How Will Your Disability Benefits Be Affected at Age 65?

The annual rate of disability claims denied during the Social Security Administration’s initial application review can exceed 67%. So, it’s no surprise that a common question people approved for benefits have for their disability lawyer is, “Will my disability benefits change when I turn 65?”

If you are one of those worrying about losing the disability benefits you fought hard to win, aging does not cause you to lose them. As you continue reading for a detailed explanation of what happens to disability benefits as you get older, remember that a disability lawyer should be your first choice for answers to questions about benefits available through Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance programs.

How Do The Disability Benefits Programs Work?

The SSDI program is part of the Social Security retirement and disability system. Eligibility for SSDI benefits requires a sufficiently long and recent work history at jobs where Social Security taxes were paid on your earnings.

SSDI disability benefits provide financial assistance to people who have not reached retirement age and cannot work because of a disability. A person’s monthly payments from SSDI are partly based on how much they earned at jobs subject to Social Security payroll taxes, which is identical to how Social Security retirement benefits are calculated.

Do Disability Benefits Change When You Turn 65, And Why?

You continue receiving SSDI disability benefits for as long as you are disabled as defined by federal regulations. “Disabled” means you cannot do substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months or is likely to result in death.  

When you reach full retirement age, the age when you become eligible for Social Security retirement, the SSDI payments you receive each month stop. Don’t worry because when SSDI stops, the monthly payments continue as retirement benefits.

The conversion from SSDI to retirement benefits takes place automatically, so there is nothing for you to do. Depending on your birth year, the conversion may not occur when you turn 65.

Although 65 has become known as the retirement age, it only applies to people born before 1937 for purposes of Social Security retirement benefits. Over the years, Congress amended the Social Security Act to increase the full retirement age from 65.

Federal law currently makes 67 the full retirement age for anyone born in 1960 or later. For example, if you were born in 1960 and qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you will continue to receive monthly SSDI payments until they convert to retirement benefits in 2027. This assumes that you continue to be disabled and unable to work according to SSDI qualifying criteria. If you do not, your SSDI benefits may stop, but you remain eligible for retirement benefits at 67.

Does The Amount Of The Monthly Payments Change At Retirement Age

The monthly payment amount does not change for most people when SSDI converts to retirement benefits. However, there may be an increase in the payment amount for some people.

Workers’ compensation and public disability benefits may reduce the amount of your monthly SSDI benefit payments. Public disability benefits include the following:

  • Civil service benefits
  • State-funded temporary disability payments
  • State and municipal government retirement payments

Payments from private pension plans or insurance benefits do not affect how much you receive each month from SSDI.

Once your SSDI converts to retirement benefits, other benefits that may have reduced what you received each month in disability benefits do not apply to retirement benefits. As a result, you may see an increase in how much you receive each month when disability payments convert to Social Security retirement benefits.

Disability Benefits Through SSI After Age 65

The eligibility requirements for the SSI program substantially differ from those you just learned about for SSDI. SSI is a program that assists people with limited income and assets by providing monthly cash payments to help them afford food, shelter, and other necessities.

SSI eligibility does not require applicants to have a work history, and it is not a part of the Social Security retirement system. If you meet the criteria to qualify for disability benefits through SSI, those benefits continue as long as you remain eligible for the program.

The monthly disability payments you receive through SSI do not change when you reach age 65 or at any other age, for that matter. SSI and SSDI are separate disability programs with different guidelines and eligibility requirements.

Let National Disability Experts Help With Your Disability Benefits

Whether you have a question about your disability benefits, need help with an application, or received a claim denial and require assistance from an experienced disability lawyer to file an appeal, turn to the disability professionals at National Disability Experts. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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