Social Security retirement vs. SSDI at age 65 - different payment amounts?
I'm turning 65 in a few months and trying to understand the difference between regular Social Security retirement and SSDI. I've been on SSDI for about 7 years due to a serious back injury, and someone at my doctor's office mentioned I might get more money if I switch to regular retirement benefits when I hit 65. Is this true? Are they calculated differently? Does one typically pay more than the other? I'm really confused because I thought they were basically the same thing once you hit retirement age. Any help would be appreciated!
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Maya Jackson
This is a common misconception. At age 65, your SSDI benefit will automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the payment amount stays exactly the same. Both are calculated based on your lifetime earnings record using the same formula. The only difference is which program administers the payment. You don't need to do anything - the conversion happens automatically.
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Nathan Dell
•Thank you! So there's no advantage to 'switching' since it happens automatically anyway? Nobody can get more money by choosing one over the other?
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Tristan Carpenter
My brother went through this last year. Exactly the same amount, just different name for the benefit. SSA handles it all behind the scenes.
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Amaya Watson
Wait, I'm confused too. I thought SSDI was more because it's for people who CANT work? And regular SS is less because it's just for being old? Will my SSDI get cut when I turn 65 next year???????? I can't afford any reduction!!
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Maya Jackson
•No need to worry. Your benefit amount won't decrease when SSDI converts to retirement benefits. The calculation method is identical for both programs - they use your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) and apply the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) formula. The only difference is the name of the program paying your benefits.
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Grant Vikers
When I was approaching 65, I had the EXACT same question! The Social Security office told me it's the same calculation for both SSDI and retirement benefits. I tried calling SSA directly, but after being on hold for 2+ hours twice and getting disconnected once, I was ready to give up. Then I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 15 minutes! Their video shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed what others are saying - my payment stayed exactly the same when I converted from SSDI to retirement.
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Giovanni Martello
•Thanks for the tip about Claimyr! Dealing with SS on the phone is impossible these days
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Savannah Weiner
Actually, there IS one potential difference you should be aware of. If you're receiving SSDI and are under Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is 67 for people born after 1960, your benefits are subject to the earnings test if you work. Once you convert to retirement benefits at FRA, the earnings test no longer applies. But the base calculation of the benefit amount is identical.
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Levi Parker
•FRA is 66 and 10 months for me (born in 1959) and the SSA website said the same thing about earnings limits. Different depending what kind of benefit, but the AMOUNT is the same lol.
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Giovanni Martello
there THE SAME THING!! thats what the lady told me at the office when i asked
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Amaya Watson
I STILL don't understand why they're the same when SSDI is for disabled people who can't work. Shouldn't that pay more since we have more medical expenses? This system is SO messed up!!
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Savannah Weiner
•The reason they're the same is because both are based on your work history and lifetime earnings. SSDI essentially gives you your retirement benefit early because you cannot work due to disability. For additional help with medical expenses, some people may qualify for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) if their assets and income are below certain thresholds, or Medicare/Medicaid depending on your situation.
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Tristan Carpenter
My sister thought the same thing but then her check stayed exactly $1,782 after she turned 65. Not a penny difference lol
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Nathan Dell
Thanks everyone for clearing this up! Sounds like I don't need to do anything and my payment will stay the same. I was worried I might have to choose between two different benefit amounts.
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Savannah Vin
Just to add some clarity - the reason both SSDI and retirement benefits use the same calculation is that they're both based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which comes from your highest 35 years of earnings. Think of SSDI as getting your retirement benefit early due to disability. When you hit full retirement age, you're just switching from the "early access due to disability" program to the regular retirement program, but the underlying benefit calculation remains identical. The Social Security Administration makes this transition seamless - you'll get a letter notifying you of the change, but your monthly payment amount stays the same.
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Aisha Khan
•This is really helpful! I'm new here but going through something similar - turning 62 next year and wondering about early retirement vs waiting for my SSDI conversion. So if I understand correctly, whether someone gets SSDI now or waits for regular retirement later, they'd get the same amount at full retirement age based on their work history? That makes the system make a lot more sense to me.
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