Can anyone explain to me the difference between regular disability and SSI? One application applied for both, but I don’t really understand what they are relative to each other.
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Social Security Disability Insurance is based on your history of earnings covered by Social Security tax; higher earners get more to replace their lost income. It’s effectively what you would get in retirement benefits but you start getting it early because of the disability. Once you start, you’ll keep getting it as long as you remain disabled, until it converts to retirement benefits when you reach retirement age. There are no income limits, although if you have a high income part of the benefits will become taxable.
Supplemental Security Income is based on poverty. There’s no work history requirement. In addition to remaining disabled (or being over 65), you have to report your income and assets every month to prove you’re still eligible. You also have to apply for any other benefits you’re eligible for because it’s meant to be a program of last resort. You can get it in addition to SSDI or retirement benefits, or alone if you don’t qualify for those. SSI is never taxable.
The disability standard and evaluation process for the two is exactly the same. There are some other differences in the timing of when your eligibility starts relative to when you became disabled and filed the application. For the most part, people always apply to both unless they’re sure they’re not eligible for one or the other.
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