Of all the benefits that the Social Security Administration provides to people in the United States, there are two that are commonly confused. These two benefits are the Supplemental Security Income and the disability benefit. Both of these monthly checks are different, so we should not be confused about them.
On the one hand, we can obtain both benefits without any problem, although under certain requirements. Thus, both the Supplemental Security Income and the disability benefit can be paid to the same person on a monthly basis. In order for this to be the case, it is mandatory to meet certain minimum requirements related to household finances.
In addition, it is also important to note that both benefits can be independent. Thus, it is not mandatory to have one in order to receive the other. We can get only the Supplemental Security Income and not receive the disability payment. Likewise, we can also combine SSI with another age retirement benefit, something impossible with disability payment.
But let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of these two benefits to determine the exact differences.
Differences between Supplemental Security Income and the Disability pension
These two benefits are actually very different from each other. While the disability benefit exactly requires a disability, even if it is temporary, the Supplemental Security Income has other different requirements.
Features of Supplemental Security Income
Here are the features:
- The maximum amount is $914 per month and there is no minimum check.
- Supplemental Security Income is a benefit only for users with disabilities or those over age 65.
- It is not necessary to collect a Social Security benefit to get it.
- Only citizens with low income or low resources obtain this benefit.
It should also be noted that the check is monthly and is always sent on the 1st of each month, with some exceptions. When the 1st of the month is a weekend or holiday, Social Security sends this check on the immediately preceding business day.
Characteristics of the Social Security Disability Benefit
Here are the features of this benefit:
- It is for both temporarily disabled and non-temporarily disabled users.
- The maximum monthly check is higher than SSI, reaching $3,627 per month.
- It cannot be collected in conjunction with another Social Security benefit, such as old age retirement.
- Some requirements in terms of years worked are mandatory. It all depends on each individual case.
While the check for this benefit is monthly, like the Supplemental Security Income check, the pay days are different. The Social Security Administration pays this disability benefit to users based on their date of birth. Thus, payments are always sent on the 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month.