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SSDI vs. SSI: How They Differ and What Each Pays in 2026 and 2027

By KPCB StaffCombined Expertise In The Low Income Housing Space For 10 Years · How we write our guides

social security

SSDI pays people with a disability who worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough. SSI pays people with a disability, people who are blind and people 65 or older who have very little income and very little money or property, whether or not they ever worked. Both are run by the Social Security Administration (SSA), both are free to apply for, and some people qualify for both at once.

In 2026 the most SSI pays from the federal government is $994 a month for one person, rising to $1,029 with the payment that arrives December 31, 2026. SSDI has no set amount. It depends on your past earnings, and SSA estimates the average disabled worker will get $1,701 a month after the January 2027 increase.

SSDI and SSI side by side

SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance)SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
Who it is forWorkers with a disability or blindness who have enough work creditsAdults and children with a disability or blindness, and people 65 or older, with limited income and resources
Work history neededYesNo
Where the money comes fromSocial Security trust fund (payroll taxes)General tax revenues
Monthly amountBased on your lifetime covered earningsUp to $994 (individual) or $1,491 (couple) in 2026; $1,029 or $1,544 in 2027
Limit on savings and propertyNone$2,000 (individual) or $3,000 (couple) in countable resources
Health coverageMedicare, usually after 24 months of SSDIMedicaid, automatic in most states
State extra paymentNoMany states add a state supplement
Family membersSpouse and children may get benefits on your recordNo benefits for dependents
Waiting periodGenerally 5 full months after your disability beganNone; payments can start the month after you apply

Savings and most other income don't reduce SSDI. SSA does reduce it if you also get workers' compensation, certain public disability benefits (such as some state or civil service disability payments), or a pension from work that wasn't covered by Social Security.

Who qualifies for SSDI

You need two things: a disability that meets SSA's definition and enough work history.

The disability rule

SSA pays only for total disability. Partial or short-term disability doesn't count. SSA considers you disabled when all of these are true:

  • You can't work at the "substantial gainful activity" (SGA) level because of your medical condition.
  • You can't do the work you did before or adjust to other work.
  • Your condition has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months in a row, or is expected to result in death.

SGA is a monthly earnings amount. If you earn more than it, SSA generally won't find you disabled.

YearSGA if not blindSGA if blind
2026$1,690 a month$2,830 a month
2027$1,770 a month$2,950 a month

Some conditions move faster. Under SSA's Compassionate Allowances, certain cases can be approved as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. SSA lists acute leukemia, ALS and pancreatic cancer as examples.

The work history rule

You earn work credits by working and paying Social Security taxes, up to four a year. In 2026 one credit takes $1,890 in earnings, so $7,560 earns all four. In 2027 one credit takes $1,970.

How many credits you need depends on how old you were when your disability began. For the recent work test, SSA's credits page says:

  • Before age 24: generally 6 credits earned in the 3 years before your disability started.
  • Age 24 to 31: generally credit for working half the time between age 21 and when your disability began. SSA's example: someone disabled at 27 needs 12 credits from the past six years.
  • Age 31 or older: generally at least 20 credits in the 10 years right before your disability began.

There is also a duration test for total years of work. SSA's rough rule is 40 credits, with 20 earned in the last 10 years. Younger workers can qualify with fewer. You can see whether you have enough by signing in to your my Social Security account on ssa.gov and looking under "More Benefits."

Who qualifies for SSI

Disability, blindness or age

You must be 65 or older, blind, or have a disability. For adults, the disability rule is the same as for SSDI. Children under 18 can qualify if their condition causes "marked and severe functional limitations" expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.

If you're applying based on disability and you work, you must show you earned less than $1,690 from work in the month you apply ($1,770 starting in January 2027).

Limited income

SSA's SSI eligibility page says SSI is generally for people who don't earn more than $2,073 a month from work. The limit is higher for couples and when parents apply for a child. SSA also counts money from other sources, like Social Security benefits, unemployment, pensions and veterans' benefits, plus free shelter. That $2,073 is the 2026 figure; it goes up in January 2027 along with the SSI payment.

Since September 30, 2024, free food no longer counts against your SSI. If you live in someone else's home and don't pay your fair share of shelter and food costs, SSA can lower your payment by up to $351.33.

Limited resources

Your countable resources can't be more than $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple. That limit is the same in 2026 and 2027. For a parent applying for a child, the amounts go up by $2,000.

Resources include cash, bank accounts, stocks, savings bonds, digital currency, land, vehicles, life insurance and anything else you could turn into cash for food or shelter. SSA does not count:

  • The home you live in and the land it's on
  • One vehicle, whatever it's worth, if someone in your household uses it for transportation
  • Household goods and personal items, like wedding rings
  • Life insurance policies with a combined face value of $1,500 or less
  • Burial spaces for you or your immediate family, and burial funds of up to $1,500 each for you and your spouse
  • Up to $100,000 in an ABLE account
  • Federal tax refunds, for 12 months after you get them

If you give away something you own or sell it for less than it's worth, you can lose SSI for up to 36 months.

Citizenship and where you live

You must be a U.S. citizen or national, or a noncitizen in certain categories set by the Department of Homeland Security. You must live in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., or the Northern Mariana Islands. People living in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands or American Samoa can't get SSI.

You also can't be outside the country for a full calendar month or 30 days in a row, or be living in a hospital, prison or other institution at government expense.

How much each program pays

SSI payment amounts for 2026 and 2027

The 2026 federal maximum is $994 a month for one person and $1,491 for an eligible couple. SSA takes your countable income off that amount. Roughly, it subtracts $1 for every $2 you earn from work and $1 for every $1 of other income, such as SSDI or a pension.

SSA has announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027. The new SSI maximums are $1,029 for one person and $1,544 for a couple. Because January 1 is a holiday, the first higher SSI payment arrives December 31, 2026.

Many states add their own supplement on top of the federal amount. Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Northern Mariana Islands don't pay one. SSA's SSI benefits page lists which states pay a supplement and who runs it.

SSDI payment amounts

SSDI is based on your average lifetime earnings covered by Social Security. SSA's 2027 fact sheet estimates the average payment for all disabled workers at $1,642 before the COLA and $1,701 after it. Yours could be much higher or lower. Your my Social Security account on ssa.gov shows an estimate based on your own record.

SSDI rises with the COLA too. The 3.6% increase starts with benefits paid in January 2027.

Getting both SSDI and SSI

SSA calls this "concurrent" benefits. It happens when your SSDI is low enough, and your other income and resources are small enough, that you still qualify for SSI. Your SSDI counts as income, so SSI makes up part of the gap. People who get both can have Medicare through SSDI once the waiting period ends and, in most states, Medicaid through SSI.

When you apply for SSDI, SSA reviews whether you might also get SSI. If you don't apply for SSI at the same time, you'll get a letter saying "You're not eligible for SSI." SSA says that letter doesn't affect your SSDI application.

Health coverage: Medicare or Medicaid

SSDI comes with Medicare. SSA enrolls you automatically in Medicare Part A and Part B after you've received disability benefits for two years, and mails a welcome package three months before coverage starts. Part A is free. Part B has a monthly premium, and you can opt out of it. People with ALS get Medicare as soon as they're entitled to SSDI, and people with end-stage renal disease have their own start dates.

SSI comes with Medicaid in most states, and the SSI application counts as a Medicaid application. In other states SSA will point you to the office where you apply separately. Our guide to enrolling in Medicaid walks through that process. If you get both SSI and Medicare, you also qualify for Extra Help with prescription drug costs without filing a separate application, and your state pays your Medicare premiums if you're eligible for Medicaid.

SSI recipients may also qualify for SNAP food benefits, and you can get a SNAP application at your local Social Security office. See how SNAP works for the basics.

How to apply

Applying is free. Only SSA decides whether you qualify, so don't pay anyone who promises approval.

Ways to apply

  1. Online. Start at SSA's disability application page. On the SSI application page you can pick SSI and also check Disability benefits. SSA says some people can apply for SSI through the online disability application.
  2. By phone. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. SSA's instruction is to tell the agent you want to set up an appointment to apply for benefits. They can schedule it by phone or in person.
  3. In person. Make an appointment at your local Social Security office. Someone else can call and make the appointment for you.

For SSI, SSA may use the date of your first call as your filing date if you keep the appointment. If you miss it and don't reschedule, you have 60 days from that call to file a signed application. Since SSI can't pay for months before you apply, call as soon as you think you qualify.

What to have ready

SSA will tell you what it needs, and you may not need everything below. SSA can also help you get missing documents.

  • Your Social Security number
  • Proof of age, such as a birth certificate
  • Proof of citizenship or immigration status (for SSI)
  • Pay stubs, award letters and bank statements
  • Records of what you own: vehicle titles, life insurance policies, burial contracts, property deeds (for SSI)
  • Your lease or rent receipts and household costs (for SSI)
  • Names, addresses and phone numbers of your doctors, hospitals and clinics, with approximate treatment dates
  • A list of your medications
  • Your jobs, employers and dates worked for the 5 years before you stopped working

SSA wants original documents or certified copies, not photocopies, and returns them to you. The free Adult and Child Disability Starter Kits on ssa.gov have a checklist and worksheet.

What happens after you apply

SSA checks the non-medical rules first. If you meet them, your case goes to your state's Disability Determination Services (DDS), which decides the medical part. DDS may send you forms or ask you to see a doctor for an exam. If SSA needs more medical information, it pays for that exam.

You can check your status in your my Social Security account. SSA's disability application page has a tool that estimates how long a decision may take in your state. SSA mails you a letter when it approves or denies your application.

When payments start

For SSDI, you generally wait five full months after the date SSA finds your disability began. Your first benefit is for the sixth full month and is paid the month after. People with ALS have no waiting period. SSDI can also pay up to 12 months of back benefits before your application date if you were disabled during that time.

For SSI, the earliest payment is for the month after you apply or the month after you meet every rule, whichever is later.

If you are denied

You can appeal. There are four levels: reconsideration, a hearing with an administrative law judge, Appeals Council review and federal court. Most people start with reconsideration on SSA's appeal page.

You generally have 60 days from the day you receive the notice to ask in writing. SSA assumes you received it five days after the date printed on it. The notice explains how to appeal.

You can name a lawyer or another qualified person to help. For free legal help, look for a legal aid office through LawHelp.org.

Working and reporting changes

Both programs let you try working. For SSDI, a trial work period lets you earn money and keep benefits; in 2026, earning more than $1,210 in a month counts as a trial work month ($1,270 in 2027). SSI doesn't have a trial work period but reduces your payment gradually as you earn more.

SSI recipients must report wages, other income and changes to resources or living arrangements every month. SSDI recipients must report changes to work, income and personal information. SSA also reviews from time to time whether you still have a disability.

If you need help with rent while you wait or while on benefits, see HUD housing programs for people with disabilities. You can also check other programs with our benefit finder.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get SSI if I have never worked?

Yes. SSI doesn't require any work history. You need a disability, blindness or to be 65 or older, plus income and resources under SSA's limits.

How much will SSI pay me in 2027?

The federal maximum is $1,029 a month for one person and $1,544 for a couple, up from $994 and $1,491 in 2026. Your amount may be lower if you have other income, or higher if your state adds a supplement.

Is there a savings limit for SSDI?

No. SSDI has no limit on savings or property. Earnings from work above the SGA level ($1,690 a month in 2026, or $1,770 in 2027, if you're not blind) can stop you from qualifying.

Do my SSDI benefits stop when I reach full retirement age?

SSDI turns into retirement benefits automatically at full retirement age. The amount stays the same.

Does SSDI count against my SSI?

Yes. SSA counts SSDI as income, so it lowers your SSI by about $1 for each $1 of SSDI. If your SSDI is small enough, you can still get some SSI.

Can my children get benefits?

On SSDI, your spouse and children may be able to get benefits on your work record. SSI has no dependent benefits, but a child with a disability can apply for SSI on their own.

Sources

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