Will I Lose My Disability Benefits if I Move to a Different State?

You can collect Social Security disability benefits from almost anywhere in the world, including in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. No matter where you’re moving, you’ll need to give your new address to Social Security. Notifying the agency of your move right away ensures that you’ll keep receiving important communications from the agency (such as notices about continuing disability reviews) and that your disability payments will find you at your new home.

But what happens to your benefits if you move from one state to another? The answer depends on whether you're receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For the most part, you can move to another state without any drastic change in the amount of your disability benefits, but when finances are tight, every little bit counts. That’s why it’s important to know what to expect if you move while collecting Social Security disability and how to transfer your benefits to another state.

You Don’t Have to Reapply for Disability If You Move to Another State

Because the Social Security Administration is a federal agency—meaning it works on a national level and the rules don’t change depending on where you are in the country—the disability payments you receive through Social Security are federal benefits. That’s good news if you’re getting SSDI or SSI and you plan to move to another state because it means you don’t have to reapply for disability just because you’re moving.

Your medical eligibility for Social Security disability benefits generally follows you to your new state. So if you were awarded benefits on your first try from your old state’s Disability Determination Services (DDS), the DDS office in your new state won’t need to reevaluate your health condition. But the same isn’t always true when it comes to your non-medical eligibility for benefits. In certain circumstances, that can change when you move to another state.

Will My SSI Benefits Change If I Move to Another State?

If you’re receiving SSI benefits (or your disabled child is getting SSI), moving to another state can change the monthly benefit amount. And depending on where you move, it could even affect your financial eligibility for SSI benefits.

Why Transferring to Another State Might Change Your SSI Payments

Like SSDI, SSI is a federal benefit, and the amount of that federal benefit won’t change if you move. But most states add a small amount of money (called a supplementary payment) to the federal SSI payment each month.

If your old state paid a supplement, but your new state doesn't (or it pays a smaller supplement), your SSI payment could be reduced if you move. Similarly, if your new state pays a supplement, but your old state doesn't, you can look forward to getting a bigger monthly benefit payment.

Moving to Another State Can Affect the SSI Income Limit

SSI is a need-based program, so there’s an income limit to qualify for benefits. Social Security has a complicated formula for determining how much income you can have per month and still be eligible for SSI, and where you live can affect that income limit.

• SSI income limit in states without supplements. If your state has no supplementary payment, the SSI income limit is $994 per month (in 2026). But not all income is counted, so you can actually earn more income than that and still receive SSI. (For more details, see our article on countable income for SSI.)
• SSI income limit in states that pay supplements. In states that make the extra monthly payment to SSI recipients, the monthly income limit is usually higher than the federal limit of $994 because the state supplement is added on (assuming you're eligible for the supplement).

So if you're moving from a state without a supplement to a state that pays a supplement—or from a state with a small supplement to one that pays a larger supplement—your income limit will likely be higher in your new state. Likewise, if you move from a state that pays a supplement to one with no supplement, your income limit would be less. For further information, see our article on SSI income limits and state supplements.

Changes to Your Living Situation Can Also Affect Your SSI Benefits

Keep in mind that your SSI benefit amount might also go up or down if your living situation changes. For example, if you’re moving in with family members who’ll be paying for your shelter, your SSI benefits will be reduced.

Social Security will consider your family’s contributions to your housing expenses as "in-kind income and support." For this reason, you're required to report all changes in your living situation to Social Security. You must report changes in address and living situation within 10 days of the month after which the change occurred.

How to Transfer Disability Benefits to Another State

Exactly how you transfer your disability benefits to your new state will depend on whether you get SSDI or SSI. Because transferring SSI payments can involve differences between states, the process is a little more involved than it is for SSDI, which doesn’t change from state to state.

Transferring SSDI to Another State

Since SSDI payments are federally administered by Social Security, transferring them to another state is relatively simple. You just need to notify the agency of your move, which you can do online, over the phone at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., or in person at the nearest Social Security field office.

Transferring SSI to Another State

Currently, Social Security’s website isn’t set up to support address changes for SSI beneficiaries, so you won’t be able to report your move online. Instead, you’ll need to contact your local Social Security office or call the agency’s toll-free hotline to speak with a representative and let them know that you’re moving to another state.

If you receive your payments (whether SSDI or SSI) by direct deposit, don’t forget to update your banking information as well. You’ll want to do this as soon as possible since it might take awhile for Social Security to verify your new bank account and begin depositing your payments there.

Can You Move Out of State While on Long-Term Disability?

The simple answer is yes. Where you live shouldn’t affect your long-term disability (LTD) benefits because LTD is private insurance that you or your employer have purchased. For instance, you might need to move to another state to stay with relatives while you recover from a serious injury or illness.

To keep getting your LTD benefits in your new state of residence, you’ll need to do all of the following:

• notify the insurance company of your move (usually in writing)
• give your new banking information to the insurance company (for direct deposit), and
• start seeing a new doctor (or psychologist) in your new state of residence, because most LTD policies require you to continue getting treatment for your disabling condition.

Remember, whenever you’re dealing with insurance, including long-term disability, follow the procedures stated in your policy. And if you have questions, ask the insurance company. (Learn more about getting long-term disability benefits—including when your LTD payments can be stopped—on our long-term disability insurance page.)