Independent guide · not the SSA
Compare · SSI and SSDI
SSI vs SSDI: what is the difference?
Both pay monthly benefits to people with disabilities, and SSA runs both. SSI is based on financial need. SSDI is based on your work record. Some people get both.
Side by side
| SSI | SSDI | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | People 65+, blind or disabled, with little income and few resources | Workers who cannot work for 12 months or more because of a medical condition |
| Work history needed | No | Yes: generally 40 work credits, 20 in the last 10 years |
| Money comes from | General tax revenue | Social Security taxes paid on wages |
| 2027 amount | Up to $1,029 a month ($1,544 couple), minus countable income | Based on earnings; average for disabled workers $1,701 (SSA estimate) |
| Resource limit | $2,000 one person, $3,000 couple | SSA's SSDI eligibility rules list work and disability, not a resource limit |
| Waiting period | Paid from the month after you apply, at the earliest | 5 full months after the disability began |
| Health coverage | Medicaid, by state rules | Medicare from the 25th month of benefits |
| Payment day | The 1st of the month | 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday by birth date, or the 3rd |
Can you get both?
Yes. Someone with a low SSDI amount and few resources can also get SSI. SSA's records call these “concurrent” claims, and its payment calendar has a rule for them: Social Security on the 3rd and SSI on the 1st.
Which one to ask about
- If you worked for yearsAsk about SSDI. It depends on your work credits, not on your savings.
- If you have little or no work historyAsk about SSI. It depends on income and resources.
- If you are not sureAsk SSA about both. SSA notes that people without enough work credits for SSDI may qualify for SSI if their income and resources are limited. Call 1-800-772-1213.
Free tools
Questions people ask
Is SSI or SSDI more money?
It depends. SSI is at most $1,029 a month in 2027 for one person, before state supplements. SSDI depends on past earnings; SSA estimates the 2027 average for disabled workers at $1,701.
Which one gives Medicare?
SSDI, from the 25th month of benefits. SSI is linked to Medicaid, under each state's rules.
Independent guide · not the SSA. Green Tips 1 US is a private guide. We are not the Social Security Administration, we are not part of it, and we do not take applications.
Sources: SSA, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (Web Archive copy of Oct 25, 2026); SSA, How Does Someone Become Eligible? (disability benefits); 20 CFR 404.315 and 416.335; 42 CFR 406.12; SSA, Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 and 2027 (Publication 05-10031); SSA State Agency Monthly Workload Data (SSA-SA-MOWL.csv), August 2025 to July 2026. Official site, typed by hand: ssa.gov. Read in October 2026; data dates as noted.