Ask Rusty: I’m on SSDI; Should I Switch to Regular Social Security?

Dear Rusty: Should I take my Social Security now at age 62, or wait until I am 65? I have been collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) due to health issues and was curious if I should wait or claim my regular Social Security (SS) retirement benefits now. Signed: Disabled but Wondering Dear Disabled but Wondering:  If you are now collecting 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 SSDI 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 FRA. 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 receive between 75 percent and 80 percent 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 percent of what you are now receiving on Social Security disability. In other words, as long as your disability continues and you remain eligible for SSDI 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.                    

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Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. Author’s note: 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). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or any other governmental entity.