Ssdi At My Age?

[mcarter985]

I have Coronary Heart Disease and following a heart attack in May of 2014 I had a single stent implanted. I received 60% from the VA (AO). I went back to work with some restrictions on where I could go. After a few months I decided, for many reasons, to retire at age 65. I now collect SSA retirement. I thought I read somewhere that if you're approved for SSDI at my age and retired they would bump up your monthly amount to match what they would have given me if I had started collecting at age 70. Is that true? That is quite a difference!

Edited January 23, 2015 by mcarter985

[Philip Rogers]

Okay, here we go: SSDI pays the full rate that you would have received at the full retirement age. Taking retirement, prior to full retirement age, can reduce the amount you'll receive by up to about 30% max, depending on how close to full retirement age the claimant is. You can take and receive early retirement and apply for SSDI. If awarded SSDI, your rate will go up to the full rate. It is imperative that when you file for SSDI, you use the day after your last day of work as your "disability onset date," when applying.

pr

[mcarter985]

Thanks Philip...I'll double check my paperwork to make sure I used the day after my last. I thought I read somewhere that the rate you receive in SSDI is the amount you would have received if you had waited until age 70 (that's the age when the amount no longer goes up). Of course, I can't find it now! I retired at 65 plus 1 month so I'm probably not looking at a lot of money (my full retirement age is 66).

[Philip Rogers]

Thanks Philip...I'll double check my paperwork to make sure I used the day after my last. I thought I read somewhere that the rate you receive in SSDI is the amount you would have received if you had waited until age 70 (that's the age when the amount no longer goes up). Of course, I can't find it now! I retired at 65 plus 1 month so I'm probably not looking at a lot of money (my full retirement age is 66).

mc - you're probably talking about a 7%-10% increase, which, if you live another 10yrs-15yrs starts to add up. I'd pursue it! Also, if your income was less than about $10k - $12k, those last yrs working, they could consider you for an earlier disability onset date. jmo

pr

[Philip Rogers]

I found this on the web today: Every year you wait to claim social security benefits until age 70 you will boost your annual payouts by 8%. Waiting until you're 70 will give you 32% more in benefits than if you took them at age 66 and you can receive 76% more than taking them at age 62. If you can afford to delay benefits until age 70 and if you live past age 82, you will receive more in lifetime income from Social Security than if you had waited until full retirement age.

Of course, you could die before then. jmo

pr

[mcarter985]

Thanks Philip! Yeah, it's all a crap shoot! I'm going to SS tomorrow morning and see if they can give me some firm numbers if I do get disability. I will go ahead and claim it...if nothing else it may help me when I claim TDIU.

[Chuck75]

I filed for early retirement and SSDI at the same time. (62) The early retirement SSA amount was paid until SSDI was approved. I "NOD'd" the effective date for SSDI, and on an "informal administrative appeal",

the EDD date was changed to when I last worked plus 30 days. The full amount was based on age 65, "full retirement" as defined by the law, even though the normal retirement age for me was 66. One law did not agree with the other!

When I was 66, SSDI changed to SSA with no change in the amount paid. I started the VA claims process as soon as I had accumulated enough evidence (Medical, SR, etc.) The initial single issue claim was awarded at a low % within the same year. Getting the last of the claim conditions through the VA system is still an ongoing effort. I'm at the "CUE" level on several. Had the VA initially acted in a manner consistent with the law, everything would have been settled years ago.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Chuck75