Can You Draw Retirement and Disability at the Same Time?

Can an individual receive both Social Security retirement and disability benefits simultaneously? While both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Social Security retirement benefits are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and are based on an individual’s work history, they have distinct eligibility criteria and specific rules governing their concurrent receipt.

Understanding Social Security Retirement and Disability Benefits

Social Security Retirement Benefits are designed to provide income to individuals after they cease working, typically in their later years. Eligibility for these benefits hinges on an individual’s age and their history of employment where Social Security taxes were paid. To qualify, most individuals need to earn 40 “work credits” over their working lifetime, which generally translates to about 10 years of work. In 2025, one work credit is earned for every $1,810 in wages or self-employment income, with a maximum of four credits obtainable per year. The specific amount of a retirement benefit depends on an individual’s lifetime earnings, specifically the highest 35 years of indexed earnings.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), conversely, provides financial assistance to individuals who are unable to work due to a severe medical condition. To be eligible for SSDI, individuals must meet a strict definition of disability: they must have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA), is expected to last for at least 12 months, or result in death. The SGA limit for non-blind individuals in 2025 is $1,620 per month. Beyond the medical criteria, applicants must also have sufficient work credits, with the number required varying based on their age at the onset of disability. For instance, individuals aged 31 or older generally need 20 credits earned in the 10 years immediately preceding their disability.

Rules for Concurrent Receipt

Generally, the Social Security Administration does not permit individuals to receive the full amount of both Social Security retirement and disability benefits at the same time. If an individual is eligible for both, the SSA typically pays the higher of the two benefits. This is because SSDI benefits are usually calculated to be equivalent to the full retirement benefit an individual would receive at their Full Retirement Age (FRA), regardless of their age when they become disabled.

There are specific situations where it might appear someone is receiving both benefits, but these are generally adjustments or transitions rather than true concurrent full payments. One common scenario involves individuals who begin receiving early retirement benefits while their disability application is still pending. An individual can elect to receive retirement benefits as early as age 62, even if they have a disability claim under review. However, taking early retirement results in a permanently reduced monthly benefit compared to waiting until full retirement age.

If a disability claim is subsequently approved after an individual has started receiving early retirement benefits, the SSA will convert the early retirement payments to disability benefits. The disability benefit amount will typically be higher than the reduced early retirement benefit. The SSA will then retroactively pay the difference between the full disability benefit and the reduced retirement benefits received for the months of overlap. Once the disability claim is approved, the individual receives the full disability amount moving forward.

Transitioning from Disability to Retirement Benefits

A specific and common interaction between these two benefit types occurs when an individual receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) reaches their Full Retirement Age (FRA). By law, SSDI benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits at an individual’s FRA. This conversion is seamless and does not require any action from the beneficiary. The monthly benefit amount typically remains the same or very close to what they were receiving as SSDI.

The consistency in benefit amount stems from the fact that SSDI payments are calculated based on an individual’s Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the same amount they would receive if they retired at their full retirement age. Therefore, when the conversion occurs, it is primarily a change in the classification of the benefit from “disability” to “retirement” without an alteration in the payment amount. The full retirement age varies depending on an individual’s birth year, ranging from 66 to 67 years. For those born in 1960 or later, the FRA is 67.

An important implication of this automatic transition is the cessation of medical continuing disability reviews. While receiving SSDI, beneficiaries are subject to periodic reviews to determine if their medical condition has improved to the point where they can return to work. Once benefits convert to retirement benefits at FRA, these medical reviews are no longer applicable, providing a more stable benefit status.

Impact on Benefit Amounts and Other Considerations

The determination of benefit amounts for both disability and retirement centers on the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). The PIA represents the monthly benefit an individual would receive if they started drawing retirement benefits at their full retirement age, or if they became disabled. It is calculated using a complex formula that considers an individual’s Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) over their highest 35 years of earnings. The AIME adjusts past earnings to account for changes in average wages over time, ensuring a fair representation of lifetime earnings.

The concept of “deemed filing” can also come into play, particularly for spousal benefits, although it generally does not apply to individuals already receiving SSDI. Deemed filing means that when an individual applies for one type of benefit, such as their own retirement benefit, they are automatically considered to have filed for any other benefits for which they are eligible, like a spousal benefit. However, this rule does not apply to individuals receiving SSDI, allowing them more flexibility in claiming spousal benefits later. This distinction can be important for maximizing overall household benefits, as it may permit an SSDI recipient to continue receiving their disability benefit and then later claim a potentially higher spousal benefit at their FRA without reduction.