You cannot receive both SSI and SSDI payments in the same month, but you can switch from one program to the other

Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are separate programs with different rules, different payment amounts, and different ways you may have access to. The Social Security Administration does not allow you to collect both payments simultaneously. However, your situation can change over time — you might start on one program and move to the other, or you might receive one program's payment while waiting for the other to be decided.

The key difference is how you may have access to. SSDI is based on your own work history or your parent's work history if you became disabled before age 22. SSI is based on financial need — your income and assets must stay below certain limits. Because the programs measure different things, some people may have access to for both, but Social Security pays only one at a time.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI and SSI are two separate programs; you receive a payment from one or the other, never both in the same month.
  • If you may have access to for both programs, Social Security pays you SSDI first, then tops up the difference with SSI if your SSDI payment is below the SSI federal rate.
  • Your work history determines SSDI may be able to access, while your income and assets determine SSI may be able to access, so your circumstances can shift you between programs.
  • If you are waiting for a decision on one program, you may receive payments from the other program in the meantime.

How Social Security decides which program pays you

When you file for disability benefits, Social Security first checks whether you meet the medical requirements — whether your condition prevents you from working. If you do, the agency then checks which program you may have access to for based on your work history and finances.

If you have enough work credits from your own jobs, you may have access to for SSDI. Social Security will pay you SSDI. If your SSDI payment is less than the federal SSI rate (which varies by state but is set by federal law), and your income and assets are low enough, Social Security adds SSI on top to bring you up to the SSI amount. This combination is called "concurrent" benefits.

If you do not have enough work credits for SSDI but your income and assets are low enough, you receive only SSI. If you have work credits but your SSDI payment is already at or above the SSI rate, you receive only SSDI — SSI does not explore.

When you might receive one program while waiting for the other

Social Security processes applications at different speeds depending on the program and your situation. If you file for both SSDI and SSI at the same time, one decision may come through before the other.

For example, if Social Security approves your SSI claim first, you will start receiving SSI payments while your SSDI case is still being reviewed. If SSDI is later approved and your SSDI payment is higher than your SSI payment, Social Security will switch you to SSDI. If your SSDI payment is lower than the SSI rate, you will receive the SSDI payment plus a top-up to reach the SSI amount.

This matters because SSI has a waiting period — you cannot receive SSI for the first full month after you file. SSDI has no waiting period. If you are approved for SSDI first, you may start receiving payments before SSI would have paid anything.

How work and income affect which program pays you

SSI has strict income and asset limits. In 2024, the federal SSI payment rate is $943 per month for an individual, but your state may add to this amount. If your income from work, pensions, or other sources exceeds certain thresholds, your SSI payment shrinks or stops entirely. SSDI has no income limit — you can earn money and still receive your full SSDI payment, though there are rules about how much you can earn while still being considered disabled.

If you are on SSI and your income rises above the limit, you lose SSI. If you also may have access to for SSDI, Social Security will switch you to SSDI only. If you do not may have access to for SSDI, you receive nothing until your income drops back below the SSI limit.

Conversely, if you are on SSDI and your income drops, you may become may be able to access for SSI. Social Security does not automatically add SSI to your SSDI — you must report the income change, and the agency will recalculate whether you now may have access to for the top-up.

What happens if you work while receiving benefits

Both programs allow you to work and still receive payments, but the rules are different. SSDI allows you to earn up to a certain amount per month (called "substantial gainful activity," or SGA) without losing your benefits. In 2024, SGA is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,590 for blind individuals, but these amounts change yearly. If you earn more than SGA, Social Security may find that you are able to work and stop your SSDI payments.

SSI has a different rule. You can earn money and keep some of your SSI payment through a formula that counts only part of your earnings as income. However, your total income — including the counted portion of your earnings — cannot exceed the SSI limit. If you are receiving concurrent benefits and your work income pushes you over the SSI limit, you lose the SSI portion but keep your SSDI.

Switching between programs as your situation changes

Your life circumstances can shift you from one program to the other. If you are on SSI and you reach full retirement age, Social Security automatically converts your benefits to retirement benefits based on your work record — you do not receive SSI anymore. If you are on SSDI and you reach full retirement age, your SSDI payment converts to a retirement payment at the same amount.

If you are on SSI and you inherit money or receive a lump-sum payment, your assets may exceed the SSI limit. You would lose SSI may be able to access. If you also may have access to for SSDI, you would switch to SSDI only. If you do not may have access to for SSDI, you would receive no benefits until your assets drop below the limit again.

If you are on SSDI and you marry someone with significant income, your spouse's income does not affect your SSDI payment. However, if you also receive SSI, your spouse's income counts toward the SSI limit, and you may lose the SSI portion of your benefits.

How to report changes that might affect your benefits

Social Security requires you to report certain changes within 10 days. These include changes in your living situation, changes in who lives with you, changes in your income or work, and changes in your marital status. You can report changes online through your my Social Security account, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at your local Social Security office.

If you do not report a change and Social Security later discovers it, you may be overpaid. An overpayment means you received more money than you were may have access to to, and Social Security will ask you to repay it. Reporting changes promptly protects you from overpayments and ensures you receive the correct payment amount.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am approved for both SSDI and SSI, which one do I receive?

You receive SSDI first. If your SSDI payment is below the SSI federal rate, Social Security adds SSI on top to bring you up to that amount. You never receive two separate checks — the total payment combines both programs.

Can I switch from SSI to SSDI if my work history improves?

Your work history does not improve over time in a way that would change SSDI may be able to access. SSDI is based on work credits you earned in the past. However, if you are currently on SSI and you later become may be able to access for SSDI through a different route — such as a parent's work record if you became disabled before age 22 — Social Security would switch you to SSDI.

What if I earn too much money and lose SSI but still may have access to for SSDI?

You would receive only SSDI. SSDI has no income limit, so your earnings do not affect your SSDI payment. However, if you earn above the SGA amount, Social Security may determine you are able to work and stop your SSDI as well.

Do I have to choose between SSI and SSDI when I file?

No. When you file for disability, Social Security determines which program you may have access to for based on your medical condition, work history, and finances. You do not choose — the agency decides based on the rules.

If I am denied for one program, can I still receive the other?

Yes. The programs have different may be able to access rules. You could be denied SSDI because you do not have enough work credits, but still may have access to for SSI if your income and assets are low enough. Or you could be denied SSI because your assets are too high, but still may have access to for SSDI based on your work history.