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Answer: There are several differences between SSI and SSDI. The first difference is that SSI is based on whether or not an individual needs the additional income in order to pay for food and rent. SSDI is a benefit that people pay into like other insurance programs. This difference is apparent in the eligibility process for each. For SSI, Social Security considers all of the income the person has (wages, other public benefits, bank accounts, etc). On the contrary, SSA only looks at an individual’s wages in the eligibility process for SSDI.
Another difference in the two programs is how the amount of the check is determined. For SSI, Social Security has a specific calculation that takes into consideration any unearned income (e.g., SSDI, Veteran’s benefits, etc) an individual receives, the individual’s earnings from a job (if they have one), and applicable work incentives. Once all of the numbers are calculated, the SSI check amount is determined. The amount of someone’s SSI check can vary from month to month based on the factors mentioned above. The most an individual can receive in SSI per month in 2007 is $623.
The amount of an individual’s SSDI check will not vary from month to month. However, the amount received from one person to another will vary. One individual may receive an SSDI check of $1,000 and another only $200. This is the difference in how long a person has paid into the system and how many credits he or she had when he or she became disabled by Social Security’s standards.
The last difference between the two programs is how they are affected by work. When an individual is receiving SSI only and works, the SSI check will decrease as the paycheck increases. If the person decreases the number of work hours, and therefore the paycheck decreases, then the individual's SSI check will increase. For individuals receiving SSDI, they will either receive the full SSDI check or no check at all. This will depend on where they are in their benefits cycle as well as how much they are earning. There is no gradual increase or decrease as a person’s paycheck varies.
Question: What do you mean by where the individual is in the benefits cycle?
Answer: When an individual becomes eligible for SSDI or Childhood Disability Benefits, they also become eligible for two important work incentives: Trial Work Period (TWP) and Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). The trial work period is a nine month time period in which individuals can try out work without the fear of losing their cash benefits. The Trial Work Period begins when individuals become eligible for benefits, but ends at different times for different periods. An individual’s TWP will end when they have worked at least 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) in a rolling 60-month period above the trial work period amount ($640/month in 2007).
After an individual’s Trial Work Period ends, their Extended Period of Eligibility begins. The EPE is 36 consecutive months during which they can work and still receive benefits for any month their earnings are not “substantial.” Remember that in 2007 earnings of $900 or more ($1,500 if an individual is blind) are considered substantial.
Each person who receives a SSDI or CDB benefit can be at various stages is their TWP or EPE. Dependent on when a person became disabled and eligible for benefits and how much he or she has worked since receiving benefits will determine where the individual falls in this cycle. It is best to work with the Social Security Administration to figure this out.
Question: Can a person with a disability get SSDI even though he or she has never worked? I know a person in our facility-based program whose father does not want her to work for fear of losing her SSDI check.
Answer: A person with a disability cannot get SSDI if he or she has never worked and in turn never became insured by paying FICA taxes. But, a person can receive a different type of Social Security disability check called Childhood Disability Benefits or CDB that falls under the same umbrella as SSDI. Many times people think that these two benefits are the same but they are not.
Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) were previously known as Social Security for Disabled Adult Children. Individuals may receive CDB based on their parents’ work records. In other words, their parent’s have paid into the Social Security system through FICA and have earned enough credits to become insured. In order to be eligible for CDB, an individual must:
- be at least 18 years old,
- meet Social Security’s definition of disabled before they turn 22, and
- be the child of an insured worker who is either disabled, retired, or deceased.
If an individual does become eligible for and begins receiving CDB, it is important for him or her to understand that these benefits will be lost if the person gets married to anyone other than another Social Security beneficiary.
Although Childhood Disability Benefits and SSDI have two different names, they work the same other than the eligibility criteria. Like SSDI, the amount of the CDB check will depend on how much was paid into the system through the FICA taxes. If the individual who receives Childhood Disability Benefits goes to work, he or she will either receive the full check or no check at all. This will depend on where the individual is in the benefits cycle as well as how much they are earning.
Question: Does everyone getting an SSI or SSDI check get the same amount each month?
From Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Workplace Supports and Job Retention, Region III CRP-RCEP, Rehabilitation Services Administration. Used with permission. www.crp-rcep.org.
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