What you receive depends on which program you're in, not where you live

If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your monthly payment is set by federal law, not by Texas. The Social Security Administration calculates your SSDI benefit based on your work history and earnings record. SSI payments are the same nationwide—$943 per month for an individual in 2024, though this amount changes each January. Texas does not add a state supplement to either program, and it does not run its own disability benefit program that replaces federal benefits.

What does vary by state is how programs interact with other support. Texas Medicaid rules, housing information, and work incentive programs differ from other states. If you're receiving disability benefits and also getting help from state programs, those rules matter for what you can keep without losing benefits.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI and SSI payments are the same in Texas as everywhere else—determined by Social Security, not the state.
  • Texas does not add extra money to federal disability payments and does not run a separate state disability program.
  • Texas Medicaid covers people on SSI automatically and covers some SSDI recipients through the Medicaid Buy-In program if they work.
  • Texas has specific rules about how much you can earn, own, and save without losing SSI or SSDI, and those limits are federal but enforced locally.
  • Work incentives like the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) and Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) are available in Texas through your local Social Security office.

How SSDI payments are calculated in Texas

Your SSDI benefit is based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which Social Security calculates from your lifetime earnings record. The formula is the same everywhere. Social Security looks at your 35 highest-earning years, adjusts them for inflation, and applies a bend-point formula that replaces a higher percentage of lower earnings than higher earnings. If you worked fewer than 35 years, zeros are counted in the average, which lowers your benefit.

Texas has no role in this calculation. You can check your estimated benefit on your Social Security account at ssa.gov, or call 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative. If you believe your earnings record is wrong—missing years, incorrect amounts, or name changes not reflected—you can request a correction through your local Social Security office in Texas or online.

Your benefit does not change based on your cost of living in Texas, even though housing and other expenses vary widely across the state. A person receiving SSDI in Houston receives the same amount as someone in rural West Texas with the same work history.

SSI in Texas and the resource limit

If you receive SSI, your federal benefit is $943 per month for 2024 (for an individual living independently). Texas does not add money to this amount. However, SSI has strict rules about what you can own and still receive the benefit, and these rules explore in Texas the same way they do nationwide.

You can have no more than $2,000 in countable resources (cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds). A spouse can have $3,000 combined. Your home and one vehicle do not count. Some items—like household goods, personal effects, and certain assistive devices—are excluded. If you go over the limit, you lose SSI entirely until your resources drop back down.

Texas Medicaid is tied to SSI. If you receive SSI in Texas, you are automatically enrolled in Texas Medicaid (called STAR or STAR+PLUS depending on your county). You do not have to explore separately. This is one of the most valuable parts of SSI in Texas, because Medicaid covers medical care, prescriptions, and mental health services that SSI's small cash payment alone cannot cover.

SSDI and work in Texas

If you receive SSDI and work, you can earn money without losing your benefit, up to a point. In 2024, you can earn up to $1,550 per month without any reduction to your benefit. This is called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). If you earn more than this for nine months in a row (not necessarily consecutive), your SSDI ends. The nine-month period is called the Trial Work Period, and it gives you a chance to test whether you can work without when ready losing your benefit.

After the Trial Work Period ends, you enter the Extended Period of may be able to access (EPE), which lasts 36 months. During the EPE, if you earn over SGA in any month, you lose your benefit for that month only—you do not lose it permanently. Once the EPE ends, if you are still earning over SGA, your SSDI stops.

Texas has a Medicaid Buy-In program for people on SSDI who work. If your earnings are too high to keep SSDI but you still have a disability, you can stay on Medicaid by paying a small premium (usually $20 to $50 per month). This lets you keep health coverage even after your cash benefit ends. You explore through your local Texas Health and Human Services office, not through Social Security.

Work incentives available in Texas

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) let you subtract certain costs from your earnings before Social Security checks whether you are working too much. If you pay for a personal assistant, transportation to work, medical devices, or medication needed to work, these can be deducted. The deduction is not a tax break—it is a way to count only your actual earnings toward the SGA limit. You report IRWE on your work report when you tell Social Security about your job.

Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) is more complex but more powerful. A PASS is a written plan that lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal—like going to school, buying tools, or starting a business—without losing SSI or SSDI. While you are following the plan, the money you set aside does not count against your resource limit or your income limit. A PASS can last several years. You work with a Work Incentives Planning and information (WIPA) counselor in Texas to write the plan. WIPA services are free and available through the Texas Workforce Commission and local disability organizations.

Both IRWE and PASS require documentation—receipts, invoices, pay stubs—and you must report them to Social Security. Your local Social Security office in Texas can explain how to report them correctly.

Medicaid and Medicare for people on disability in Texas

If you receive SSI in Texas, you are on Medicaid automatically. If you receive SSDI, you are not automatically on Medicaid, but you may be able to get it through Texas's Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities (MWD) program if you work and your income is below a certain level. The income limit varies; contact your local Texas Health and Human Services office to learn whether you may have access to.

After you have been on SSDI for 24 months, you become may be able to access for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). You do not have to explore—Social Security enrolls you automatically. You pay a premium for Part B (around $175 per month in 2024), which is deducted from your SSDI check. You can choose to decline Part B, but most people keep it because it covers doctor visits and outpatient care that Medicaid may not.

If you are on both Medicare and Medicaid (called "dual may be able to access"), Texas Medicaid pays your Medicare premiums and covers services Medicare does not, like dental and vision care. This is one reason to stay on Medicaid even after your income rises—the combination covers more than either program alone.

Reporting changes and avoiding overpayment in Texas

You must report certain changes to Social Security within 10 days. These include starting or stopping work, a change in your living situation, marriage or divorce, and a change in your medical condition. If you do not report and Social Security overpays you, you will owe the money back. Overpayments can be large and are hard to dispute once they happen.

You can report changes by phone (1-800-772-1213), online at ssa.gov, or in person at your local Social Security office. Texas has offices in most cities; you can find yours on the Social Security website. If you are on SSI, you also report changes to Texas Health and Human Services, because SSI and Medicaid are linked.

If Social Security says you owe an overpayment, you have the right to ask for a waiver or to appeal. Do not ignore the notice. Contact your local Social Security office or a legal aid organization in Texas to understand your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas add money to my SSDI or SSI check?

No. Texas does not add a state supplement to either program. Your payment is set by federal law and is the same as it would be in any other state. However, Texas Medicaid is automatically included with SSI, which is a major benefit.

Can I work part-time and keep my SSDI in Texas?

Yes, as long as you earn less than $1,550 per month (in 2024). You can work part-time indefinitely at this level. If you earn more, you enter your Trial Work Period, which lasts nine months. After that, you have 36 more months (the Extended Period of may be able to access) where you lose your benefit only in months you earn over the limit. After 36 months, if you are still earning over the limit, your SSDI stops.

What happens to my Medicaid if I go back to work?

If you are on SSI and work, you stay on Medicaid as long as your resources stay under $2,000. If you lose SSI because your earnings are too high, you can stay on Medicaid through the Medicaid Buy-In program by paying a small monthly premium. If you are on SSDI, you become may be able to access for Medicare after 24 months, and you can also explore for Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities if your income qualifies.

Where do I report a change in my work or living situation?

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, report online at ssa.gov, or visit your local Social Security office in Texas. You have 10 days to report. If you are on SSI, also report to Texas Health and Human Services because changes can affect your Medicaid.

Can I use a PASS to go back to school while on disability?

Yes. A PASS lets you set aside income and resources for education or training without losing SSI or SSDI. You work with a free WIPA counselor through the Texas Workforce Commission to write the plan. The plan must show how school will lead to work and how long it will take. Once approved, money you set aside for tuition, books, and living expenses while in school does not count against your benefit limits.