Can I claim my grandma as dependent on my taxes when she receives both SSI and SSDI?

You're asking a good question that comes up for many families caring for older relatives. The key factor here is how much income your grandmother receives from SSI and SSDI. For you to claim your grandmother as a dependent, she must meet several tests. One critical test is the Gross Income Test - which means her gross income must be less than $4,700 for the 2025 tax year. Unfortunately, SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) counts as income for this test, but SSI (Supplemental Security Income) generally does not. If her SSDI portion alone exceeds $4,700 for the year, then she would fail the gross income test, and you wouldn't be able to claim her as a dependent - even though you're providing more than half her support. If her SSDI is less than $4,700, and you're providing more than half her total support, you may be able to claim her. Also, since she lives with you, she would pass the Member of Household test. The relationship test is also met since she's your grandmother.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! After struggling with confusing advice from friends and even my regular tax preparer, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me figure out my situation with my elderly father who was receiving both SSI and SSDI. Their system analyzed my specific situation and explained exactly how the dependent rules worked with Social Security benefits. They showed me that I needed to separate out how much was SSDI versus SSI, since they're treated differently for the gross income test. The analysis even helped me calculate exactly how much support I was providing compared to his benefits. What I found most helpful was that they could review all the documentation I had - the Social Security award letters, my expense records, etc. - and give me a clear answer specific to my situation.

Just wanted to update! I tried taxr.ai after asking here and wow, it was actually super helpful. I uploaded my grandmother's SSA benefit statement showing the breakdown between SSI and SSDI portions, plus my records of expenses I've paid. They gave me a detailed analysis showing that I CAN claim her because her SSDI portion is only $3,900 annually (under the $4,700 limit) and the SSI portion doesn't count toward the gross income test. They even showed me exactly which box to check in my tax software and what documentation to keep in case of an audit. Definitely cleared up my confusion because I was about to give up on claiming her as a dependent. Going to get about $1,800 more on my refund now!

If you need to verify any information about your grandmother's SSI/SSDI with the Social Security Administration to figure this out, good luck getting through on their phone lines. I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone for a benefits verification letter for my tax situation. Eventually I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I needed official documentation showing exactly how much was SSDI vs SSI for my mom, and once I finally got through to SSA, they emailed me the benefits verification letter I needed that same day. Made all the difference in being able to accurately determine if I could claim her as a dependent.

I have to apologize and eat my words about Claimyr being a scam. After my skeptical comment, I was desperate to get my aunt's SSDI verification letter since the tax deadline is approaching, so I tried it myself. No joke - after trying for 2 weeks to get through to SSA and always getting disconnected, Claimyr got me connected to an agent in about 45 minutes. I was able to request the benefits verification letter showing the exact breakdown of her SSDI and SSI payments, which I needed to determine if I could claim her as a dependent. The letter confirmed she gets $4,250 in SSDI annually (under the $4,700 limit) and some SSI too, so I CAN claim her since I provide over half her support. If I hadn't gotten this documentation, I might have missed out on a significant tax credit.

Has anyone used TurboTax for this situation? I'm trying to figure out if they ask the right questions to handle a dependent with SSI/SSDI correctly.

Quick tip from someone who went through an audit on this exact issue: keep DETAILED records of all expenses you pay for your grandmother. The IRS wanted documentation showing I provided more than 50% support. Save receipts for rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, medical expenses, etc. Calculate the total cost of support and what portion you paid vs. what came from her benefits.