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March 25, 2025

What Is the Difference Between SSI and SSDI?

Understanding the differences between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can inspire confusion, especially because the programs overlap. When it comes to SSI vs. SSDI, SSI provides benefits based on financial need, whereas SSDI eligibility depends on your employment record payments made to Social Security. 

At the Law Offices of Jennifer R. Solomon, our firm helps Californians navigate the complexities of Social Security Disability claims. Leveraging her background in insurance defense and personal connection to disability advocacy, Jennifer Solomon understands the intricacies of disability law, helping to ensure our clients receive comprehensive guidance and strong advocacy.

What Is SSI?

SSI is a federal financial aid program that provides monthly payments to individuals with limited income and resources who are:

• Elderly (65 years or older), 
• Blind, or
• Disabled based on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) definition of disability.

The SSA strictly enforces SSI’s resource and income limits.

Limited Income 

You generally cannot earn more than $1,620 monthly to qualify for SSI. The SSA considers the following to be income for SSI purposes:

• Earned income, such as wages; 
• Unearned income, including Social Security benefits; and
• In-kind income like pensions. 

The SSA may also add “deemed income” from your spouse, parent, or sponsor if you are a noncitizen to your total resources.

Limited Resources

To qualify for SSI, you cannot own more than $2,000 of resources for an individual or $3,000 for married couples. Resources include:

• Cash, 
• Bank accounts, 
• Stocks and other investments, and 
• Real estate and land,
• Vehicles, and
• Other things you own that you could convert to cash.

Like income, you can also have deemed resources, where the SSA counts certain property a spouse, parent, stepparent, or sponsor for a noncitizen’s green card owns as yours. However, resources typically exclude your primary residence, vehicle, and personal belongings.

Disability

You are disabled and qualify for SSI if you cannot perform “substantial gainful activity” (SGA) due to a health condition that you (or your doctors) expect to last for a year or more or be terminal. 

SGA is work that you perform for pay or profit or of a type that people typically perform for profit or pay involving significant mental or physical activities. This definition means that even if you do not receive pay, if people usually receive compensation for that kind of task, it might be SGA.

State Supplemental SSI

Many states—including California—offer state supplements to the federal SSI program. As of 2025, California’s state supplement is $632.07.

Calculating Payment Amounts

In 2025, the maximum SSI payment is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a married couple. The SSA calculates SSI payments by consulting the Federal Benefit Rate—a published list of benefit rates updated based on inflation—then subtracts countable income and adds any state supplement amounts you receive. 

What Is SSDI?

SSDI is a federal program that provides monthly payments to individuals who contributed to Social Security and are now unable to work because they are disabled. The amount you receive depends on the amount you earned and the number of years you worked.

Work Credits

To qualify for SSDI, you must earn work credits, which you build up by contributing to Social Security. The amount you need to have before you can receive SSDI varies by age, as follows: 

• Applicants under 24 must have earned 6 credits in the 3 years before disability onset;
• Applicants aged 24 to 31 need credits equal to half the years between age 21 and their age at disability onset, and 
• Applicants over 31 generally need at least 20 credits earned during the last 10 years.

As of 2025, you earn one credit for every $1,770 income. You can earn up to 4 credits per year, so if you earn $7,080 in Social-Security-covered income, you have earned the maximum for that year.

Disability

The SSA requires anyone who requests SSDI to prove they have a disability under the SSA’s definition. Thankfully, the SSI and SSDI programs use the same definition—you are disabled if you cannot perform an SGA due to a health condition.

Calculating Payment Amounts

The SSDI program calculates how much you receive by averaging the amount you earned per month in your highest earning years. Then, the SSA applies a percentage-based formula to that amount. 

SSI vs. SSDI

Many disabled individuals ask the following questions:

• Is it harder to get SSI or SSDI? 
• How do I know if I get SSI or SSDI? 

Although the SSI and SSDI programs overlap, they do have significant differences. SSDI eligibility depends on your work history and contributions to Social Security, while SSI depends on financial need. 

Is It Harder to Get SSI or SSDI?

Determining whether SSI or SSDI is harder to obtain depends on individual circumstances, particularly your:

• Financial circumstances,
• Work history, 
• Age, and
• Specific disability.

SSDI applicants often face higher initial denial rates due to insufficient medical evidence, while SSI applicants often face denial due to exceeding financial limits.

Is It Harder to Lose SSI or SSDI?

You can lose SSI by exceeding income and asset limitations—even for a single month. Once you receive SSDI, the SSA is unlikely to revoke it until you earn above the SGA limit for several months. Even then, you can often reactivate your SSDI benefits if you discover you cannot perform an SGA consistently after a trial period.

When Can You Qualify for Both SSI and SSDI?

Individuals can qualify for SSI and SSDI simultaneously, known as receiving concurrent benefits, which occurs when you:

• Meet the shared definition of a disability,
• Have enough work credits for SSDI, and
• Have low enough SSDI benefits due to limited earnings history that your total income is below SSI thresholds.

If you do not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI payments that cover your needs, supplementing SSDI with SSI is a common way to cover the payment gap.

Navigating SSI and SSDI Claims

Understanding the differences between SSI and SSDI is essential to maximize your benefits. At the Law Offices of Jennifer R. Solomon, we are committed to providing clients throughout California with detailed and compassionate legal guidance. We offer free 15-minute consultations to help you begin navigating your Social Security Disability journey confidently. Contact our experienced team today.

Resources:

• Kevin Gaines, Deputy Director Community Care Licensing Division, Letter to All Residential Community Care Providers (November 2024), link.
• Social Security Administration, Exceptions to SSI Income and Resource Limits, link.
• Social Security Administration, Red Book: Overview of our Disability Programs, link.
• Social Security Administration, Spotlight on Resources — 2024 Edition, link.
• Social Security Administration, SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2025, link.
• Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Income, link.
• Social Security Administration, Substantial Gainful Activity, link.
• Social Security Administration, Try Returning To Work Without Losing Disability, link.
• Social Security Administration, Understanding Supplemental Security Income SSI Resources — 2024 Edition, link.

USA.gov, SSDI and SSI Benefits for People with Disabilities, link.