If you're receiving disability benefits—or thinking about applying—and you're also considering marriage, you're probably wondering how tying the knot will affect your benefits. It's a question that weighs heavily on many people, and the answer depends on which program you're in. The good news is that marriage doesn't automatically disqualify you, but it can change your benefit amount and eligibility in important ways.
In this article, we'll cover:
- How marriage affects SSDI benefits
- How marriage affects SSI benefits and eligibility
- Why SSI's "deeming" rules matter for married couples
- The resource and income limits for married SSI couples
- How marriage impacts related benefits like Medicaid and SNAP
- Tips for planning ahead if you're considering marriage
How Marriage Affects SSDI
If you receive SSDI based on your own work record, getting married generally has no effect on your benefits. SSDI is an earned benefit tied to your work history and the Social Security taxes you paid, so your marital status doesn't factor into your eligibility or payment amount. You'll continue receiving the same monthly amount after you get married.
However, there are specific situations where marriage can affect SSDI-related benefits. If you receive Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits on a parent's record, getting married can end those benefits—unless you marry another person who is also receiving Social Security disability benefits (SSDI, DAC, or certain other categories). Similarly, if you receive SSDI as a divorced spouse based on your ex-spouse's record, remarrying will generally end that benefit.
If you receive survivor benefits as a disabled widow or widower, remarrying before age 50 can end those benefits. However, remarrying after age 50 typically won't affect them.
How Marriage Affects SSI
Marriage has a much bigger impact on SSI because it's a needs-based program that looks at your household's total financial picture. When you marry, Social Security considers your spouse's income and resources—even if your spouse doesn't receive SSI or have a disability. This process is called "deeming."
Under deeming, a portion of your spouse's income is counted as available to you when calculating your SSI eligibility and payment amount. This means that if your spouse works and earns a decent income, their earnings could reduce or even eliminate your SSI payment—even though they're not the one receiving benefits.
The resource limit also changes when you get married. As an individual SSI recipient, your countable resources can't exceed $2,000. As a married couple (where at least one person receives SSI), that limit increases to $3,000. While that's a higher number, it applies to the combined resources of both spouses, so in practice it can actually feel more restrictive.
Understanding Spousal Deeming for SSI
Spousal deeming is where things get complicated—and where many people feel the system penalizes marriage. Here's how it works in simplified terms: Social Security looks at your spouse's total income, subtracts certain exclusions (like a $20 general income exclusion and, for earned income, an additional $65 plus half of remaining earnings), and then counts the remainder as income available to you for SSI purposes.
If your spouse earns enough, the deemed income can push you over SSI's income threshold and eliminate your SSI payment entirely. Even if you still qualify for a reduced payment, the reduction can be significant. This is one of the main reasons many people on SSI describe a "marriage penalty"—the financial disincentive to marry that's built into the program's rules.
It's worth noting that if both spouses receive SSI, deeming doesn't apply in the same way. Instead, you'd each be subject to the couple's SSI rate. In 2026, the maximum SSI payment for an eligible couple is $1,491 per month—which is less than two individual payments of $994 each combined ($1,988). So even when both spouses receive SSI, the couple's rate is about 75% of what two individuals would receive separately.
How Marriage Affects Medicaid, Medicare, and Other Benefits
Your healthcare coverage may also be affected. Medicare eligibility through SSDI is not affected by marriage since it's tied to your individual SSDI entitlement. However, Medicaid eligibility—which is often linked to SSI—can be impacted. If your SSI is reduced or eliminated because of your spouse's income, you could lose Medicaid coverage in some states, though many states have provisions that allow you to keep Medicaid even if your SSI cash payment goes to zero.
Other benefits like SNAP (food stamps) consider household income, so marriage can affect your eligibility and benefit amount for those programs as well. The impact varies by state and program, so it's important to look at the full picture of how marriage might affect all of your benefits, not just SSI or SSDI.
Planning Ahead: What to Consider Before Getting Married
If you're thinking about getting married while on benefits, planning ahead can help you avoid surprises. Start by understanding exactly which benefits you receive and how each one treats marriage. If you're on SSDI based on your own record, you likely have little to worry about. If you're on SSI, take time to understand how your future spouse's income and resources will be deemed to you.
Consider consulting with a benefits counselor who can help you run the numbers and understand the full financial impact. Some couples find that marriage makes financial sense despite a reduction in benefits, especially if the working spouse's income and employer-provided health insurance more than make up for any benefit loss. Others may decide to wait or explore alternatives.
An ABLE account can also be a helpful tool for married couples where one spouse receives SSI. Money in an ABLE account doesn't count toward SSI's resource limit (up to $100,000), which gives you more flexibility to save without jeopardizing benefits. In 2026, you can contribute up to $20,000 per year to an ABLE account.
Whatever you decide, the most important thing is to report your marriage to Social Security promptly. Failing to report a change in marital status can lead to overpayments that you'll have to repay later, adding financial stress on top of an already complicated situation.
Navigating disability benefits as a couple can be complicated. Purple's checking account is designed to help SSI and SSDI recipients track resources and stay compliant—whether you're single or married.