Will Getting Married Affect Your Disability Benefits?
For most people, Social Security Disability eligibility is based on your medical condition and work history, not your financial situation or marital status. However, in some situations, workers on disability can lose their benefits if they decide to get married. Understanding how a marriage impacts your benefits can help you make the right choice and avoid unpleasant surprises.
How Marriage Impacts Your Social Security Disability Benefits
Understanding Work Credits
To qualify for Social Security Disability, applicants must have earned a sufficient number of work credits. Most workers will need to have earned at least 40, although younger applicants may be able to qualify for less. Whether a marriage affects your disability benefits depends on your relationship to the person who earned the work credits, your age, and other factors.
Credits Earned Under Your Own Name
If you earned the work credits yourself and applied for disability based on your own record, getting married will have no impact on your benefits whatsoever. Those are yours and will continue for as long as you’re unable to work or until your 65th birthday.
Credits Earned Under Someone Else’s Name
If your spouse has passed away or you’ve gotten divorced, you may still be able to collect disability benefits based on their work history. However, these benefits stop if you remarry before you turn 50.
Credits Earned by Your Parents
Children with disabilities are often eligible to collect benefits based on their parents’ work records. However, these benefits will end as soon as you get married, unless your spouse is also receiving disability.
If you’re on Social Security Disability or plan on filing for benefits, Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Associates, LLC is here to help. We pride ourselves on providing effective legal advice to disabled workers throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota and have established an impressive track record of success. Visit our website to see how we can help you get the benefits you need or call (877) 784-1230 to arrange your free consultation.
About the Business
