You cannot receive both SSI and SSDI payments simultaneously, but you may be able to receive one and then transition to the other

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are separate programs with different rules about who qualifies and how much you receive. The Social Security Administration does not allow you to collect both payments in the same month. However, your situation can change over time — you might start on one program and move to another, or receive one program's payment while working under the other program's rules.

The reason you cannot receive both simultaneously is that SSI is a needs-based program (it looks at your income and resources) while SSDI is an earned-benefit program (it is based on your work history). Social Security treats them as mutually exclusive: once you are approved for one, you cannot also receive the other's monthly payment. But the programs do interact in specific ways depending on your age, work history, and family situation.

Key Takeaways

  • SSI and SSDI are separate programs, and you cannot receive both monthly payments at the same time.
  • If you are approved for SSDI, you may later become may be able to access for SSI if your SSDI payment falls below the federal benefit rate and you meet resource limits.
  • If you are receiving SSI and then become may be able to access for SSDI, your SSI payment stops and you receive only the SSDI amount.
  • Certain family members can receive benefits on your SSDI record even if you are not receiving SSDI yourself, and this does not prevent you from receiving SSI.

How SSI and SSDI interact when you are approved for one first

If you are approved for SSDI based on your own work record, you cannot also receive an SSI payment. However, if your SSDI payment is very low — below the current federal benefit rate for SSI — you may later become may be able to access for SSI to bring your total income up to that level. This is called SSI deemed income, and it means Social Security counts part of your SSDI as income when deciding your SSI amount. You would receive your full SSDI payment plus a smaller SSI payment to reach the SSI federal benefit rate.

If you are receiving SSI and then become approved for SSDI (for example, because you worked enough quarters to earn a SSDI record), your SSI payment stops when ready. You would then receive only your SSDI payment, which is usually higher than SSI. Social Security will notify you of this change and explain your new payment amount.

The transition from SSI to SSDI can affect other benefits you receive. Your Medicaid coverage may change depending on your state's rules, and your food information (SNAP) may be recalculated based on your new income. Contact your local Social Security office or your state Medicaid agency to understand how the switch affects your other programs.

When family members can receive benefits on your record

Family members — including your spouse, ex-spouse, or children — may be able to receive benefits based on your SSDI work record. These are called auxiliary benefits, and they do not prevent you from receiving SSI. You can be on SSI yourself while your family members collect on your SSDI record, because their payments come from your SSDI entitlement, not from SSI.

However, if you are receiving SSDI yourself, your family members' benefits are calculated as a percentage of your SSDI amount. The total paid to your entire family cannot exceed a certain percentage of your primary insurance amount (usually around 150 to 180 percent, depending on your situation). If you then lose your SSDI and move to SSI only, your family members' benefits stop, because auxiliary benefits require that you be receiving SSDI.

The difference in how work affects each program

Work rules differ significantly between SSI and SSDI, which matters if you are trying to move from one program to the other. Under SSDI, you can earn up to a certain amount per month (called substantial gainful activity, or SGA) and still receive your full benefit. In 2024, SGA is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals, though this amount changes yearly. If you earn more than SGA for nine months, you enter a trial work period where you can test your ability to work without losing benefits.

Under SSI, the rules are stricter. SSI counts most of your earnings as income and reduces your payment dollar-for-dollar after an initial exclusion. If you are receiving SSI and your earnings rise above a certain level, your SSI payment decreases or stops. If you then become may be able to access for SSDI instead, you would have more freedom to work and earn without losing your entire benefit.

What happens if you are denied for one program but approved for the other

It is possible to be denied for SSDI but approved for SSI, or vice versa. If you are denied for SSDI because you do not have enough work credits, you can still explore for SSI if you meet the disability and resource requirements. SSI does not require a work history — only that you are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older, and that your income and resources fall below the limits.

Conversely, if you are denied for SSI because your resources are too high (over $2,000 for an individual in most states), you might still may have access to for SSDI if you have enough work credits. SSDI has no resource limit — only an income limit based on substantial gainful activity. This is why some people pursue both applications: the programs have different requirements, and approval for one does not mean you will be approved for the other.

How the federal benefit rate affects your SSI amount

The federal benefit rate (FBR) is the maximum SSI payment Social Security makes each month. In 2024, the FBR is $943 per month for an individual and $1,415 for a couple, though these amounts increase each January. If you are receiving SSDI and your payment is below the FBR, Social Security may add SSI to bring you up to that level.

For example, if your SSDI payment is $600 per month and the FBR is $943, you could receive an additional $343 in SSI (assuming you meet SSI's resource and other income limits). This combination is called concurrent receipt. Your state may also add a state supplement on top of the federal amount, which would increase your total payment further.

Medicaid and Medicare coverage when you receive both programs

Your health insurance changes depending on which program you are on. If you are receiving SSI, you are usually automatically enrolled in Medicaid in most states. If you are receiving SSDI, you become may be able to access for Medicare after 24 months of receiving SSDI payments. Some people receive both Medicaid and Medicare during a transition period.

If you move from SSI to SSDI only, you lose Medicaid and gain Medicare may be able to access after the 24-month waiting period. If you move from SSDI to SSI, you lose Medicare and gain Medicaid. Some states have special programs to help people keep Medicaid during these transitions, so contact your state Medicaid office to understand your coverage during a program change.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am on SSI and I start working, can I switch to SSDI instead?

Not automatically. You can only receive SSDI if you have enough work credits from your employment history. If you are working now but did not work enough in the past to earn SSDI, you would remain on SSI. Your earnings would reduce your SSI payment. If you work long enough to earn SSDI credits in the future, you could then become may be able to access for SSDI.

Can my spouse receive SSI while I receive SSDI?

Your spouse cannot receive SSI based on your SSDI record. However, your spouse may receive auxiliary benefits on your SSDI record if they are age 62 or older, caring for your child under age 16, or disabled. These are separate from SSI. Your spouse could also explore for SSI independently if they meet SSI's disability, age, income, and resource requirements.

What happens to my benefits if I get married while on SSI?

Your SSI payment will change because Social Security counts your spouse's income and resources when calculating your benefit. If your spouse works or has resources, your SSI payment may decrease or stop. If you are on SSDI, marriage does not affect your payment, but your spouse may become may be able to access for auxiliary benefits on your record.

If I am denied SSI, can I still get SSDI?

Yes. SSI and SSDI have different requirements. You could be denied SSI because your resources are too high, but still may have access to for SSDI if you have enough work credits. Conversely, you could be denied SSDI because you lack work credits but still may have access to for SSI. Each program makes its own decision based on its own rules.

Can I receive both programs if I am over 65?

No, you still cannot receive both SSI and SSDI payments simultaneously after age 65. However, at age 65, your SSI case converts to Supplemental Security Income for Aged Individuals (SSI-Aged), and the rules remain the same — you cannot receive both programs' payments in the same month.