Social Security Matters – I’m On SS Disability; Should I Switch To Regular Social Security?

By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens

Dear Rusty: Should I take my Social Security now at age 62, or wait till I am 65? I’ve been collecting SS disability due to health issues and was curious if I should wait or claim my regular Social Security retirement benefits now. Signed: Disabled but Wondering

Dear Disabled but Wondering: If you are now collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and you are still disabled, it would be a disadvantage to claim your SS retirement benefits at this time (age 62), or even at age 65. That’s because your SSDI benefit is the same as your full retirement age (FRA) amount, as calculated for you at the point you became disabled. Born after 1959, your FRA is age 67, but you are already receiving your FRA benefit while on SS disability even though you have not yet reached your full retirement age. That full SSDI benefit will automatically convert to become your SS retirement benefit when you reach your full retirement age. 

If you were to claim your normal SS retirement benefit any earlier than your SS full retirement age of 67, the amount you get would be reduced for claiming early. At your current age, you would likely get between 75% and 80% of what you are now receiving on SSDI (depending on your exact age in the month you claim), and at age 65 you would get about 87% of what you are now receiving on Social Security disability. 

In other words, as long as your disability continues and you remain eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you should not switch to your normal SS retirement benefit, because you would get less money. And the resulting benefit reduction would be permanent.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.