What If I Don’t Receive My Check On The Expected Date
If your check doesn’t arrive on the date listed above based on your birth date or other circumstances, the Social Security Administration says to wait three additional mailing days before calling. If you still haven’t received it, you can then call 800-772-1213 to speak with a representative.
The SSA notes that wait times to speak with a representative are shorter Wednesday through Friday and later in the day .
How Much Work Do You Need
In addition to meeting our definition of disability, you must have worked long enough and recently enough under Social Security to qualify for disability benefits.
Social Security work credits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income. You can earn up to four credits each year.
The amount needed for a work credit changes from year to year. In 2022, for example, you earn one credit for each $1,510 in wages or self-employment income. When you’ve earned $6,040 you’ve earned your four credits for the year.
The number of work credits you need to qualify for disability benefits depends on your age when your disability begins. Generally, you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year your disability begins. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.
For more information on whether you qualify, refer to How You Earn Credits.
The Benefits Do Convert
The first thing you need to understand when receiving SSDI benefits is that the benefits do convert from Social Security Disability benefits to Social Security Retirement benefits once you reach retirement age. Nothing will change. You will continue to receive a monthly check and you do not need to do anything in order to receive your benefits. The SSA will simply change your disability benefit to a retirement benefit once you have reached full retirement age. When you reach that age, however, can vary depending on which year you were born in.
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An Exception To The Grids
If Social Security decides that your condition doesn’t prevent you from doing your previous work for at least a year, you will be denied. In this case Social Security doesn’t have to abide by the grid rules, since they are used to determine whether you should be able to adjust to a new type of work. If Social Security denies you benefits for this reason, speak to an experienced disability lawyer.
You could be eligible for up to $3,345 per month In SSDI Benefits
How To Get An Individual Disability Policy
Short term disability coverage is often included as part of an employee benefits package. If its available, you should make sure youre signed up: You could obtain lower group coverage rates, and your employer may pay for a portion of the cost . However, many employers dont offer individual long term disability plans and even if your employer does, the features and benefits may be limited.
If you are concerned that SSDI would not support your lifestyle, speak with a financial professional to get the comprehensive long term disability policy you need . Make sure that professional is familiar with the specifics of buying an individual disability policy If you dont know one, a Guardian financial professional can help you. Give your financial professional as much information as you can about your financial situation and concerns so that he or she can start looking into disability insurance coverage options for you..
Discuss different coverage scenarios: What happens if you have an illness that takes you out of the workforce for a few years? What if you have a physical impairment that limits your productivity? The more you explore, the more youll realize the value of individual long term disability insurance, especially compared to the limited protection offered by Social Security disability benefits.
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Getting Help From A Disability Attorney
Social Security disability benefits are too important to risk by handling them on your own. A skilled and knowledgeable disability lawyer at NY Disability has the experience to assist you with initial applications, appeals of denied claims, and other matters related to Social Security disability programs.
Will Full Retirement Age Change My Benefit Amount
Social Security benefits from disability insurance calculations have the same basis as if the disabled person reached full retirement age when they became disabled. If you become disabled when younger than full retirement age, you can think of this Social Security disability payment as equal to early retirement with full Social Security benefits.
When you reach full retirement age, you qualify for 100% of the retirement benefits even if you are not disabled as long as you have sufficient work history.
Usually, you do not see any change when the SSDI benefits convert to retirement benefits when you reach full retirement age.
It is helpful to check your work history record and see your Social Security deductions taken from your paychecks for each year you earned income. You can do this easily by getting an online MySocialSecurity account.
The same applies to your spouse receiving benefits based on your work record. Those benefits automatically change from disability to retirement benefits when you reach full retirement age. However, if your spouse takes these benefits before your spouse reaches full retirement age, their benefits are lower.
It is helpful to work with a financial professional who understands the Social Security rules to make the best decisions about when to take retirement benefits if you qualify for them.
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Your Monthly Earnings Do Not Exceed The Limit For Ssdi Benefits
Non-blind individuals must not make more than $1,260 a month, and statutorily blind individuals must not make more than $2,110 a month. If you do, the SSA will say that you are not disabled, no matter how severe your medical condition is.
You must meet all of the criteria to start collecting SSDI benefits. Many people lack the required number of work credits for their age when they become disabled. Congress created the Supplemental Security Income program as a safety net for disabled people with very little income and few financial resources.
What Happens To Ssd Benefits At Retirement Age
When you receive disability benefits through the SSDI program, they continue for as long as you continue to be disabled and meet the qualifying criteria set by federal regulations until you reach the age of full retirement. At that point, the monthly SSDI benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits.
There is nothing that you need to do in the way of notifying Social Security as you approach retirement age. It happens automatically and generally does not result in any change in the monthly amount that you receive. However, you may actually receive more money through retirement benefits if you were also receiving workers compensation payments that offset your SSDI payments.
When you receive workers compensation and some other types of public benefit payments in addition to SSDI, they may reduce what you get from SSDI. This offset ends when the payments from SSDI become retirement benefits because the offset no longer applies, so you receive your full retirement payment in addition to the other public benefit payments.
As previously mentioned, SSI payments do not convert to retirement payments when beneficiaries reach retirement age. You may see a change in your SSI payment if you qualify for and start to receive Social Security retirement payments. Retirement benefits must be reported to SSI as a source of income that may reduce your monthly SSI benefit. Discuss this further with an SSI lawyer if it applies to your situation.
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Winston Salem Disability Lawyer
This content was provided by Collins Price, PLLC. Contact our firm for a free consultation with a Winston Salem disability lawyer. Collins Price, PLLC is headquartered in Winston-Salem. Our experienced disability lawyers provide clients seeking disability benefits with professional legal representation at every stage of the disability process. There is no obligation to hire our firm and no fee for our services if you dont win your claim.
At What Age Does Social Security Disability Turn Into Regular Social Security
Home//FAQs//At What Age Does Social Security Disability Turn into Regular Social Security?
Your Social Security Disability benefits will automatically convert into regular Social Security retirement benefits when you reach your full retirement age.
The Social Security Administration says that when a person reaches full retirement age, their Social Security Disability will turn into regular Social Security retirement benefits. This rule applies to both Social Security Disability Insurance payments and Supplemental Security Income .
The SSA manages both the SSDI and SSI programs, but they have different eligibility requirements. Also, SSDI usually pays higher monthly cash benefits than SSI.
According to the SSA retirement benefits planner, a persons full retirement age can range between 65 and 67 years of age, depending on the month and year of your birth. People born after 1942 have a full retirement age of 66 years or older. Those born in 1960 or later must wait until they are 67 years old to start collecting full retirement benefits.
The benefit amount does not change when it converts into Social Security retirement benefits, except for cost-of-living adjustments . The AARP says that your SSDI benefits are the same as your retirement benefits would be at full retirement age, no matter how young or old you were when you became disabled.
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How Your Disability Benefit Amount And Your Retirement Benefit Amount Is Determined
Everyones SSD benefit payment is determined by using the average annual income for their 35 highest earning years. This figure is then indexed using a system that considers what the average national income was in each of those years, the SSA reaches a figure called your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings, or AIME. Then they apply the following formula to find your Primary Insurance Amount :
- 90 percent of the first $1,024 of his/her average indexed monthly earnings, plus
- 32 percent of his/her average indexed monthly earnings over $1,024 and through $6,172, plus
- 15 percent of his/her average indexed monthly earnings over $6,172.
Then SSA rounds down to the next $0.10 if not already a multiple of ten cents.
For example:
If your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings is $4,200, your SSD and SSR benefit amounts would be figured as follows:
- First $1,024 x .90 = $921.60, plus
- Earnings between $1,024 and $6,172 $3,176 x .32 = $1,016.32, plus
- Earnings over $6,172 = 0 because AIME is $4,200, so there are no earnings above $6,172.
- Sum of $921.60 + $1,016.32 = $1,937.92
- Rounded down to next $0.10 brings the monthly SSD or SSR payment to $1,937.90 per month.
Can I Convert My Ssdi Payments To Retirement Payments Before I Reach Full Retirement Age
You cannot convert your Social Security Disability Insurance to retirement benefits before you reach full retirement age. However, you can make the switch from SSDI to retirement benefits at any point after your sixty-second birthday. This switch is not made automatically youll have to apply to stop receiving SSDI benefits and instead receive SS retirement benefits. However, if you switch from SSDI to retirement benefits you could lose up to 28% of your annual income as Social Security reduces retirement benefits for those who apply for early payments. The amount of money you lose depends on when you apply for SS retirement benefits and the age at which you would be considered full retirement age.
Generally speaking, switching from SSDI to SS earlier than necessary is not a smart financial move. However, it can be the best option for people in special circumstances:
The decision to start collecting early benefits is one that will have a lasting impact on your retirement income. Once youve applied for Social Security retirement income, you cant change your mind and defer payments until a later date. This same point applies to the spouse of a person who is SSDI income and who wants to receive early retirement benefits. If youre thinking about applying for early SS retirement income, it may be wise to schedule a consultation with a disability attorney who specializes in Social Security.
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What About Ssd And Early Retirement
You cannot take early retirement at age 62 if you receive Social Security disability payments. You would not want to do this because your early retirement payment would be up to 30% lower than the SSDI monthly benefits, which come from the rate calculated for your full retirement payments.
You might only consider changing to early retirement pay if you lose disability status. If you lose your disabled status at age 62, you would have the option to request early retirement payments from Social Security if you qualify for them. Losing your disabled status from a case review at age 62 would be a valid reason to consider early retirement.
Your monthly check from early retirement would be lower than the amount you receive as disability benefits however, this might be preferable to not receiving any payments. In this circumstance, you would also have the option to wait until full retirement age to receive all your benefits that match the disability payment amount you were getting before you lost your disability status. That wait may be many years.
Additionally, you have the option to delay receiving benefits to age 70 to receive an increased monthly payment from Social Security. Depending on your year of birth, your retirement benefits payments may increase by up to 32% above the full retirement pay. It may be helpful to work with a financial professional to understand these options. The best choice for you depends on your particular circumstances.
What Is Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income is a federal program that pays monthly benefits to low-income aged, blind and disabled individuals. The Social Security Administration runs the program, which is financed from general tax revenues, not from Social Security taxes. The SSI test of disability for adult applicants is the same as the test in the Social Security disability insurance program. Only people who have low incomes and limited financial assets are eligible for SSI. The federal SSI payment in 2017 for an individual with no other countable income is $735 a month. Payments are reduced as other income rises, and some states supplement the federal payment. Each month on average in 2016, 8.3 million low-income adults received SSI. These beneficiaries included 4.8 million adults under age 65 who were eligible based on disability or blindness and 2.2 million adults aged 65 and older. In addition, 1.3 million children under age 18 receive SSI based on disability or blindness.
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Will My Social Security Disability Change When I Turn 66
Your SSDI benefits will automatically change when you reach full retirement age. However, full retirement age varies depending on the year in which you were born.
- Those born in 1956 will reach full retirement age at 66 years, 4 months
- Those born in 1957 will reach full retirement age at 66 years, 6 months
- Those born in 1958 will reach full retirement age at 66 years, 8 months
- Those born in 1959 will reach full retirement age at 66 years, 10 months
- Anyone born after 1960 will reach full retirement age at 67 years
If you happen to have been born on January 1 of any given year, your full retirement age would be the year before you were born. For instance, an individual who was born on January 1, 1960, would be treated as a person who was born in 1959 and would be at full retirement age at 66 years, 10 months, rather than at 67 years.
Can I Increase My Benefits When I Reach Retirement Age
It is possible to increase your benefits when you reach retirement age by suspending benefits for a time, but you need to weigh your options and evaluate your personal situation before you do so. All recipients of Social Security Retirement benefits have the option to suspend benefits up to age 70. For every month you suspend your benefits, you could earn 2/3 of 1%, up to 8% per year of suspended benefits. To put it simply, if you suspend benefits when you reach FRA, you can receive a larger benefit later. If your spouse is receiving benefits based on your record, then he/she will also have benefits suspended but will also be able to collect more when they resume.
You must weigh a number of factors to determine if this is the right tactic for you. Do you believe you will live long enough to make the delay worthwhile? Do you have enough to live on if you suspend benefits now? Do you have dependent children?
Another way your benefits may increase is if you are receiving workers compensation while collecting SSDI. You likely did not pay taxes on those Workers Comp benefits and those additional benefits may have reduced your SSDI payment. The good news is, when you reach full retirement age, this reduction ends, so your Social Security benefit would increase.
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What Other Changes Can You Expect
If you are approved for SSDI benefits, the SSA will conduct regular reviews of your condition to determine if you are still disabled and entitled to benefits. This is called a continuing disability review, and it typically takes place once every three years. The SSA will conduct more frequent reviews of SSDI recipients with conditions that are expected to improve sooner. If your condition is not expected to improve, the SSA may only conduct these reviews every five to seven years.
The purpose of this review is to determine if your disability has improved to the point where you are no longer eligible for benefits. If the SSA determines you are no longer considered disabled after conducting a review, your benefits will stop.
Once your SSDI benefits are converted to retirement benefits, the SSA will no longer need to perform continuing disability reviews. This is because you no longer need to meet the SSAs definition of disabled in order to continue receiving benefits. Your eligibility for benefits will no longer depend on whether or not your disabling condition makes you incapable of returning to work. This is one less thing that recipients will have to worry about once they reach full retirement age and begin receiving retirement benefits.