Retired: Is it Possible to Receive Both Disability & Social Security Benefits?
There are two main types of Social Security benefits that you can collect. There are Social Security disability benefits and Social Security retirement benefits. Full retirement benefits are available to individuals aged 66 (or 67 depending on the year of birth). Partial benefits are also available by the age of 62. To obtain these benefits, you must have a certain number of Social Security work credits in your name. In order to receive disability benefits, you must prove that an injury or illness will prevent or has prevented you from working for at least a year, in addition to the fact that you have the proper number of work credits.
While these are two separate types of benefits, you might be wondering if it’s possible to receive both Social Security disability benefits and retirement benefits at the same time. Most of the time, the answer is no, but there is one small exception.
Receiving Retirement Benefits While Disabled
Disability benefits provide financial aid to those who cannot work because of an injury or illness. If you’re receiving retirement benefits, then you are already not working. This means that if retired, any disability you suffer from will not prevent you from working.
Take your retirement benefits early between the ages of 62 and your full retirement age? This is the only exception before your disability benefits see approval.
If you apply and are approved for disability benefits and your retirement benefits are less, Social Security will make up the difference between the amount you took for early retirement and the full disability amount of the months that you were disabled and receiving retirement benefits.
Concurrent Social Security Benefits Claim
Although in most cases you can’t collect retirement benefits and retirement benefits at the same time, you can collect Social Security disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) at the same time, thereby collecting concurrent benefits.
This works when the SSA approves an applicant for benefits but only receives a small monthly payment. To qualify for SSI benefits, your unearned income must be under $771 a month. Limits do vary from state to state. The SSA considers asset limits as well. However, if your income and assets are low enough and you’ve accumulated enough Social Security credits to qualify, then you could receive both. Just keep in mind that if your Social Security disability benefits are high, you may not qualify for SSI benefits.
It can be a little overwhelming to figure out what you qualify for. Social Security disability benefits, Social Security retirement benefits or SSI benefits are all options. You also may be able to collect on more than one of these benefits.
Basically, you can only collect one of disability or retirement benefits. If you collect disability benefits and they are low enough, you can also qualify for SSI benefits.
For more professional advice concerning your Social Security benefits, be sure to contact us today. You can reach us 24/7 at 602-952-3200 or by using our LiveChat feature to schedule a free consultation.
This is attorney advertising. SSDA, LLC is a group of attorneys that pursues claims for Social Security Disability benefits on behalf of its clients against the Social Security Administration. SSDA, LLC is in no way a part of the Social Security Administration. Further, the information on this blog is for general information purposes only. Nothing herein should be taken as legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, a representative-client relationship.
