Can I apply for SSDI at age 65 while already receiving retirement benefits?
I'm really confused about my options at this point. I turned 65 two months ago and started receiving my Social Security retirement benefits right away because I needed the income. But my health has gotten much worse since then—I've been diagnosed with severe arthritis and a heart condition that makes it impossible for me to work anymore. Someone told me I might qualify for a higher amount through disability (SSDI), but I'm already getting retirement payments. Is it even possible to apply for disability while already drawing Social Security retirement? Would it increase my monthly payment? I've heard different things from friends and I can't get through to anyone at the local office.
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Cynthia Love
Yes, you can technically apply for SSDI even after starting retirement benefits, but there are important considerations. This is called a "disability freeze" and it primarily protects your future benefit amounts by excluding the low/no earning years due to disability from your benefit calculation. However, at age 65, the potential advantage is limited because: 1. SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits at your Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is between 66-67 depending on your birth year 2. The maximum benefit would be equal to your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - what you would have received at your FRA 3. If you're already receiving reduced retirement benefits because you claimed at 65 (before your FRA), SSDI could potentially increase your benefit to the full PIA amount The process requires proving your disability began before you reached FRA, and that it meets SSA's strict definition of disability.
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Naila Gordon
•Thank you for explaining this! So if my FRA is 66 and 6 months (I was born in 1959), and I'm receiving reduced retirement benefits now at 65, could I actually see an increase in my monthly payment if approved for SSDI? The medical evidence clearly shows my conditions started before I filed for retirement.
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Darren Brooks
my sister tried to do this last year got denied twice. social security told her once u take retirement you cant get disability. maybe the rules changed?
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Cynthia Love
•That's not entirely accurate. You absolutely can file for SSDI after starting retirement benefits. However, the disability must have begun before Full Retirement Age, and you must apply within 12 months of disability onset. Your sister's situation might have been different, or she may have received incorrect information from a representative.
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Rosie Harper
I went through this exact situation in 2023! Started retirement at 65 then got very sick two months later. I filed for disability and after a 5-month process, they approved me and adjusted my benefit to the full amount I would have received at my full retirement age. It was about $430 more per month for me. You definitely can do this but be prepared for a complicated process and lots of medical documentation.
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Naila Gordon
•That's really encouraging to hear! Do you mind if I ask how long the whole process took from application to decision? And did you use a lawyer or handle it yourself?
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Elliott luviBorBatman
This is a somewhat specialized situation that many SSA representatives don't handle regularly. The key points: 1. You need to file SSA-16 (Application for Disability Insurance Benefits) 2. You must prove your disability began before you reach your Full Retirement Age 3. Medical evidence must show you meet SSA's definition of disability (inability to perform substantial gainful activity) 4. If approved, SSA will adjust your benefit to your full Primary Insurance Amount 5. This effectively removes the reduction for claiming early retirement One major challenge is that most local offices are still experiencing significant backlogs, and reaching someone by phone can take hours or even days of attempts. Documentation is absolutely critical in these cases.
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Naila Gordon
•This is so helpful. I've been trying to call my local office for weeks but keep getting disconnected or told the wait time is over 2 hours. Do you know if there's any way to schedule an appointment specifically for this situation?
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Demi Hall
Try using Claimyr to get through to a Social Security agent faster. I was in a similar situation last month - couldn't get anyone on the phone for days. A friend recommended this service at claimyr.com and I got through to SSA in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Much better than waiting for weeks to get simple questions answered, especially for something complicated like disability after retirement.
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Mateusius Townsend
•does this actually work?? i've been trying to get ahold of someone at SS for 3 weeks about my husband's benefits!
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Demi Hall
•It worked for me! I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for days. You still talk directly with the actual SSA agents, the service just handles the hold time part. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Kara Yoshida
THE SS SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!! I tried to do EXACTLY what you're asking about in 2024 and got DENIED even though I had STAGE 4 CANCER!!! They said since I already took early retirement at 63, I couldn't get disability. Then I appealed and suddenly they said I COULD apply but would need to start the whole process over. Then they lost my medical records TWICE!!! I eventually gave up because the stress was making my health worse. Good luck but prepare for a NIGHTMARE!!!
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•I'm sorry you had such a difficult experience. There's unfortunately a lot of misinformation even among SSA employees about this specific situation. You absolutely can receive SSDI after starting retirement benefits if your disability began before FRA. It sounds like you encountered representatives who weren't familiar with the policy. If your cancer diagnosis still meets the criteria and you're still under FRA, you might want to consider trying again with skilled representation.
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Kara Yoshida
•Thanks but I'm done fighting with them. 8 months of my life wasted on this already. Just warning others what they might face!
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Rosie Harper
Quick question - I'm confused about something. Isn't SSDI for people who haven't reached retirement age yet? I thought once you're getting retirement benefits, disability isn't an option anymore? That's what my cousin who works for the government told me.
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Cynthia Love
•That's a common misconception. SSDI converts to retirement benefits when you reach Full Retirement Age (66-67 depending on birth year). But if you take early retirement before your FRA and then become disabled, you can still apply for SSDI if the disability began before reaching your FRA. If approved, your benefit would be adjusted to remove the reduction for early retirement. After FRA, though, disability benefits are no longer available.
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Naila Gordon
Update: I finally spoke with someone at SSA yesterday. They confirmed I can apply for SSDI even though I'm receiving retirement benefits. They said if approved, my payment would increase to what I would have received at my full retirement age. I've started gathering all my medical records from the past year. Thanks everyone for your help and advice! I'll post again when I hear something.
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Darren Brooks
•good luck! hope it works out better for u than my sister!
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Mateusius Townsend
my neighbor did this and got back pay too for the months since he got sick. dunno if they still do that but worth asking
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•Yes, this is correct. If approved for SSDI after already receiving reduced retirement benefits, you can potentially receive retroactive payments. These would represent the difference between your reduced retirement benefit and your full Primary Insurance Amount for the months since your established disability onset date (after any applicable waiting periods). This is definitely worth discussing during the application process.
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