SSI and SSDI Checker

SSDI generally pays monthly benefits to people who can’t work for a year or more because of a disability. SSA

SSI pays monthly benefits to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income or resources. SSA

Many people get both SSI and Social Security benefits. SSA

This screener estimates the federal SSI payment from SSA’s own income rules and links each rule it uses to the SSA page or regulation it comes from.

How This Screener Sorts the Programs

• SSDI goes to people with a disability or blindness who are “insured” through the Social Security taxes paid on their earnings. SSA
• SSI is paid from general tax revenues to people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled, including children, and who have limited income and resources. SSA
• A person can qualify for SSDI and SSI at the same time; SSA calls that “concurrent” benefits. SSA
• In 2026, the federal SSI rate is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple. SSA
• SSI’s limit on countable resources is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. SSA
• In 2026, the substantial gainful activity amount is $1,690 a month, or $2,830 for someone who is statutorily blind. SSA

SSI vs. SSDI at a Glance

• SSDI requires a disability or blindness and enough work history. SSA
• SSDI pays only for total disability: the condition keeps the person from working at the substantial gainful activity level, from past work and from adjusting to other work, and has lasted or is expected to last at least a year or to result in death. SSA
• Adults and children can qualify for SSI with little or no income, little or no resources, and a disability, blindness or age 65 or older. SSA
• SSDI goes to people with a disability or blindness who are “insured” through the Social Security taxes paid on their earnings. SSA
• Savings and most unearned income don’t reduce SSDI; workers’ compensation and some public disability benefits can. SSA
• SSI is paid from general tax revenues to people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled, including children, and who have limited income and resources. SSA
• SSDI brings Medicare after 24 months of benefits. SSA
• In most states, SSI brings Medicaid, and the SSI application also counts as a Medicaid application. SSA
• SSDI generally has a five-month waiting period: the first payment is for the sixth full month after the date SSA finds the disability began. SSA

SSI Payment Rates and Resource Limits for 2026

• In 2026, the federal SSI rate is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple. SSA
• The 2026 amounts include a 2.8% cost-of-living increase. SSA
• SSA subtracts monthly countable income from that rate. For a couple, the result is split equally between the spouses. SSA
• SSI’s limit on countable resources is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. SSA
• The home a person lives in, and the land it’s on, don’t count. SSA
• One vehicle, whatever its value, doesn’t count if someone in the household uses it for transportation. SSA
• Most states add a supplement to federal SSI; Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Northern Mariana Islands don’t. SSA

How SSI Counts Income

• SSA doesn’t count the first $20 of income in a month, applied first to unearned income. SSA
• SSA also doesn’t count the first $65 of earnings in a month plus half of the rest, so SSI drops only $1 for every $2 earned over $65. SSA
• In SSA’s 2026 example, a $300 Social Security benefit leaves $280 of countable income and a federal SSI payment of $714. SSA
• In SSA’s 2026 example, $317 of wages leaves $116 of countable income and a federal SSI payment of $878. SSA
• SSDI counts as unearned income for SSI: in SSA’s example, $361 of SSDI leaves $341 of countable income after the $20 exclusion. SSA

SSDI Work Credits by Age

• In 2026, each $1,890 of covered earnings earns one credit, so $7,560 in the year earns all four. SSA
• Disability starting before 24: six credits, about a year and a half of work, in the three years before it began. SSA
• Disability starting at 24 to 30: generally credit for working half the time between age 21 and when it began; at 27, that’s three years of work (12 credits) in the six years before. SSA
• Disability starting at 31 or older: generally at least 20 credits, about five years of work, in the 10 years right before it began. SSA
• SSA also applies a total-years-of-work test, which rises with age: generally 1.5 years for a disability starting before 28, 5 years at 42, 7 years at 50 and 9.5 years at 60. SSA
• For someone who is statutorily blind, only the total-years-of-work test applies; there’s no recent-work test. SSA

The 2026 Earnings Limit for Disability

• In 2026, the substantial gainful activity amount is $1,690 a month, or $2,830 for someone who is statutorily blind. SSA
• Earnings averaging more than that in 2026 generally mean SSA can’t find a disability. SSA
• The higher amount for blindness doesn’t apply to SSI; the lower amount, for people with disabilities who aren’t blind, applies to both SSDI and SSI. SSA
• For SSI based on blindness, there’s no substantial gainful activity test: SSA doesn’t require that the person be unable to work at that level. 20 CFR 416.983

Related GovFacts Articles

• A Guide to Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Eligibility for Social Security Disability Benefits
• How to Apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits
• A Guide to Programs and Benefits for Adults with Disabilities in the U.S.