Social Security Disability (SSD)

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The law is called "Title II"

The law is called "Title XVI"

For both programs, you have to be disabled and under age 65. Your disability has to be permanent (lasts at least a year), not a short-term problem.

You can get SSI if you didn’t work enough to have "insured status" before you were disabled. If your SSD check is a very small amount, you could receive SSI to make up the difference to equal the SSI monthly amount.

The amount of benefits you receive each month depends on how much you earned before you were disabled. The more you earned, the higher your monthly check.

Your benefits will be about $570 per month. If someone is helping you with the cost of your housing, food, or clothing, your benefits might be even less.

If you have money in the bank, you can still receive your SSD check.

If you have more than $2,000 in the bank, you cannot receive SSI.

You can own a home of your own and still receive SSD.

You can own a home of your own, and receive SSI, so long as you live in the home.

If you receive some unearned income, such as a retirement pension or payments from a trust, you can still receive SSD.

If you receive "passive" income, such as a retirement pension or payments from a trust, you cannot receive SSI.

You can earn up to $800 per month and still receive SSD. You can earn more than that without any penalty if you have disability-related expenses at work.

You can work. The first $65 per month is yours to keep, but beyond that, SSI will take half your check. You can earn more without any penalty if you have disability-related expenses at work.

You can receive your SSD even if you are married to someone who works and earns a good income.

You cannot receive SSI if you are married to someone who works and earns a good income.