Social Security Disability and Getting Married: Will I Lose Disability Benefits?

Getting married can affect some types of disability benefits. It all depends on whether you're getting Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) on your own record, a Social Security dependents benefit, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

If you receive SSDI based on your own work record, getting married doesn't change your monthly disability benefit. But under the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) disability and marriage rules, getting married can end or prevent you from getting certain dependents benefits, including SSDI spousal benefits.

For example, if you marry before a certain age, you'll lose surviving spouse's or ex-spouse's benefits. Marriage also usually ends SSDI benefits based on a parent's work record, like disabled adult child benefits.

And because Social Security counts combined household income for needs-based programs, marriage can affect your eligibility for disability benefits with income limits, like SSI and Medicaid.

Will I Lose My Social Security Disability (SSDI) If I Get Married?

SSDI benefits are earned by paying into the Social Security system through payroll deductions (FICA or OASDI). You must also have enough "work credits" to qualify for SSDI on your own work record. If your SSDI is based on your work record, the marriage rules won't affect your eligibility or benefit payments. It doesn't matter whether your new spouse works, receives disability benefits, or has no income.

But if your Social Security disability benefits are based on someone else's work record, getting married could affect your eligibility, depending on your relationship to that person. Here's more information on which benefits you could lose if you get married.

Getting Married When Your SSDI Is Based on Your Deceased Spouse's Record

If you're receiving benefits as the surviving spouse—that is, the widow or widower of a Social Security disability recipient—you'll lose your benefits by getting married before you turn 60 (50 if you're disabled). If you get married after that age, you can continue to receive SSDI benefits after your marriage.

How Getting Married Will Affect Your SSDI Ex-Spouse's Benefits

If you're receiving SSDI benefits based on your ex-spouse's work record, getting married will make you ineligible for those benefits. That's because Social Security's disability and marriage rules only allow unmarried former spouses to collect divorced spousal benefits.

Remarriage and Your Surviving Divorced Spouse Benefits

Surviving divorced spouse benefits work much like surviving spouse benefits. You'll lose them if you remarry before age 60, or before age 50 if you're disabled and receiving SSDI benefits based on your deceased ex-spouse's work record.

How Remarrying Affects SSDI Based on a Parent's Work Record

If you're 18 or younger (or a 19-year-old high school student), you can receive dependent benefits if your parent is receiving SSDI or if your parent died while on SSDI. These benefits end when you get married or turn 18 (or 19 if still in school).

If you're a "disabled adult child" (you became disabled before age 22), you can continue receiving benefits under a parent's work record as long as you remain disabled. But getting married will cause your SSDI benefits to end. In certain circumstances, however, a disabled adult child might be able to marry another disabled adult child without either person losing benefits.

Getting Married While on SSI Disability

Marriage itself doesn't automatically end SSI benefits, but getting married can affect your eligibility and payment amount because SSI is a needs-based program with specific income limits and resource limits. And Social Security counts a portion of your spouse's income and assets as yours.

• If your spouse doesn't receive SSI: Some of your spouse's income will be "deemed" to you. Small amounts might not be an issue, but higher earnings could reduce or eliminate your SSI benefits. The SSA uses a detailed formula to determine how much spousal income counts—see our article on the deeming of spousal income for examples.
• If both spouses receive SSI: Your benefits will likely be reduced because of the SSI marriage penalty. The combined maximum SSI payment for a married couple is lower than the total of the two separate individual benefit amounts.

For more details, including how much your SSI benefit might change if you get married, see our article on how marriage affects your SSI benefits.

What Benefits Do People With "Dual Eligibility" Lose When They Get Married?

Some Social Security recipients are "dual eligible"—that is, they qualify for both SSDI and SSI disability benefits. Getting SSDI and SSI at the same time is called receiving "concurrent benefits."

If you receive concurrent benefits, getting married won't affect your SSDI benefits, but it could cause you to lose your SSI benefits. Why?

Even when you receive both benefits, you're subject to the SSI income limits, and part of your new spouse's income will count toward the income limit. But, as discussed above, getting married doesn't affect SSDI benefits based on your own work record.

You can contact a representative at your local Social Security field office to figure out how much you will lose in benefits. If talking to Social Security doesn't clear up your concerns, and you still don't know how marriage will affect your Social Security benefits, you might want to contact a qualified Social Security disability attorney.

Does Marriage Affect Eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare Benefits?

If you receive concurrent benefits and you have Medicare and Medicaid, getting married will likely affect your dual eligibility status for Medicare and Medicaid.

Medicare and Medicaid have a complicated system called "Medicaid crossover," which helps people who are eligible for Medicare due to SSDI but can't afford its premiums and copays. Those with dual eligibility usually qualify for help paying Medicare premiums and deductibles through "Medicare Savings Programs," which are administered by state Medicaid agencies. This is sometimes called getting "Medi-Medi" (short for Medicare and Medicaid).

There are three Medicare Savings Programs that can help dual eligibles:

• Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program
• Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program, and
• Qualifying Individual program.

If your income increases, you might no longer qualify as a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), which means you might be subject to more out-of-pocket costs. But, you might still qualify under the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) or Qualifying Individual (QI) program, which would still cover your Medicare premiums.

You could also continue to receive "Extra Help" paying for Medicare Part D. Contact Social Security or your state's department of health care services about how marriage would affect dual eligibility for you and your new spouse.

Social Security Disability and Marriage Reporting Rules

If you receive disability benefits, Social Security expects you to report your new marriage—even if you don't expect it to change your benefit amount. Reporting changes helps keep your records accurate and prevents payment issues.

For SSI recipients, marriage is a reportable event under federal regulations. (20 C.F.R. § 416.708(g).)

You can report your marriage by:

• calling Social Security at 800-772-1213
• visiting a local Social Security office, or
• updating your information through a My Social Security account.

If remarrying will affect your disability benefits, waiting too long to report your new marriage could result in an overpayment from Social Security that you might have to repay.