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JCooksy · Jan 28, 2012, 06:09 PM

I am not sure if I am even asking this in the right portion of the site. My boyfriend, of almost 5 years now, and I have been talking about getting married for a while now. But I am disabled and receive SSI, because I do not *qualify* for SSD because I have worked SOME in the past but have never been able to keep a job very long due to all my medical problems (my boyfriend does and has worked most his life and according to his S.S. Statements would be able to draw SSD if he were to become disable in the future) and so I haven't earned enough *credits* according to SSA to qualify for SSD. If, or I should say when, we get married, what will this do to my SSI that I am receiving? I have been told that (not by a SSA worker but rather people I know that have been in this kind of situation) if we were married I would be able to get SSD based on his SS information but also that if he was currently working a job that I wouldn't be able to receive anything unless he was out of a job. Would us being married even affect my SSI and cancel it or would I be able to receive SSD based on his SS information or what? I am confused as to all of it and it is one of the reasons that we have put off getting married, because my SSI is one of the main things paying the bills because his job keeps cutting his hours and his pay checks keep getting smaller and smaller.

Thank you in advance on ANY information or help anyone is able to give me on this.

joypulv · Jan 29, 2012, 04:00 AM

Marriage will affect SSI based on combined income, so there's no pat answer, plus there's Medicaid to consider, and food stamps if you get those. You would have to fill out an application every six months and he would have to report each change in his income. SSI is stated welfare for the disabled, SSDI is federal insurance for the disabled based on work history. Whether you can get SSDI based on his history is also based on calculations. It's OK to go to an SS office and ask what it would be. It can be any office, and some have all day waiting and others not.
I would be inclined to think that it's better for you to not be married.