Disability Benefits and the Marriage Penalty

Did you know some disability benefits can be impacted when a beneficiary gets married? Depending on the type of benefit you receive, your benefit amount may change or end upon marriage. Keep reading to learn more.

SSI and Marriage

SSI is a benefit for people with disabilities who have a very low income or no income. When an SSI recipient is single, the maximum benefit they can receive is $994 per month in 2026 and they can’t have more than $2,000 in resources. When an SSI recipient is married to another SSI recipient, the combined maximum benefit they can receive is $1,491 per month in 2026 and their combined resources can’t be more than $3,000. If a single person receives SSI and then marries someone who doesn’t receive SSI, their SSI payments may be reduced or stop because their spouse’s income and resources will impact the amount of SSI the beneficiary is eligible for (Social Security refers to this as deeming). This is called the marriage penalty because it is often financially favorable for SSI recipients to remain single even when they would like to get married.

Additionally, even if a beneficiary isn’t legally married, Social Security may view them as being married if they are living together with a partner and the couple is presenting themselves to the community as if they were married.

SSDI and Marriage

SSDI is a benefit for people with disabilities who have worked and paid Social Security taxes. If you are receiving SSDI based on your own work record, you can typically marry anyone without your benefits being affected. In some situations, beneficiaries may be receiving benefits based on their parent’s (Disabled Adult Child benefits) or a deceased spouse’s (Disabled Widow(er)’s Benefit) work record. A Disabled Adult Child benefit will likely end when a beneficiary gets married unless they marry someone who is also receiving a Disabled Adult Child benefit. A Disabled Widow(er)’s Benefit may end if the beneficiary remarries, but this depends on their age when they remarry and when they became disabled.

Reporting a Marriage

Regardless of the type of disability benefit received, beneficiaries are required to report any changes in marital status to Social Security by the tenth day of the month following the change. For example, if you get married in January, you would need to tell Social Security before February 10th.

If you think people receiving disability benefits shouldn’t be penalized for getting married, you can reach out to your elected representatives to let them know. If you are planning to get married and need help understanding how your benefits may be impacted, a Certified Benefits Planner at Northwest Access Fund can help!