Does SSDI payment amount get reduced when reaching age 62? Confused about disability to retirement transition

No, your SSDI will NOT be reduced when you turn 62. What happens is your disability benefit automatically converts to retirement benefits when you reach Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is 67 for people born after 1960. The amount stays exactly the same. At 62, nothing changes - you'll still receive your SSDI payment just like before. The person at your doctor's office was probably thinking about early retirement benefits, which ARE reduced if claimed before FRA. But that doesn't apply to disability recipients.

my uncle went thru this last year. he got the same ammt when he turnd 62. still on disabilty untill full retiremnt age

The other commenters are correct. Your SSDI benefit won't decrease when you turn 62. You'll continue receiving the same amount until you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is when your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits - still at the same amount. One thing to be aware of: if you have other income sources, the taxation of your benefits might change over time, but the base benefit amount from Social Security remains stable. Also, you'll receive annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) to your benefit amount, which have been quite substantial lately due to inflation.

I HAD THE EXACT SAME WORRY!!! The SSA website is SO CONFUSING about this. I spent HOURS trying to figure it out when I was approaching 62. I was terrified my payments would drop! The whole system is deliberately complicated to confuse people. And good luck getting through to SSA on the phone to ask - I tried for THREE WEEKS and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours. But yes, your payment stays the same. They don't reduce SSDI when you hit 62. The reduction only applies to people who CHOOSE early retirement. Since you're already on disability, you're fine.

I think there's some confusion here about SSDI and SSI. If you're receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income), that's different from SSDI. SSI can be affected by other income and resources. But if you're on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) as you stated, then your benefit amount will remain the same when you turn 62. Nothing changes until you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA). At that point, your disability benefit converts to retirement benefits, but the amount stays the same. This is because disability benefits are already calculated as if you had reached your full retirement age.

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! I'm definitely on SSDI (not SSI). I worked for over 30 years before my disability. I'm so relieved to hear my payment won't decrease at 62. I was seriously worried about how I'd manage if it dropped. One more question - when my SSDI converts to retirement at my full retirement age (which would be 67 for me I think), will I need to do anything or fill out any paperwork? Or does it just automatically switch over?

My husband thought the same thing when he was on disability! But nothing changed at 62. The only thing that happens is when you hit full retirement age (which is higher now, like 66-67 depending on when you were born), they just call it "retirement" instead of "disability" but the check stays the same amount.

Im getting disability too but I also worked a part time job allowed under the earnings limit. Does that make any difference when I turn 62? They told me I could earn up to $1,550/month without affecting SSDI but don't know if that changes at 62?