Will SSDI approval at 61 reduce my Social Security retirement benefits at 62?

Good question! When your sister gets approved for SSDI, she'll receive her full disability benefit amount (which is equivalent to her full retirement age benefit) even though she's only 61. If she were to apply for regular retirement benefits at 62, she'd get a reduced amount (about 30% less than her full benefit). When she reaches her full retirement age (67), SSA will automatically convert her SSDI to retirement benefits, but the monthly amount stays the same. So getting SSDI now is actually financially better than taking early retirement at 62!

my husband got ssdi at 59 and its way more than what he wouldve got at 62 for early retirement. his check didnt change when he hit full retirement age either its all the same amount just different names

Just to add some clarity - SSDI pays your full retirement age benefit amount regardless of your age when approved. So yes, it's financially better than taking reduced benefits at 62. The system automatically transitions SSDI to retirement benefits when you reach full retirement age, but the amount stays exactly the same. Your sister should definitely pursue the SSDI if she qualifies medically. The difference could mean thousands of dollars per year compared to early retirement.

WAIT A MINUTE!!!! Does your sister have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI????? If she doesn't have enough recent work credits she could get DENIED! Make sure she has worked 5 of the last 10 years or she might NOT QUALIFY! This happened to my cousin and it was a NIGHTMARE!!

I think you're confusing SSI and SSDI. They're different programs. SSI is need-based but SSDI is based on work credits and her 35 year work history. The benefit amounts are totally different too.

Both previous commenters are partially correct. SSDI does require both sufficient total work credits AND recent work credits. The exact requirement depends on age, but at 61, your sister would need about 40 total credits (10 years of work) AND 20 credits earned in the 10 years before disability (5 years of work). Since you mentioned she worked steadily for 35+ years until recently, she should meet both requirements easily.

I'm in almost the exact same boat - approved for SSDI at 60 and turning 62 soon. My SSDI payment is $2,475/month which is what I would have gotten at my full retirement age (67). If I had chosen early retirement at 62 instead, I would only get about $1,732/month. That's a difference of $743 EVERY MONTH! When I hit 67, nothing changes except they call it retirement instead of disability. Your sister should definitely pursue her SSDI claim if she truly cannot work.

Has your sister been able to get through to SSA on the phone to check her application status? I found it impossible to get updates on my SSDI claim - was on hold for hours before getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much frustration. The agent was able to tell me exactly where my claim was in the process and what to expect next.

also tell ur sister to be ready for backpay when approved! they pay from when she applied or sometimes even from when her disability started if thats within a year of applying. she could get a big chunk of money all at once when approved

One more important point - if your sister has any dependent children under 18 (or adult disabled children whose disability began before age 22), they may also qualify for benefits on her record once she's approved for SSDI. This doesn't apply to most 61-year-olds, but worth mentioning in case it's relevant to her situation.