Everyone goes through life-changing moments, which can affect more than just relationships; they can also alter the structure of your life as it relates to paperwork and official government services. If you are currently on SSDI (Social Security disability insurance), this principle applies all the more strongly. Whenever a big life experience happens, you may need to update the SSA so that you can be aware of the changes that this will make to your Social Security disability benefits. Marriage is one of these scenarios, and you may need to contact a disability attorney in NC to be sure of how your personal situation will apply. Until then, to help you navigate this process, read on to learn about the different ways that getting married can affect your Social Security disability benefits.
1. Your own work record
If you’re receiving benefits for your own work record, your payments won’t be affected. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether your new spouse receives Social Security checks as well, or what kind of income he or she has. You can continue expecting to receive your benefits as normal. However, you will want to confirm with a disability attorney to ensure that there are no special circumstances that may cause a hitch in your disability payments after you get married.
2. Your parents’ or ex-spouse’s work record
If you’re receiving benefits from your parents or ex-spouse, your payments will stop after you get married. This applies mainly to adult disabled children who receive payments on behalf of their parents’ work record. However, an exception can be made for a disabled adult who marries another disabled adult receiving Social Security payments from his or her parents, so contact your attorney to check the specifics.
3. Your deceased ex-spouse’s work record
If you’re receiving benefits from a deceased ex-spouse, your payments may be affected. Divorcees whose ex-spouses have passed away may see their payments stop depending on whether they fit into a certain set of criteria determined by the SSA. The cutoff comes in age; if you remarry before age 60, your payments will stop. This age moves down to 50 if you are also disabled, and receive SSDI payments from your deceased ex-spouse’s social security benefits.
