Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits do not change if you move to another state. Like Social Security retirement benefits, SSDI payments are based on your average lifetime earnings and are not affected by where you live.
However, if you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a benefit program that is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) but not funded by Social Security taxes, an interstate move could change your monthly payments. That's because most states supplement federal SSI payments from their own funds, in varying degrees.
SSI pays benefits to disabled, blind and older people with very low incomes and limited financial assets. The maximum federal SSI benefit changes annually; in 2022, it's $841 for an individual or $1,261 for a couple. Forty-four states — all but Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia — offer additional funds to some residents receiving SSI, as does the District of Columbia.
The federal portion of your SSI payment remains constant, assuming other factors that went into your benefit calculation, such as your income, marital status and living arrangements, stay the same. You won't have to reapply for the federal benefit when you move to a new state, but you may have to do so to get a supplement in your new home state.
State SSI supplements differ
The amount of the supplements, and the conditions for receiving them, vary widely from state to state. The payments can range from around $10 a month on top of the federal SSI benefit to several hundred dollars more. Some states make all SSI recipients eligible for the additional funds, while others set limits based on living situation — for example, paying supplements only to people in nursing homes or other types of residential care facilities.
In 11 states (California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont) and the District of Columbia, Social Security administers some or all of the state supplement. In these locales, an application for SSI is also an application for the state payment. The remaining 33 states administer their own SSI supplements, and you need to apply to the state separately for the extra payment.
To find out more about states’ programs and benefit amounts, call Social Security at 800-772-1213 or contact the state's department of human services or Medicaid agency.
Let SSA know
You must notify Social Security of a move, or any other changes in your personal or financial situation that could affect SSI benefits, no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change happened. The SSA may levy a penalty of $25 to $100, in the form of a reduced benefit payment, for each failure to report.
If you are receiving SSDI or another Social Security benefit in addition to SSI, you can report a change of address by logging into your My Social Security account online. However, this option is not available if you are getting SSI alone or do not have a U.S. mailing address. (SSI recipients can check the address they have on file with Social Security online but not change it.) You'll need to call the SSA at 800-772-1213 or contact your local Social Security office to register the new address.
Keep in mind
- While the amount of your SSDI benefit does not change state to state, whether you pay income taxes on it could: Twelve states tax Social Security payments for at least some recipients. (That doesn't include SSI, which is not taxed anywhere.) Contact your state tax agency for details.
- If you have Medicaid as a result of receiving SSI, moving could affect your health coverage. While most states automatically grant Medicaid eligibility to SSI recipients, not all do, and Medicaid coverage varies state to state.
- Among U.S. territories, SSI is available only in the Northern Mariana Islands. Older, blind and disabled residents of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam may receive benefits under a separate social-welfare program that pays lower amounts than SSI. American Samoa is not covered by such a federal program.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a social insurance program under which workers earn coverage for benefits, by working and paying Social Security taxes on their earnings. The program provides benefits to disabled workers and to their dependents. For those who can no longer work due to a disability, our disability program is there to replace some of their lost
income. Eligibility rules for Social Security's disability program differ from those of private plans or other government agencies. Social Security doesn't provide temporary or partial disability benefits, like workers' compensation or veterans' benefits do. To receive disability benefits, a person must meet the definition of disability under the Social Security Act (Act). A person is disabled under the Act if they
can't work due to a severe medical condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least one year or result in death. The person's medical condition(s) must prevent them from doing work that they did in the past, and it must prevent them from adjusting to other work. Because the Act defines disability so strictly, Social Security disability beneficiaries are among the most severely impaired in the country. In fact, Social Security disability beneficiaries are more than three times as
likely to die in a year as other people the same age. Among those who start receiving disability benefits at the age of 55, 1-in-6 men and 1-in-8 women die within five years of the onset of their disabilities. Disability is something many Americans, especially younger people, think can only affect the lives of other people. Tragically, thousands of young people are seriously injured or killed, often as the result of
traumatic events. Many serious medical conditions, such as cancer or mental illness, can affect the young as well as the elderly. The sobering fact for 20-year-olds is that more than 1-in-4 of them becomes disabled before reaching retirement age. As a result, they may need to rely on the Social Security disability benefits for income support. Our disability benefits provide a critical source of financial support to people when they need it most. At the beginning of 2019, Social Security paid an average monthly disability benefit of about $1,234 to all disabled workers. That is barely enough to keep a beneficiary above the 2018 poverty level ($12,140 annually). For many beneficiaries, their monthly disability payment represents most of their income. Even these modest payments can make a huge difference in the lives of people who can no longer work. They allow people to meet their basic needs and the needs of their
families. For over 60 years, Social Security disability has helped increasing numbers of workers and their families replace lost income. Several factors have contributed to this increase, which the Social Security Trustees and our actuaries have projected for decades. For example, baby boomers have reached their most disability-prone years and more women have joined the workforce in the past few
decades, working consistently enough to qualify for benefits if they become disabled. Social Security disability insurance is coverage that workers earn
The Social Security Act defines disability very strictly
Disability is unpredictable and can happen to anyone at any age
Social Security disability payments are
modest
The number of people qualifying for Social Security disability benefits has increased
Despite the increase, the 9 million or so people getting Social Security disability benefits represent just a small subset of Americans living with disabilities.
Social Security works aggressively to prevent, detect, and prosecute fraud
Social Security, along with the Office of the Inspector General, identifies and aggressively prosecutes those who commit fraud. Our zero tolerance approach has resulted in a fraud incidence rate that is a fraction of one percent.
One of our most effective measures to guard against fraud is the Cooperative Disability Investigations program. Under the program, we investigate suspicious disability claims early, before making a decision to award benefits. In effect, we proactively stop fraud before it happens. In fiscal year 2018, with the help of state and local law enforcement, the program reported nearly $188.5 million in projected savings to the disability programs. This resulted in a return on investment of $17 for each $1 spent.
Eradicating fraud is a team effort. We need people who suspect something to say something. If you suspect fraud, please visit the Office of the Inspector General and select Report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse or call 1-800-269-0271.
Social Security helps people work without losing benefits
Often, people would like to re-enter the workforce but are afraid they might lose disability benefits if they try to get a job. If you are age 18 through 64 and receive Social Security disability benefits, you can participate in Social Security’s Ticket to Work program. The Ticket to Work program allows you to receive free employment support services and take advantage of work incentives that make it easier to work and still receive benefits such as health care. In some instances, you can receive cash benefits from Social Security, and you are protected if you have to stop working due to your disability. Learn about our Ticket to Work program or call 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).
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The Facts About Social Security’s Disability Program
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Retirement, Survivors, SSDI and SSI – Congressional Statistics 2018
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Social Security Disability Insurance at Age 60: Does It Still Reflect Congress' Original Intent?
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