low—below the federal SSI benefit rate—you may receive a small SSI payment on top of your SSDI to bring your total income up to the SSI limit. This is called deemed SSI or SSI-only status, and it is relatively uncommon.

For example, if your SSDI payment is $600 per month and the federal SSI limit is $943 per month, you might receive $343 in SSI to reach the maximum. However, this only happens if you also meet SSI's resource limits (under $2,000 in countable assets) and your other income does not exceed the threshold. Many people who receive SSDI do not may have access to for this additional SSI payment because their SSDI amount is already at or above the SSI limit, or because they have too many resources.

How your work history affects which program you can receive

If you stopped working several years ago and are now disabled, your work history still counts toward SSDI may be able to access. Social Security looks at your entire work record, not just recent work. However, if you have not worked in covered employment for many years, you may not have enough quarters to may have access to for SSDI, even if you worked for a long time in the past.

Young people who become disabled before they have had time to work often cannot may have access to for SSDI because they have not accumulated enough work quarters. In these cases, SSI may be the only option if they meet the income and resource limits. Parents sometimes ask whether their child can receive benefits based on their own work history; the answer is that a disabled child may be able to receive benefits on a parent's Social Security record, but this is a different program from both SSDI and SSI and has its own rules.

What happens to your benefits if your situation changes

If you are receiving SSDI and your medical condition improves enough that you can work, your SSDI will eventually stop. However, Social Security has work incentive programs that allow you to continue receiving some benefits while you test your ability to work. During this time, you would still receive SSDI, not SSI.

If you are receiving SSI and you start working, your SSI payment will be reduced based on your earnings, but you may still receive some SSI as long as your income stays below the limit. If your income rises above the SSI threshold, your SSI stops entirely. If you later stop working and your income drops again, you can request that SSI be reinstated.

If you are receiving SSDI and your benefit amount drops below the SSI limit (for example, because you reached full retirement age and your benefit was recalculated), you may become may be able to access for SSI at that point. You would need to contact Social Security to request an SSI review, as the agency does not automatically switch you to SSI.

How income and resources are counted differently under each program

SSDI and SSI count income and resources very differently. For SSDI, there is no limit on how much income or resources you can have. You can own a house, a car, and have savings without affecting your SSDI payment. SSDI only stops if your medical condition improves or if you reach full retirement age (at which point your SSDI converts to a regular retirement benefit at the same amount).

SSI, by contrast, has strict limits on both income and resources. You can have no more than $2,000 in countable resources (with some exceptions, like your home and one vehicle). Income is also limited, and many types of income are counted, including wages, self-employment income, and unearned income like interest or gifts. However, SSI does exclude certain types of income, such as the first $65 of monthly wages plus half of remaining wages, and certain in-kind support and maintenance.

This difference means that someone receiving SSI must be careful about earning money or receiving gifts, because these can reduce or eliminate their SSI payment. Someone receiving SSDI has no such restrictions and can earn as much as they want without affecting their benefit (though earning above a certain amount may trigger a medical review).

How to find out which program you might receive

The best way to understand which program you might receive is to contact Social Security directly. You can call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to speak with a representative, or you can visit your local Social Security office in person. You can also create an account on ssa.gov to view your work history and see an estimate of your future benefits.

When you contact Social Security, have your Social Security number ready and be prepared to discuss your work history, your current income and resources, and your medical condition. If you are applying for benefits, Social Security will ask you to provide medical evidence of your disability. The process of determining which program you may have access to for is not something you decide—Social Security makes that information based on your work history and financial situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive SSDI and SSI at the same time?

No, you cannot receive both programs at full rates simultaneously. However, if your SSDI payment is very low—below the federal SSI limit—you may receive a small SSI payment on top of your SSDI. This is rare and only happens if you also meet SSI's strict resource limits.

I worked for many years but stopped 15 years ago. Can I still get SSDI?

Your work history counts even if you stopped working years ago. However, you must have enough work quarters to may have access to. Most people need 40 quarters total, with at least 20 in the last 10 years. Contact Social Security to review your specific work record and see whether you meet the requirement.

What if I have savings? Does that affect SSDI or SSI?

Savings do not affect SSDI at all—you can have any amount of money and still receive SSDI. For SSI, you can have no more than $2,000 in countable resources. Your home and one vehicle are not counted, but bank accounts, investments, and other assets are.

If I start working, what happens to my benefits?

If you receive SSDI and work, your benefit does not change based on earnings. However, earning above a certain amount may trigger a medical review. If you receive SSI and work, your SSI payment is reduced based on your wages, but you may still receive some SSI as long as your income stays below the limit.

Can I switch from SSI to SSDI later?

If you were receiving SSI and you later accumulate enough work quarters, you would become may be able to access for SSDI. You would need to contact Social Security to request a review. Once you may have access to for SSDI, you would receive SSDI instead of SSI.