DOES MARRIAGE AFFECT SSDI PAYMENTS?

Marriage does not affect SSDI (Social Security Disability) benefits. Your spouse's income doesn't matter and will not affect your SSDI benefit. If you begin receiving SSDI benefits as a single person, then get married, your SSDI benefit will not change. Likewise, a divorce doesn't change your SSDI payment.

Marriage does not affect SSDI payments as long as you remain eligible for the benefit.

Note: The above information does NOT apply to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is income based and may be affected by who lives in your household, including a spouse. SSI is not the same thing as SSDI.

Obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a complex and difficult process, even for applicants with qualifying disabilities. Claimants must have 40 work credits and 20 of those must have been earned in the last 10 years.

Social Security will typically deny 7 out of 10 applications. Many claimant with legitimate, disabling impairments will get denied in the first round of the process. Fortunately, many of those denials will be overturned on appeal and the claims will be paid.

This happens because the screening process is by no means fool proof, and because it takes a lot of proof to get approved. This proof is often provided in the appeals process. Also, you won't get a chance to meet with a decision maker to explain your disability until the appeal. No wonder, approval is more likely in the appeal process than in the application process.

National statistics show that about 30 percent of claimants without attorney representation finally get approved. With an attorney's help, this number increases to about 60 percent!