Disability benefits: Differences between SSI and SSDI in 2024

Disability benefits like SSI and SSDI can be of great support for workers with a condition who cannot work, but are they the same thing?

Disability benefits: Differences between SSI and SSDI  in 2024

Difference between SSI and SSDI disability benefits

The main difference between SSI and SSDI is the fact that you must have worked and earned work credits to get Social Security Disability Insurance. Therefore, you can only qualify for these disability benefits if you have paid taxes to Social Security.

SSI is the Supplemental Security Income and it gives additional financial support to retirees and disability beneficiaries who have a low income. Of course, SSI can also be a source of income for those who have a low income and do not qualify for Social Security as long as they meet all the eligibility criteria.

How much money can recipients get from SSI and SSDI disability benefits?

This is another important difference between SSI and SSDI. Social Security Disability Insurance benefit payment amounts can be much higher than Supplemental Security Income payments.

For example, if you qualify for an average payment for SSDI, you can get about $1,537. When it comes to the maximum amount for these disability benefits, recipients can get up to $3,822.

On the other hand, SSI recipients can receive up to $943 if they are single or up to $1,415 if they are married. Average SSI payments are about $697 as of June 2024.

More differences between SSI & SSDI disability benefits

SSDI is just for those workers who cannot work for over a year, have a disability, and have paid enough payroll taxes to SSA. SSI can be for people who do not have a disability.

For your information, there are 3 ways to qualify for SSI if you have a low income. One of them is to have a disability or be blind, whether you are an adult or a child. The other one is to be at least 65 years old.

The last important difference is the fact that SSI gets funding from the Federal government. Nevertheless, SSDI disability benefits get funding from workers who pay taxes to SSA.

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