If an individual files for disability and is approved to collect Social Security disability payments, their benefit will become a disability benefit rather than a retirement benefit.
If they are denied disability benefits, they will continue to receive their retirement benefits while they appeal, and if they are never approved for disability they will still be able to receive their retirement benefits uninterrupted.
If someone receives retirement benefits while awaiting their disability decision, it reduces the amount of their disability benefit if they are approved. Generally, an individual will always receive some increase in their monthly benefit if approved for disability benefits even if they have received months or even years of retirement benefits. However, they will never receive the full disability amount unless they are found disabled and their month of disability entitlement is prior to the first month they received a retirement benefit.
Of course, the amount of reduction an individual receives on their disability benefit depends upon how many months they received retirement benefits prior to becoming entitled to their disability benefits.
Even more confusing is the fact that an individual who receives disability will automatically convert to a retirement benefit the month they reach full retirement age. This would mean some individuals receive retirement benefits, then disability benefits, then back to retirement benefits again.
However, they would never receive both retirement and disability benefits at the same time. It is always one benefit or the other.
