1. SSD is Title II of Social Security Act
2. SSI is Title XVI of the Social Security Act
3. In general, SSI is SSA’s version of welfare benefits.
4. The definition of disability is the same for both programs: A medically determinable impairment or impairments that is as severe as to preclude both past relevant work and all other work and has lasted or can be reasonably expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months or end in death.
5. SSI is retroactive, at most, to the first day of the month after application.
6. SSD is retroactive, at most, to one year prior to the month of application.
7. Prior claims for both SSD and SSI can be reopened, but with SSI for a much shorter period after the prior denial.
8. Check/payment date for SSI is the first of the month.
9. SSD deposits are made on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month, depending on ones date of birth.
10. If eligible for SSI, the recipient receives a Medicaid card. This is premium fee.
11. If entitled to SSD, commencing with the 25^th month of entitlement to benefits, the claimant can receive Medicare. There is no premium for Part A of Medicare, which is largely hospital bills. The premium for Part B, i.e. doctor bills, tests, durable medical equipment, etc. is $134.00 monthly in 2018. It increases with the cost of living. Claimants with higher incomes will have their Part B and Part D (medications) premiums surcharged.
12. SSI payments are made out of the federal treasury.
13. SSD payments are made of the retirement or disability trust funds. These trust funds are funded by payroll taxes, etc..
14. The maximum SSI monthly payment in 2018 is $750.00. A few states still have state supplementation.
15. There is no minimum SSD payment. Many years ago there was a minimum payment of about $250.00 but not for many years. Benefits can be very little with minimal earnings. The maximum benefit, for those workers who have earned the FICA maximum every year is about $2,800.00 to $2,900.00.
16. An SSI recipient cannot have income (earned, unearned, deemed, etc.) in excess of $750.00. When countable earnings exceed $750.00, SSI is terminated. One who has countable income of $200.00 has his/her SSI payment reduced, dollar for dollar, to $550.00, monthly, as an example.
17. An SSI recipient cannot have countable assets in excess, generally, of $750.00. There is no dollar for dollar reduction. Resources of $2,001.00 cause the owner to be completely ineligible for SSI.
18. Transfers of assets for less than fair market value are presumed to be related to avoiding SSI resource issues and the transferred asset will still count for 24 months.
19. SSD has no similar income/resource rules. However, to be insured, for disability purposes you must have worked and earned 40 quarters of coverage, lifetime, and 20 quarters of coverage in the 40 calendar quarter period ending with the quarter in which disability commences. If under age 31, you must have at least earned quarters of coverage of at least one half of the calendar quarters between attaining age 21 and the quarter in which disability commences. If this period is less than 12 quarters you must have at least 6 quarters in 12.