You may be wondering if social security retirement benefits, social security disability insurance (SSDI) and supplemental security income (SSI) are the same.
They are actually 3 completely separate programs that provide funding for different situations.
While the Social Security Administration (SSA) oversees all 3 programs, the key difference between them is based on who has paid vs. who has not paid into the SSA fund.
Furthermore, Social Security and SSDI benefits are distributed to individuals who have paid into the SSA fund via payroll taxes. SSI is a program for individuals with low-income and low-assets who have not paid into the SSA fund.
Moreover, eligibility criteria is also different for each program.
Eligibility Criteria
Social Security and SSDI benefits are both considered “entitlement programs”, because the payouts are based on work history. Although, not everyone who has worked can qualify for Social Security or SSDI benefits. In other words, it will depend on how old you are, how recently and how much you worked in your lifetime.
Calculate your Social Security Benefits here.
SSI is considered a “needs-based” program. To be eligible you must have low-income and low-assets, in addition to being a disabled adult or child or be of old-age. Furthermore, this program only looks at your physical and financial status. In other words, work history and payments into the SSA fund are not part of the eligibility criteria.
Above all, it is important to note that consistent documentation of your disability or ailment is central to your application being accepted if you are filing for SSDI or SSI benefits.
Social Security – Retirement Benefits
Social Security benefits are currently granted to those age 62 (or older), who have paid enough work credits into the SSA fund through payroll taxes.
*62 is the youngest age at which a person can apply for retirement benefits as of 2021. Moreover, your full retirement age depends on the year you were born.
(image source; ssa.gov)
These “payroll taxes” (also referred to as FICA or SECA taxes) are pooled into a trust fund called the Social Security Trust. The trust pays benefits to:
- those who are currently retired
- to people with disabilities
- in addition to the surviving spouses and children of workers who are deceased
Social Security Disability Insurance – SSDI
SSDI is granted to those who are:
- under retirement age
- low-income
- unable to work for a year or more because of a disability
- in addition to having enough qualifying work credits in the SSA fund
Watch This Video To Learn How To File A Disability Claim
Supplemental Security Income – SSI
To be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you must meet the following criteria:
- Have Low-Income and Low-Assets
in addition to being:
- Blind
OR
- A Disabled Adult
OR
- A Disabled Child
OR
- Be of Old-Age (65 or older)
* Work history and payments into the SSA fund are not part of the eligibility criteria for SSI.
WHAT DOES “DISABLED” MEAN FOR AN ADULT?
If you are age 18 or older the SSA may consider you “disabled” if you have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment (including an emotional or learning problem) which:
- results in the inability to do any substantial gainful activity; and
- can be expected to result in death; or
- has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
WHAT DOES “DISABLED” MEAN FOR A CHILD?
If you are under age 18 the SSA may consider you “disabled” if you have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, (including an emotional or learning problem) that:
- results marked and severe functional limitations; and
- can be expected to result in death; or
- has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
WHAT DOES “LIMITED INCOME” MEAN?
- money you earn from work;
- money you receive from other sources, such as Social Security benefits, workers compensation, unemployment benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs, friends or relatives;
- in addition to free food or shelter.
WHAT ARE “LIMITED RESOURCES”?
- cash
- bank accounts, stocks, U.S. savings bonds
- land
- vehicles
- personal property
- life insurance
- in addition to anything else you own that could be converted to cash and used for food or shelter
See further SSI eligibility definitions here.
SSDI and SSI : Social Security Disability Definitions
Recognized Adult Disabilities (Social Security Disability Definitions)
Musculoskeletal System
- Disorders of the musculoskeletal system may result from hereditary, congenital, or acquired pathologic processes. Furthermore, impairments may result from infectious, inflammatory, or degenerative processes, traumatic or developmental events, or neoplastic, vascular, or toxic/metabolic diseases.
- Recognized Musculoskeletal Conditions:
- Major dysfunction of joints
- Reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight- bearing joint, with inability to ambulate effectively
- in addition to disorders of the spine
- Amputation
- Fracture of the femur, tibia, pelvis, or one or more of the tarsal bones
- Fracture of an upper extremity
- in addition to soft tissue-type injuries (e.g., burns)
Special Senses and Speech
- Visual disorders are abnormalities of the eye, the optic nerve, the optic tracts, or the brain that may cause a loss of visual acuity or visual fields. A loss of visual acuity limits your ability to distinguish detail, read, or do fine work. A loss of visual fields limits your ability to perceive visual stimuli in the peripheral extent of vision.
- Recognized Special Senses and Speech Conditions:
- Loss of Central Visual Acuity
- Contraction of the visual field in the better eye
- Loss of visual efficiency, or visual impairment, in the better eye
- Disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function
- Loss of speech due to any cause, with inability to produce by any means speech that can be heard, understood, or sustained
- Hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation
- in addition to hearing loss treated with cochlear implantation
Respiratory Disorders
- Respiratory disorders that result in obstruction (difficulty moving air out of the lungs) or restriction (difficulty moving air into the lungs), or that interfere with diffusion (gas exchange) across cell membranes in the lungs.
- Recognized Respiratory Disorders:
- Chronic respiratory disorders
- Asthma
- as well as Cystic fibrosis
- as well as Bronchiectasis
- Chronic pulmonary hypertension
- as well as Lung transplantation
- Respiratory failure
Cardiovascular System
- Any disorder that affects the proper functioning of the heart or the circulatory system (that is, arteries, veins, capillaries, and the lymphatic drainage). The disorder can be congenital or acquired.
- Recognized Cardiovascular System Conditions:
- Chronic heart failure
- Ischemic heart disease
- Recurrent arrhythmias
- in addition to Symptomatic congenital heart disease
- Heart transplant
- Aneurysm of aorta or major branches
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- as well as Peripheral arterial disease
Digestive System
- Disorders of the digestive system include gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic (liver) dysfunction, inflammatory bowel disease, short bowel syndrome, and malnutrition. They may also lead to complications, such as obstruction, or be accompanied by manifestations in other body systems.
- Recognized Digestive System Conditions:
- Gastrointestinal hemorrhaging from any cause, requiring blood transfusion
- Chronic liver disease
- as well as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Short bowel syndrome
- Weight loss due to any digestive disorder
- as well as liver transplantation
Genitourinary Disorders
- In other words, disorders resulting in chronic kidney disease.
- Recognized Genitourinary Disorders:
- Chronic kidney disease, chronic hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
- Complications of chronic kidney disease
- Chronic kidney disease, with kidney transplant
- as well as Chronic kidney disease, with impairment of kidney function, with reduced glomerular filtration AND Renal osteodystrophy, Peripheral neuropathy, Fluid overload syndrome, or Anorexia with weight loss.
- as well as Nephrotic syndrome
Hematological Disorders
- In other words, disorders which disrupt the normal development and function of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and clotting-factor proteins.
- Recognized Hematological Disorders:
- Hemolytic anemias, including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and their variants
- Disorders of thrombosis and hemostasis
- in addition to disorders of bone marrow failure
- Hematological disorders treated by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation
- as well as repeated complications of hematological disorders
Skin Disorders
- Skin disorders resulting from hereditary, congenital, or acquired pathological processes.
- Recognized Skin Disorders:
- Ichthyosis
- Bullous disease
- in addition to chronic infections of the skin or mucous membranes
- Dermatitis
- Hidradenitis suppurativa
- Genetic photosensitivity disorders
- as well as Burns
Endocrine Disorders
- An endocrine disorder is a medical condition that causes a hormonal imbalance, including:
- Recognized Endocrine Disorders:
- Pituitary gland disorders
- Thyroid gland disorders
- Parathyroid gland disorders
- Adrenal gland disorders
- Diabetes mellitus and other pancreatic gland disorders
- in addition to Hyperglycemia
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
- Chronic hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
- Recognized Congenital Disorders:
- Non-mosaic Down syndrome (chromosome 21 trisomy or chromosome 21 translocation)
Neurological Disorders
- The SSA evaluates neurological disorders that may manifest in a combination of limitations in physical and mental functioning, including:
- Recognized Neurological Disorders:
- Epilepsy
- Vascular insult to the brain
- Benign brain tumors
- Parkinsonian syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Spinal cord disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Post-polio syndrome
- Myasthenia gravis
- Muscular dystrophy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, such as Huntington’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia, and spinocerebellar degeneration
- Traumatic brain injury
- Coma or persistent vegetative state (1 month or more)
- in addition to Motor neuron disorders other than ALS
Mental Disorders
- Recognized Mental Disorders:
- Neurocognitive disorders
- Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
- Depressive, bipolar and related disorders
- Intellectual disorder
- Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Somatic symptom and related disorders
- Personality and impulse-control disorders
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Eating disorders
- in addition to Trauma- and stressor-related disorders
Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
- Recognized Cancer Conditions:
- Soft tissue cancer of the head and neck
- Skin
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Multiple myeloma
- Salivary glands
- Thyroid gland
- Breast
- Skeletal system
- Maxilla, orbit, or temporal fossa
- Nervous system
- Lung
- Pleura or mediastinum
- Esophagus or stomach
- Small intestine
- Large intestine
- Liver or gallbladder
- Pancreas
- Kidneys, adrenal glands, or ureters
- Urinary bladder
- Cancers of the female genital tract
- Prostate gland
- Testicles
- Penis
- Primary cancer site unknown after appropriate search for primary
- Cancer treated by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation
- in addition to Malignant melanoma
Immune System Disorders
- Immune system disorders that cause dysfunction in one or more components of your immune system.
- Recognized Immune System Disorders:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Systemic vasculitis
- Polymyositis and dermatomyositis
- Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
- Undifferentiated and mixed connective tissue disease
- Immune deficiency disorders, excluding HIV infection
- Inflammatory arthritis
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- in addition to Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
Recognized Child Disabilities
(Social Security Disability Definitions)
- Low Birth Weight and Failure to Thrive
- Musculoskeletal System
- Special Senses and Speech
- Respiratory Disorders
- Cardiovascular System
- Digestive System
- Genitourinary Disorders
- Hematological Disorders
- Skin Disorders
- Endocrine Disorders
- Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
- Neurological Disorders
- Mental Disorders
- as well as Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
- in addition to Immune System Disorders
Learn more about conditions that could qualify you for SSDI here.
Learn more about Medicare here.
Kate writes about retirement benefits for retirementinsurance.org. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW). She has over a decade of experience in assisting elderly and disabled populations navigate governmental and private programs to obtain the monetary assistance they need to lead better lives. As she watched her parents begin their own retirement journeys and navigate similar systems to obtain Social Security, Medicare and other retirement benefits, she gleaned a further personal knowledge about the topic and is eager to share what she has learned with others.