Overview of our Disability Programs

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We manage two programs that provide benefits based on disability or blindness. These are the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

Social Security Disability Insurance Program (SSDI)

SSDI provides benefits to people who have developed a disability or who are blind and who are “insured” by workers’ contributions to the Social Security trust fund. These contributions are based on your earnings (or those of your spouse or parents) as required by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). Title II of the Social Security Act authorizes SSDI benefits. Your dependents may also be eligible for benefits from your earnings record.

Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI)

The SSI program makes cash payments to people who are aged, blind, or have developed a disability (including children) and who have limited income and resources. The federal government funds SSI from general tax revenues. Many states pay a supplemental benefit to people in addition to the federal payments. Some of these states have arrangements with us to combine their supplemental payment with the federal SSI payment into 1 monthly check. Other states manage their own programs and make their payments separately. Title XVI of the Social Security Act authorizes SSI benefits.

NOTE

To get SSI, you must live in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen or national. People who live in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands cannot receive SSI.

When You Receive Both SSDI and SSI

We use the term “concurrent” to describe people who are eligible for disability benefits under both the SSDI and SSI programs. To show how a person’s concurrent benefits could be affected by returning to work, see the example in the Returning to Work section of this publication.

NOTE

The SSDI and SSI programs share many concepts and terms, however, there are also many important differences in the rules affecting eligibility and benefit payments. The following table summarizes differences between the SSDI and SSI programs. These differences are important as many people may apply or be eligible for benefits under both programs.

Comparison of the SSDI and SSI Disability Programs

	SSDI	SSI
Source of payments	Disability trust fund.	General tax revenues.
Minimum Initial Qualification Requirements NOTE To get SSI, you must live in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen or national. People who live in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands cannot receive SSI.	You must meet Social Security’s disability criteria. You must be “insured” based on contributions made to FICA for your own earnings, or those of your spouse or your parents.	You must meet Social Security’s disability criteria. You also must have limited income and resources.
Health Insurance Coverage Provided	Medicare entitlement begins after you have received SSDI for 24 months. This consists of hospital insurance (Part A), supplementary medical insurance (Part B), and Medicare Advantage (Part C). Voluntary prescription drug benefits (Part D) are also included. Title XVIII of the Social Security Act authorizes Medicare.	Medicaid. A jointly funded, federal-state health insurance program for people with limited income and resources. It covers certain children, and some or all the aged, blind, and people with disabilities in a state who are eligible to receive federally assisted income maintenance payments. Title XIX of the Social Security Act authorizes Medicaid. The law gives the states options regarding eligibility and types of services under Medicaid.
How do we figure your monthly payment amount?	We base your SSDI monthly amount on the worker’s lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security. We may reduce the amount of your benefit payment if you receive Workers’ Compensation payments (including Black Lung payments) and/or public disability benefits, for example, certain state and civil service disability benefits. Other income or resources do not affect your payment amount. We usually adjust the monthly payment amount each year to account for cost-of-living changes. We can also pay SSDI monthly benefits to dependents on your record, such as minor children.	To calculate your payment amount, we start with the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). We subtract your countable income from the FBR and then add your state supplement, if any. We do not count all the income that you have. The income amount left after we make all the allowable deductions is “countable income”. The sections on SSI employment supports explain some of the ways that we can exclude income. We usually adjust the FBR each year to account for cost-of-living changes.
Is a State Supplemental Payment provided?	There is no state supplemental payment with the SSDI program.	Many states pay some people who receive SSI an additional amount called a “state supplement”. The amounts and qualifications for these state supplements vary from state to state.