Will marriage affect our SSDI benefits? Worried about income reduction when both are disabled

Trust me, DO NOT GET MARRIED if you both rely on benefits!!!!! My cousin lost almost $400 when she married her boyfriend and they're both on disability. The system PUNISHES people for getting married. It's completely RIDICULOUS but that's how they operate.

The good news is that SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) is NOT affected by marriage - these are benefits you earned through your work history. SSI (Supplemental Security Income), however, IS affected since it's a needs-based program and considers household income. So your SSDI payments should remain the same, but his small SSI payment will likely be reduced or eliminated after marriage since your combined income and resources will be counted. You should also know that if you receive Medicare and he receives Medicaid through his SSI, that Medicaid coverage might change after marriage.

I went through something similar last year. You're right to check this before making any decisions! When my partner and I got married, our SSDI payments stayed exactly the same (about $1,950 combined), but my partner's SSI of $83 completely disappeared. Another thing to consider - if either of you gets Extra Help for Medicare prescription costs or Medicare Savings Program help, those income-based programs might be affected by your combined income. We had to reapply for Extra Help after marriage.

my uncle got married and didnt tell ss for like 6 months and then they found out and made him pay back thousands in overpayments so whatever u do make sure u report everything right away

Try getting through to an SSA rep to ask about your specific situation before making any decisions. I spent 3 days trying to reach someone at Social Security about a marriage question similar to yours. After being on hold for hours and getting disconnected twice, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Worth it to get accurate information about your specific case rather than relying on general advice.

just wanted to add that if either of you get any housing subsidies like Section 8 or food stamps that could also change after marriage since they'll look at combined income. SSA won't touch your SSDI but other benefit programs might be affected

Based on what you've shared, here's a summary that might help you plan: 1. Your SSDI benefits will NOT change after marriage 2. His SSDI benefits will NOT change after marriage 3. His SSI ($110/month) will likely be reduced or eliminated after marriage 4. Any income-based benefits like SNAP, housing assistance, Medicaid, Extra Help for Medicare, etc. will need to be reassessed based on your combined income If losing the $110 in SSI and potentially some adjustments to other benefits is manageable for your budget, you should be in an okay position financially after marriage. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to get a precise calculation of how your specific benefits would be affected.

One more tip - after you get married (if you decide to), make sure you both contact Social Security right away to report the change. For the SSDI recipient, it's mostly just updating your name if you change it. For the SSI recipient, they need to report the marriage immediately to avoid overpayments. Those overpayment notices are a nightmare to deal with!