SS Disability vs. SSI budget help

[MaryKLady]

Does anyone have experience with this? Here's the situation...a relative has become disabled while already collecting retirement SSI. Coincidently, she became disabled while unemployed and collecting state unemployment benefits. She had every intension of returning to work because she can't meet her monthly expenses on SSI alone. Her doctors say she can't return to work. Can she apply for SS disability benefits and how does that differ from SSI, if at all?

 

[barkley]

call social security to get absolute information, but here's the way I understand it (i'm disabled and receive ssd not ssi).

if she is receiving ssi b/c of retirement that means when she applied she didn't have enough quarters of contributions in the system to qualify for straight social security retirement benefits (and her other income/resources were under a very low threshold). if she had been disabled (and met social security's very stringent guidelines) but not of retirement age she still (if she didn't have enough quarters/under the income/asset threshold) would not have received ssd but again ssi. so-I don't think there would be a dollar difference in her benefit.

also-when someone (like myself) receives ssd, as soon as we hit retirement age (for social security), my understanding is our benefits transfer from social security disability to straight social security.


again-you need to talk to social security, and you can call and ask a general 'what if' question without having to get a release of information (as long as you don't talk about a specific person by name).

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

SSI vs SSDI
SSI in a low income eligibility program as PP said, if you do not meet the quarters. If they retired on their quarters they were on SS benefits, if she retired disability than it was Soc. Sec. Dis Benefits., if she had her quarters.

You can receive both SSI IF you become disabled and your quarters are lower than that of the SSI low income levels. For example, you are eligible for soc sec disability, but you had a low paying job and you have no other income source, it may be supplemented with the SSI portion.

The office can explain it better, but if she is qualified as SSI, I don't think the filing or disability would increase her benefits as the SSI should be he secondary and most she would receive.

What about her age? Can she file as a widow or off spouse or her ex's benefits if he reached 65/66 years of age? I think this maybe the only way she may have an increase, but really there are so many variables as ag you need to have her call with a list of questions. Also, disability benefits are really difficult to receive, I would be confused to why she would try for disability if already receiving the most she could? Baring the collecting off spouses benefits.

Wishing luck to her,