# Can I get SSDI and SSI at the same time?

Last updated Jul 19, 2026
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward — https://ssdidirectanswers.com/steward
Published by SSDI Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0 — https://ssdidirectanswers.com/license

Yes.


## What the government has said, on the record

> "In December 2020, we started mailing notices informing certain people who receive Social Security benefits that they may be eligible for SSI benefits, as the Social Security benefits they are receiving are below the SSI maximum."

— **Stephen Evangelista**, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy, Social Security Administration, [Testimony on Policy Options for SSI before the Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy](https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/testimony_092121.html), September 21, 2021.

Who said this:
- https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/congressionaltestimony.html

*Editor's note: Quote supports concurrent eligibility (Social Security benefit below the SSI maximum) but does not use the word concurrent; a corroborating quote from SSA Associate Commissioner Susan Wilschke (2024-06-18) states over 700,000 working-age beneficiaries are entitled to both types of benefits.*


Yes. If your SSDI benefit is low enough and your income and resources are within SSI limits, you can receive both at once (SSA calls these concurrent benefits), with SSI topping your income up toward the SSI federal benefit rate (after a $20 general income exclusion). SSA has even mailed notices to Social Security beneficiaries whose checks fall below the SSI maximum telling them they may also qualify for SSI. Because the SSI federal benefit rate rises with each year's COLA, the SSDI amount that still allows an SSI top-up changes every year.

Yes.

## Can I get SSDI and SSI at the same time?
If your SSDI benefit is low enough and your income and resources are within SSI limits, you can receive both at once (SSA calls these concurrent benefits), with SSI topping your income up toward the SSI federal benefit rate (after a $20 general income exclusion). SSA has even mailed notices to Social Security beneficiaries whose checks fall below the SSI maximum telling them they may also qualify for SSI. Because the SSI federal benefit rate rises with each year's COLA, the SSDI amount that still allows an SSI top-up changes every year.

## Where to verify
See the official source cited in the quote block above, and SSA's own program pages at [ssa.gov/disability](https://www.ssa.gov/disability). Program dollar amounts change annually with the cost-of-living adjustment.

## Sources
- Testimony on Policy Options for SSI before the Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy — https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/testimony_092121.html
- SSA — Disability Benefits — https://www.ssa.gov/disability



---
Canonical URL: https://ssdidirectanswers.com/answers/ssdi-and-ssi-concurrent
Publisher: SSDI Direct Answers — a product of Adolicious LLC
Published: 2026-07-21T16:28:00+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-19T00:33:38.530395+00:00
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://ssdidirectanswers.com/license
© 2026 Adolicious LLC. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: SSDI Direct Answers is a private informational website. It is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or any government agency. Informational only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. For official information visit ssa.gov.