You may be able to get both SSDI and SSI, but they don't add together to make a larger overall benefit.
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The Social Security Administration offers two types of disability benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI is available to people who’ve contributed enough in payroll taxes to become fully insured under the program, while SSI eligibility is restricted to people who have very limited income and assets.
Many disability applicants who qualify for one benefit aren’t eligible for the other, usually because they have too much money for SSI or not enough work credits for SSDI. But you’ll likely file for both programs when you first apply (Social Security refers to this as a “concurrent claim”) and you may be able to receive SSDI and SSI (“concurrent benefits”) if you’re approved. It’s important to know how and when you can receive both.
When Can You Receive Both SSI and SSDI Together?
Concurrent benefits can happen if you’re approved for SSDI but your monthly benefit amount is very small. You might get a very low SSDI award if your past wages were low or you haven’t worked much in recent years. To qualify for SSI and SSDI at the same time, your total income—including SSDI—must be less than the current SSI monthly payment amount, which is $994 per month in 2026.
Determining your SSI income limit is more complicated than just seeing if you make less than $994 per month because not all money is considered countable income. Furthermore, because SSI has a resource cap, the value of any property you own could affect your eligibility or award amount.
So if your income and assets are low enough to qualify for SSI, and you also worked long enough to qualify for SSDI, you might be able to receive both benefits at once. Just keep in mind that the amount of your disability payment will affect your eligibility for SSI. In many cases, your SSDI payment will be too high for you to qualify for SSI.
Can I Get Both the Full SSDI and SSI Amounts?
No, that’s a common misconception about concurrent benefits. You aren’t allowed to receive the maximum SSI amount in addition to the maximum SSDI amount. That’s because SSDI payments count towards the SSI income limit, so you won’t be able to add them together to get more than the maximum amount you would if you received just SSI alone.
If you qualify for SSI, any other income you have—including SSDI benefits—will affect the amount of your monthly SSI paycheck. But it’s not as simple as subtracting the amount of your disability payment from $994 (the current SSI monthly maximum).
Social Security excludes the first $20 of unearned income (like SSDI) from the SSI limit. So if your only income is an SSDI payment of $500 a month, your SSI benefit would be $514 a month. That’s because Social Security counts only $480 ($500-$20) of your SSDI payment as income, and $994 minus $480 is $514. Because SSDI has a five-month waiting period and SSI doesn’t, you may be collecting the full $994 amount from SSI during the five months and have your SSI benefit reduced to $514 after your $500 SSDI payments kick in, for a total combined amount of $1,014.
What Are the Advantages of Filing a Concurrent Claim?
The main advantage of collecting SSI when you’re getting a low monthly SSDI benefit is that the SSI payment will raise your maximum benefit up to $994 per month. But there are other advantages as well, such as getting back pay from both programs and getting access to health care.
Getting Backpay for Both SSDI and SSI
Backpay—also called past due benefits—are the payments that Social Security owes you for the months leading up to the approval of your claim. The agency can take anywhere from three months to two years to approve your benefits, and for some of those months you can receive back pay for the amount of your SSDI payment plus the extra SSI payment.
For instance, if you’re awarded $500 in monthly SSDI and $361 in SSI benefits, that’s $861 a month. If Social Security takes ten months to approve your claims, you could get up to $8,610 in back pay. You can learn more in our article about how back pay is calculated.
Medicare and Medicaid Availability
Many people who are eligible for SSDI are also eligible for Medicare, although you’ll have to wait two years (24 months) after your date of entitlement before you can get on Medicare. If you're not eligible for SSDI and you're not 65 yet, you can't get Medicare. But, if you're getting SSI benefits, you’ll qualify for Medicaid in most states, even if you’re also collecting SSDI.
Both Medicare and Medicaid can give you access to health care you might not otherwise have, but there are some important differences between the two programs. In most states, Medicaid provides payment for more services than Medicare. On the other hand, more doctors accept Medicare, so it can be easier to find a provider under that program. For more information, see our article about whether you get Medicare or Medicaid with disability benefits.
How Do You File a Concurrent Claim for SSDI and SSI?
You don’t need to do anything special in order to apply for concurrent benefits. You can apply for SSDI, SSI, or both benefits at the same time through the Social Security Administration. (Check out our step-by-step guide on applying for disability for more information.) Whether you file in person, online, or over the phone, Social Security will look at your income and assets, then decide if you’re eligible for SSI, SSDI, or both.
After you submit your application, Social Security will send it to your state Disability Determination Services (DDS) for medical review. The definition of disability is the same regardless of whether you’re applying for SSDI or SSI, and both claims go through the same disability evaluation process, so the type of disabling medical condition you have won’t affect whether you get SSDI, SSI, or concurrent benefits.
What If Your Application for Benefits Was Denied?
Concurrent claims can be denied if you didn’t meet Social Security’s standard for disability (a “medical denial”), or you didn’t meet the financial eligibility requirements for either SSDI or SSI (a “technical denial”). If you aren’t eligible to receive benefits from at least one program, then your application won’t be approved, no matter how strong your medical records are. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to advance your claim in that case.
Medical denials are less common than technical denials, but they’re easier to appeal. They typically mean that Social Security doesn’t have enough evidence to determine that you can’t work. (You can learn more about how to appeal technical and medical denials in our article on what to do if you get denied for Social Security disability.)
While you don’t need to hire an attorney to appeal a denial, it’s usually a smart move. An experienced lawyer can help you gather the medical evidence you need to show that you’re disabled and make sure you don’t miss any important deadlines. Disability attorneys work on contingency (meaning they get paid only if you win) and many offer free consultations, so it doesn’t hurt to ask around to find a lawyer you like.
