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Can My SSDI Continue if I Move Into Assisted Living?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.
Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers
Reviewed by:
Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
Your SSDI payments will continue if you move into an assisted living community, as long as you still have a disability as defined by the Social Security Administration. Social Security Disability Insurance provides benefits for adults who have a disability that prevents them from working for at least 12 months. You must also have enough past work history to qualify for SSDI, depending on your age when you develop a disability.
How does the SSA define a disability?
The SSA uses a five-point test to determine whether someone can receive SSDI for a qualified mental or physical disability. These requirements include:
- Income of less than $1,560 per month
- Diagnosis of an illness on the SSA’s Listing of Impairments
- Limited ability to do work tasks like remembering, sitting, walking and lifting objects for at least a year
- Inability to do the work you used to do
- Inability to do a different type of work
If your condition doesn’t appear in the Listing of Impairments, the SSA will review your application and medical records to determine whether it qualifies as a disability.
Can assisted living help people who receive SSDI?
If you or a loved one receives SSDI, you may also require the type of help with daily activities that you can receive in an assisted living facility. Moving to this type of community won’t impact your disability benefits because your living situation doesn’t affect your eligibility.