What’s the Difference Between SSDI and SSI?

While both programs require you to have a work-stopping health problem, SSDI and SSI also have their own financial or work requirements that applicants need to be aware of.

To apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you need to have evidence that you’ve been working and paying Social Security taxes.

You’ll have earned “work credits” that qualify you for SSDI once your income unexpectedly gets cut off due to health issues.

Another important note about SSDI is that your application and continued benefits aren’t affected if you have unearned income from sources like rental properties, investments or a retirement fund.

The only thing you would need to worry about is if you were trying to work part-time while receiving SSDI, because earned income from working even a small amount could affect your eligibility.

Some people find that they’re not eligible for SSDI and it’s not because they don’t have a qualifying impairment. It’s because of that lack of work history.

If you haven’t earned enough work credits for Social Security, that’s when SSI becomes an option.

You can qualify for SSI if you haven’t worked because it’s a need-based program. Instead of a work history, Social Security looks at your current assets to see if you qualify.

Individuals need to have less than $2,000 in countable resources. Couples need to have less than $3,000. Some assets, like your primary home and vehicle, are exempt from this count, but it’s still a strict limit that hasn’t been updated in years.

This asset limitation can also cause issues if you receive a big one-time payment, like an inheritance or lawsuit settlement. Any windfall could put you over that limit and endanger your SSI benefits.

This is another good reason to talk to a Baltimore and Washington, D.C. disability advocate about your Social Security Disability claim.

We’ll help you see if you qualify for disability benefits and navigate each step of the application process.

In some cases, you can apply for SSDI and SSI at the same time and qualify for both. This is known as “concurrent benefits.”

This is an option that might be available to you if you’ve worked enough to qualify for SSDI, but your wages were low or you worked part-time and your monthly SSDI payment is lower than the SSI maximum.

Let’s say that you worked part-time before developing a disabling health condition. You receive $700 per month and meet the resource limitations for the SSI program by having under $2,000 in countable resources.

You would also be able to receive SSI in this scenario, but your total monthly payment wouldn’t be able to exceed the current SSI payment maximum plus the $20 general income exclusion.

Perhaps the best reason to try to qualify for both types of benefits is the medical coverage. SSI has no waiting period for Medicaid enrollment, so you can get coverage right away instead of dealing with SSDI’s Medicare waiting period.

It can still be tricky to qualify for both programs, even if your SSDI payment is low, due to SSI’s rules about asset limitations, so we don’t recommend trying to get both benefits on your own.

Instead, work with our disability advocates and get personalized attention for your claim.

Mathis & Mathis is a family firm that’s been dedicated to helping people for more than 30 years. Our total focus is on disability advocacy.

We understand how difficult it can be to fight for disability benefits when you’re dealing with major health issues and financial worries.

We’ll guide you through this process, helping you fill out forms, gather evidence and stay aware of important deadlines.

Contact Us Today.