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A spouse’s income or other household resources don’t reduce Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits paid on your work record. If you marry someone who earns a high salary, your spouse’s wages won’t affect your SSDI. The household’s income is not a consideration.
SSDI eligibility is based on your work history, Social Security work credits, and whether you meet the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability requirements.
SSI’s rules are different. It’s a need-based program with income and resource limits. To get SSI, you must have limited assets and resources and be age 65 or older or have a qualifying disability or blindness.
Marriage to someone with high earnings or valuable assets may affect SSI eligibility and payments because of the program’s income rules. When you’re married or have a legal partner who doesn’t get SSI, the SSA uses a process called “spousal deeming” to determine how much of their income and resources, if any, should count toward your SSI eligibility and payment.
This table shows how marriage and spousal income affects both programs.
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Get EvaluationA spouse, ex-spouse, or child may qualify for family benefits on your Social Security record. You may also get benefits from a spouse’s or parent’s record. The family member must meet certain criteria to get family benefits.
A spouse may qualify for benefits on your Social Security record if you receive SSDI and you’ve been married for at least one year. The spouse must also be age 62 or older, caring for a child age 15 or younger, or caring for a child of any age who has a disability. An ex-spouse may qualify if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and they are 62 or older.
If a spouse age 62 or older also gets Social Security retirement benefits based on their work record, the SSA checks both benefits and pays the higher amount. The payments are not added together.
A child may qualify for benefits on a parent’s Social Security record if the parent is retired, receives SSDI, or died after earning enough work credits. The child must be unmarried and meet one of these criteria:
Stepchildren and adopted children may qualify if they meet the SSA’s relationship requirements. Grandchildren and step-grandchildren may qualify if they meet stricter dependency rules, usually involving a parent who is deceased, disabled or incarcerated.
The SSA limits the total family benefits paid on one SSDI record. For a disabled worker’s family, the maximum is based on the worker’s earnings history and cannot exceed 150% of the worker’s primary insurance amount. Benefits paid to an ex-spouse don’t count toward that limit. Family benefits don’t affect the worker’s SSDI payment.
Marriage affects some Social Security benefits that are based on the work record of a parent, spouse, former spouse, or deceased spouse.
Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits are paid on a parent’s Social Security work record. Marriage usually ends DAC benefits.
Benefits can continue if the person marries someone who receives SSDI, DAC benefits, or another qualifying Social Security benefit. SSI does not qualify for this exception.
A divorced spouse may qualify for benefits on a former spouse’s Social Security record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and the divorced spouse is unmarried.
If a divorced spouse remarries, benefits paid on the former spouse’s record usually stop. A narrow exception applies if the new spouse receives certain Social Security benefits.
A divorced spouse’s benefit doesn’t reduce the worker’s SSDI or count toward the family maximum.
Survivor benefits are based on the work record of someone who died. Remarriage can affect survivor benefits for widow’s, widower’s, and surviving divorced spouses.
If a widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse remarries before age 60, they cannot receive survivor benefits on the deceased spouse’s work record while they’re remarried. If the new marriage ends through death, divorce, or annulment, they may become eligible again. Remarriage at age 60 or older does not prevent eligibility.
Disabled survivors have a different age rule. A disabled widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse can remarry after age 50 and still qualify for survivor benefits if the marriage happens after the disability began.
Marriage should be reported to the SSA, depending on which benefit you receive.
Marriage is especially relevant if you receive:
Contact the SSA for the current reporting requirements that apply to your benefit. If you receive more than one type of Social Security benefit, tell the SSA which benefits you get so the agency can address the applicable rules.
If you haven’t been approved for SSDI yet, Advocate can help.
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Check your SSDI eligibility in a few minutes.
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Talk with our team about your situation. We'll walk you through what comes next.
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Get EvaluationNot sure what that SSA letter means? We can review it with you.
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Get EvaluationYes. Your spouse’s wages don’t affect your SSDI, no matter how high they are. Benefits are based on your work record.
Marriage won’t reduce the SSDI payment you receive on your own work record. If you also receive SSI or benefits based on another person’s work record, marriage may affect those benefits.
Yes. Marriage can affect the SSI portion. SSI has income and resource limits, and the SSA can count some of a spouse’s income and resources. A spouse’s income and household resources don’t change how your SSDI is calculated from your work record.
It depends on which benefit(s) each of you receives. You may each receive SSDI on separate work records, or one or both of you may receive SSI, spouse, survivor, or other family benefits. Each benefit has its own eligibility and payment rules.
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