Can You Receive SSI and SSDI at the Same Time in Michigan & Ohio?

It’s important to understand these types of benefits before you try to qualify for both.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is for people who have a significant work history and have paid into Social Security from their paychecks. Benefits are calculated based partly on their previous income.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is need-based. You can qualify for SSI even if you don’t have a significant work history. But SSI has limits on financial resources applicants can own and still get benefits.

To qualify for either benefit, you need to show your health problems will prevent you from working at any job for 12 months or longer. 

To qualify for both benefits, you need to meet a narrow set of requirements. In most cases, you need your SSDI payments to be low enough that you could get SSI to supplement them.

Disability benefits aren’t for people who can switch to a less strenuous job. They aren’t for people whose health issues will only affect them for a few months.

No matter what kind of disability benefits you’re seeking, Social Security has high standards.

You’ll need medical records and evidence of work disruptions, and you’ll also need to fill out plenty of forms and promptly respond to requests from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for more information.

Getting approved for any disability benefits is difficult, but our disability attorneys have helped thousands of people do it in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Toledo, Elkhart and all over Michigan, Ohio and Indiana get the benefits they deserve.

Contact us for a FREE evaluation of your claim.

Receiving both types of benefits at the same time is known as having “concurrent benefits.”

Many people who apply for disability don’t realize this is an option, and that’s not surprising.

If SSI is for people without much work history, and SSDI is for people who were working until their health declined, you may be wondering how you’d even qualify for both.

The most common scenario our Michigan disability lawyers see is when an applicant has worked part-time or in a limited capacity.

They qualify for SSDI because they have been working and paying into the system, but their wages were low. This means their monthly SSDI payments would be low. If their SSDI is lower than their SSI would be, they could get SSI, too.

Someone getting Supplemental Security Income also has to meet strict asset limits. They can’t have more than $2,000 in financial resources as individuals or $3,000 as couples. Your primary home and one car don’t count.

If you get SSI and SSDI because your SSDI payments and your savings are low enough, you won’t be able to receive more than the current SSI maximum. As of 2026, that’s $994 for an individual and $1,491for couples.

For example, let’s say someone who worked part-time for years applies for SSDI benefits. They are approved and begin receiving $650 per month, the number Social Security arrived at based on their past average earnings.

This is below the SSI maximum. If this person is also under SSI’s resources limit, they can receive SSI benefits that supplement their Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Some other situations can allow you to be approved for both SSI and SSDI:

• You are in the built-in, five-month waiting period for your SSDI to start, and you meet the financial requirements for SSI. You can get SSI while you wait for SSDI.
• You receive benefits under SSDI as the adult child of someone with a qualifying work record, but you haven’t been able to work yourself since a young age because of disability. You can qualify for a special form of SSDI for disabled adult children and SSI.
• You receive SSDI benefits as a widow or widower of someone who had a qualifying work record, and you also fall under the financial threshold for SSI.

We don’t have to tell you what a big difference this money can make in your life when you can’t work because of medical issues, and you struggle to support yourself.

Levine Benjamin Law Firm has helped more than 100,000 people secure better lives. 

If you have questions about what program you’re eligible for and how you can maximize your Social Security Disability benefits, contact our law firm.

Social Security won’t just take your word for it when you say your health conditions are bad enough that you can’t work. You need to back up your SSDI or SSI claim with plenty of evidence.

Even if you think you should obviously qualify for benefits, your claim could still be denied. A large majority of initial disability applications get denied.

It’s even tougher to balance claiming both SSI and SSDI benefits.

Talk to one of our Michigan disability lawyers if you think you may qualify for benefits or you’ve already had your application denied.

Our attorneys can:

• Help you fill out forms and avoid common mistakes 
• Identify important evidence that can strengthen your claim
• Answer questions you have during this process
• Help you evaluate your health care options
• Keep you aware of important deadlines
• File an appeal if your initial claim is denied
• Make your case at a disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge

We know you’re already dealing with a lot, and it may seem like applying for disability is too much work, but these benefits can make a big difference in your life.

When you work with Levine Benjamin, a Michigan disability attorney will help you from the very beginning of the process. Unlike some lawyers, we don’t just tell you to apply and come back to us when you get denied.

And you never have to worry about paying an attorney fee until you win benefits. 

If we think you may qualify for SSI and SSDI at the same time, we’ll fight to make sure you don’t leave benefits on the table.

Contact Us Now.