Turned 65 on SSDI - am I automatically switched to regular Social Security now?

happy birthday! youre still technically on SSDI but nothing really changes except what they call it internally. my husband went thru this last yr

When you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), SSA will automatically convert your SSDI benefits to retirement benefits. At age 65, you haven't reached FRA yet - for people born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67. So you'll remain on SSDI until you reach your FRA, at which point the conversion happens automatically with no action required from you. The benefit amount typically stays the same when this conversion occurs. The main difference is just administrative - what the benefit is called and which trust fund it's paid from. Your Medicare coverage continues unchanged.

I went through this last year and was SUPER confused too!! Called SSA like 5 times and got different answers every single time!!! One rep told me I needed to apply for retirement benefits (WRONG) and another said my payment would increase (also WRONG). It was soooo frustrating trying to get accurate information!!!

Congrats on hitting 65! I remember when my disability switched over. Nothing changed for me at all - same deposit amount, same day, everything. I think they just move your file from one drawer to another drawer lol. Don't stress about it.

If you need to confirm your status or have any questions about your benefits, good luck getting through to SSA right now. I spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone last month about a similar question. Their phone lines are constantly busy and then they disconnect you after waiting forever. I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Saved me so much frustration when I needed to confirm my benefit status after turning FRA. The agent was able to explain everything about my conversion from disability to retirement benefits.

To answer your original question more directly - at age 65, you're still on SSDI. The automatic conversion to retirement benefits happens when you reach your Full Retirement Age, which is 67 for people born in 1960 or later. You don't need to do anything - it's all automatic. The payment amount stays the same, and your Medicare continues unchanged.

Something nobody mentioned - once you reach Full Retirement Age and convert from SSDI to retirement, you can work as much as you want without any reduction in benefits! That's the main practical difference.

Does anyone know if the MEDICARE part changes??? I have Medicare because of my disability and I'm worried that might change when I hit my retirement age next year???

Key points about SSDI to retirement transition: 1. Conversion happens automatically at your Full Retirement Age (67 for those born 1960 or later) 2. Benefit amount remains identical - no recalculation occurs 3. Medicare coverage continues unchanged 4. Work restrictions are removed - you can earn unlimited income without benefit reduction 5. Medical continuing disability reviews are no longer conducted 6. The only real change is administrative - which trust fund pays your benefits No action is required on your part for this transition.

I went through this exact same transition 3 years ago when I turned 65! Like everyone else said, nothing changes at 65 - you stay on SSDI until you reach Full Retirement Age at 67. The whole process is completely automatic, so don't worry about missing any deadlines or paperwork. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is that you can actually create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov to track your benefits and see exactly when your conversion will happen. It shows your estimated Full Retirement Age and benefit amounts. Really helpful for planning ahead! Also, if you're thinking about working part-time in the future, just remember that while you're still on SSDI there are earnings limits (around $1,470/month in 2024), but once you convert to retirement at 67, you can earn as much as you want without any penalty. Hope this helps ease your mind!