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Based on what you've shared, here's a summary that might help you plan: 1. Your SSDI benefits will NOT change after marriage 2. His SSDI benefits will NOT change after marriage 3. His SSI ($110/month) will likely be reduced or eliminated after marriage 4. Any income-based benefits like SNAP, housing assistance, Medicaid, Extra Help for Medicare, etc. will need to be reassessed based on your combined income If losing the $110 in SSI and potentially some adjustments to other benefits is manageable for your budget, you should be in an okay position financially after marriage. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to get a precise calculation of how your specific benefits would be affected.
Thank you so much for breaking it down like this! This gives us a clear picture of what to expect. I think we can handle losing the small SSI payment, but I'll definitely follow up with SSA to verify everything before we make any decisions. This community has been so helpful!
One more tip - after you get married (if you decide to), make sure you both contact Social Security right away to report the change. For the SSDI recipient, it's mostly just updating your name if you change it. For the SSI recipient, they need to report the marriage immediately to avoid overpayments. Those overpayment notices are a nightmare to deal with!
This is critical advice. SSI recipients must report any change in living arrangement, marital status, or household income within 10 days. SSDI recipients should report name changes, but their benefits aren't affected by marital status (except in certain cases involving disabled adult children benefits, which doesn't seem to apply here).
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The advice here is mostly good but I want to clarify something important: with ALS, there is NO 5-month waiting period for SSDI benefits like there is with other disabilities. Also, Medicare eligibility begins immediately after SSDI approval rather than the normal 24-month waiting period. Make sure your brother knows this as it's extremely important for covering medical costs. Also, has your brother checked if he has any private disability insurance through previous employers? Many people don't realize they might have coverage. With ALS, it's critical to secure all possible financial resources.
I had no idea about the waived waiting periods for SSDI and Medicare with ALS! That's incredibly valuable information. He was just approved for SSDI but hasn't received information about Medicare yet, so I'll make sure he follows up on that immediately. And good point about private disability insurance - he did have coverage through his employer before he had to stop working, and we need to check on the status of that claim. Thank you so much for this information.
One more thing no one has mentioned - if his ex-wife has never worked, she should look at SSI (Supplemental Security Income) too, not just waiting for benefits based on your brother's record. She might qualify NOW based on need, age, and disability if she has any health issues herself. The rules are complicated but worth checking into.
This is partially correct but needs clarification. SSI is need-based and has strict asset limits ($2,000 for individuals). If the ex-wife has savings, investments, or other resources above that threshold, she wouldn't qualify regardless of her lack of work history. Also, at age 60 without a qualifying disability, she wouldn't meet the age requirement for SSI (which is 65). Her best option is still likely waiting until she's eligible for benefits based on the ex-husband's record.
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I think they're changing their policy again. My nephew works at Social Security and he says they're getting new guidance every week about this. Some offices have the updated system and others don't yet. Maybe try a different office?
thats true! my cousin had to go to the office in the next town over cuz his local one kept saying they couldnt do anything. its like some offices got the memo and others didnt
Quick update for everyone following this thread - the official policy change is outlined in SSA Emergency Message EM-23056, which officially limits recovery of most overpayments to 10% of monthly benefits. However, there are exceptions for fraud cases. The implementation date was March 15, 2025, but as others have noted, the actual rollout has been inconsistent across field offices. If you're getting resistance, specifically mention EM-23056 and request to speak with a Technical Expert or the Office Manager who should be familiar with this directive.
This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I've written down all this information and I'm going to try both calling and visiting in person tomorrow. Will update with how it goes in case it helps anyone else in the same situation.
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That's not accurate for this situation. Your neighbor may be referring to filing for her own retirement benefits early, which does permanently reduce them. But in the OP's case, they're on SSDI, which doesn't involve an early filing reduction. At FRA, the SSDI converts to retirement at the full rate, and the spousal benefit is recalculated. The current small spousal supplement won't affect the FRA calculation.
Lena Müller
my neighbor said you could get benefits from multiple spouses but i guess thats wrong from what everyone here is saying?
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Raj Gupta
•Your neighbor is completely wrong. You can never receive benefits from multiple spouses simultaneously. You can only receive one benefit - the highest one you're eligible for. The SSA will always pay your own retirement benefit first, and then supplement it if a spousal or survivor benefit would be higher.
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Paolo Bianchi
congrats on figuring out ur ss strategy! ive been putting off even thinking about it bc its so confusing lol. good luck with ur application!!
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Ava Williams
•Thanks! It definitely took me months of research to figure out what works best for my situation. My advice is to start looking into it earlier than you think you need to - there are so many rules and exceptions to understand!
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