If you’re thinking about getting married, you’re probably not thinking about whether or not it affects your Social Security disability benefits. However, that question might be worth a few moments’ consideration. The potential impact of marriage on your monthly payments depends on whether the benefits you receive are through Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Does Getting Married Affect SSDI?
Individuals getting married or remarried will not lose SSDI benefits as long as they are earning those benefits through their own work record. However, SSDI recipients who earn benefits through someone else’s work record could be affected. This depends on the relationship the recipient has to the person whose record they are collecting monthly payments from.
Widows and Widowers
Remarrying Before Age 50
You are not entitled to either survivor’s or disability benefits unless you get divorced.
Remarrying Between Age 50 and 59
You are not entitled to any benefits. However, if you remarry before age 60 and then divorce, you may become eligible for benefits based on your deceased spouse’s work record. In this case, benefits would begin in the first month following the end of your last marriage as long as all other eligibility requirements are fulfilled.
Remarrying After Age 60
You may still be eligible to receive benefits through your deceased spouse’s work record.
Divorced Spouses
If you are divorced, you may be able to receive benefits based on your previous spouse’s work record even if they have remarried. However, if you remarry, you will no longer be eligible to receive benefits based on their work record.
Can You Lose SSI If You Get Married?
Individuals who currently receive SSI benefits will likely see their ability to continue collecting monthly payments impacted by marriage. SSI has very strict income and resource limits. When you get married, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will deem a certain amount of your spouse’s income as your own. Therefore, part of a spouse’s income will be counted as yours, which may push you over the income limits for SSI benefits. You could either lose your eligibility for SSI benefits entirely or see a reduction in monthly payments. If you and your future spouse both collect SSI benefits before getting married, one or both of you will likely see your monthly benefit payments reduced.
As mentioned, income isn’t the only limiting factor when it comes to SSI benefits. Resources also impact eligibility. You cannot own more than $2,000 in resources as a single person or more than $3,000 as a couple. The SSA’s theory behind these restrictions is that you can live on less income and fewer resources together than you could on your own. When the SSA calculates your financial resources to see if you continue to qualify for SSI benefits, it will consider the totality of your living arrangements. If someone else pays for your food, housing, utilities, or other living expenses, for example, your monthly payments could be reduced.
What Happens If You Don’t Report a Marriage to the SSA?
Failure to report any change status changes, including a marriage, may disrupt your benefits or cause you to lose eligibility entirely. Even if your marriage circumstances don’t have an impact on your benefits, you may not receive the correct payment amount or receive a penalty on your account. Individuals who have been overpaid in benefits will also have to repay the necessary amount to the SSA.