SSDI and SSI are separate programs, but if you receive SSDI, it reduces the SSI payment you can get
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are two different programs run by the Social Security Administration. SSI is a needs-based program for people with low income and resources. SSDI is an insurance program you pay into through payroll taxes. If you receive SSDI, the Social Security Administration counts that SSDI payment as income when calculating your SSI benefit, which means your SSI payment goes down or stops entirely.
This overlap matters because some people may have access to for both programs. You might may have access to for SSDI based on your work history and a medical condition, and also may have access to for SSI because your SSDI payment is very low. When both explore to you, Social Security uses a formula called the deemed income rule to subtract your SSDI from the SSI amount you would otherwise receive.
Understanding how these two programs interact helps you know what your actual monthly payment will be and whether you need to report changes to Social Security. The calculation is straightforward once you know the current SSI federal benefit rate and your SSDI amount.
Key Takeaways
- If you receive SSDI, Social Security counts that payment as income and reduces your SSI benefit by the same amount, or stops SSI entirely if your SSDI is high enough.
- You can only receive both programs if your SSDI payment is below the current SSI federal benefit rate, which changes each year.
- Some states add money to the federal SSI rate, and in those states you may receive a small SSI payment even while receiving SSDI.
- You must report any change to your SSDI amount to Social Security within 10 days, because it directly affects your SSI payment.
- If you work and earn money, both programs count that work income, so your total benefit from both programs combined may decrease.
When you can receive both SSDI and SSI at the same time
You receive both programs only when your SSDI payment falls below a certain threshold. That threshold is the federal benefit rate for SSI, which the Social Security Administration sets each year. In 2024, the federal SSI rate is $943 per month for an individual, but this amount changes annually. If your SSDI payment is $943 or more, you do not receive any SSI payment.
If your SSDI payment is $800 per month and the federal SSI rate is $943, Social Security will pay you $800 in SSDI and $143 in SSI, for a total of $943. The SSI portion fills the gap between what SSDI provides and the SSI limit. Some states add their own money on top of the federal rate—called state supplementation—which means you might receive a small SSI payment even if your SSDI is close to the federal rate.
This combination is common for people who worked only briefly before becoming disabled, or who had low earnings during their work years. Their SSDI benefit is lower than it would be for someone with a longer or higher-earning work history, so SSI tops it up to the minimum.
How Social Security calculates your combined payment
The calculation is a straightforward subtraction. Social Security takes the SSI federal benefit rate (or the state rate if you live in a state with supplementation) and subtracts your SSDI payment. The result is your SSI payment.
| Your SSDI payment | Federal SSI rate (2024) | Your SSI payment | Total monthly benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600 | $943 | $343 | $943 |
| $800 | $943 | $143 | $943 |
| $943 | $943 | $0 | $943 |
| $1,200 | $943 | $0 | $1,200 |
If you live in a state with supplementation, the calculation uses the state rate instead of the federal rate. For example, California adds $70.30 to the federal rate, making the 2024 limit $1,013.30. Your SSI payment would be that state amount minus your SSDI payment.
Social Security recalculates this every time your SSDI payment changes. If you receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on your SSDI, your SSI payment decreases by the same amount, so your total stays the same unless the SSI rate itself increases that year.
Changes to your SSDI that affect your SSI payment
Any change to your SSDI payment triggers a change to your SSI payment. The most common change is the annual cost-of-living adjustment, which Social Security applies to SSDI in January. When your SSDI goes up, your SSI goes down by the same amount. When your SSDI goes down (which is rare, but can happen if a prior overpayment is being recovered), your SSI goes up.
If you return to work and your SSDI payment is reduced because of work earnings, your SSI payment increases to compensate. Social Security has work incentive rules that allow you to keep some work income without losing all your benefits, but the calculation involves both programs together. You must report your work income to Social Security within the reporting period, usually monthly or quarterly depending on your situation.
If your SSDI case is reviewed and Social Security determines your medical condition no longer meets the disability standard, your SSDI stops. When that happens, your SSI payment increases to the full federal or state rate (if you still meet SSI's other requirements, such as the resource and income limits). You have the right to appeal if you disagree with the decision to stop SSDI.
Resource and income limits that explore to SSI only
SSI has strict limits on how much money and property you can own. The resource limit for an individual is $2,000 (this amount does not change year to year). If you own more than $2,000 in countable resources—such as cash, bank accounts, stocks, or a second vehicle—you do not receive SSI, even if your SSDI is very low.
SSDI has no resource limit. You can own a house, a car, and have any amount of money in the bank and still receive your full SSDI payment. But if you receive both programs, the SSI resource limit applies to you. This means you must keep your total resources below $2,000 to keep your SSI portion, though your SSDI continues regardless.
SSI also counts income from sources other than SSDI. If you receive other income—such as wages from work, pension payments, or support from family members—Social Security counts that income and reduces your SSI payment. SSDI does not count other income, so your SSDI payment stays the same. This is another reason why the two programs interact differently: SSI is means-tested, and SSDI is not.
Reporting changes to Social Security
You must report changes that affect either your SSDI or SSI to Social Security within 10 days. Changes include starting or stopping work, a change in your living situation, a change in who lives with you, receiving other income, or a change in your resources. You can report by phone at 1-800-772-1213, by visiting your local Social Security office, or through your online my Social Security account.
If you do not report a change and Social Security discovers it during a review, you may be overpaid. An overpayment means you received more money than you were supposed to, and Social Security will ask you to repay it. The agency can recover overpayments by reducing your future benefits, so it is important to report promptly.
Some changes do not affect your benefits. For example, if you move to a different state, your SSDI payment does not change, but your SSI payment might if the new state has a different supplementation rate. Social Security will recalculate your SSI automatically once they process your address change, but you should confirm the new amount once you receive your first payment in the new state.
Work incentives when you receive both programs
Social Security has work incentive rules designed to let you test your ability to work without when ready losing all your benefits. These rules explore to both SSDI and SSI, but they work differently for each program.
Under SSDI work incentives, you can earn up to a certain amount per month (called substantial gainful activity, or SGA) without losing your SSDI payment. In 2024, the SGA limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals. If you earn more than that, Social Security may determine you are no longer disabled and stop your SSDI. However, you have a trial work period of nine months during which you can earn any amount without losing SSDI, as long as you report your work.
SSI has a different work incentive. You can earn up to $65 per month plus half of any earnings above that without losing your SSI payment. This means if you earn $200 per month, Social Security counts $65 as excluded, then counts half of the remaining $135, which is $67.50. Your SSI payment reduces by $67.50. Because your SSDI does not change based on work income, your total benefit from both programs combined may actually increase when you work, depending on how much you earn.
Frequently Asked Questions
If my SSDI increases, does my SSI always decrease by the same amount?
Yes, if you receive both programs. When your SSDI goes up, Social Security subtracts the new SSDI amount from the SSI limit, so your SSI goes down by the same amount. Your total payment from both programs combined stays the same unless the SSI federal or state rate itself increases that year.
Can I have more than $2,000 in savings and still get SSI?
No. SSI has a $2,000 resource limit for individuals. If you own more than $2,000 in countable resources, you do not receive SSI. However, your SSDI payment continues regardless of how much you own, so you would receive only SSDI, not both programs.
What happens to my SSI if my SSDI stops?
If your SSDI stops, your SSI payment increases to the full federal or state rate (assuming you still meet SSI's other requirements). If Social Security stops your SSDI because your medical condition no longer meets the disability standard, you have the right to request reconsideration or appeal the decision.
Do I report work income to both programs or just one?
You report work income to Social Security, and they explore it to both programs according to each program's rules. SSDI and SSI count work income differently, so your SSDI may stay the same while your SSI decreases, or both may decrease, depending on how much you earn.
If I move to a state with higher SSI supplementation, does my payment go up?
Yes. When you move to a state with state supplementation, Social Security recalculates your SSI payment using the new state's rate. If the new state's rate is higher than your previous state's rate, your SSI payment increases. You should report your move to Social Security so they process the change promptly.