Getting married is one of life's biggest milestones—but if you or your partner receive disability benefits, it's important to understand how marriage could change your monthly payments, your eligibility, and your financial picture as a couple.
In this article, we'll cover:
- How marriage affects SSI benefits and resource limits
- How marriage affects SSDI benefits
- The difference between SSI and SSDI when it comes to marriage
- How "deeming" works for married SSI couples
- Whether domestic partnerships or common-law marriage matter
- Planning strategies for couples navigating disability benefits
How Marriage Affects SSI
Marriage can have a significant impact on your SSI benefits because SSI is a needs-based program. When you marry, Social Security combines your income and resources with your spouse's for eligibility purposes—a process called deeming.
The couple resource limit is $3,000 (compared to $2,000 for an individual). While that's higher than the individual limit, it's not double—so two individuals who each had close to $2,000 in resources could suddenly find themselves over the limit as a couple.
The maximum federal SSI payment for a couple in 2026 is $1,491 per month. If both spouses were receiving the individual maximum of $994, that's a combined $1,988—meaning marriage would reduce your combined household SSI income by nearly $500 per month. This is often called the "marriage penalty" for SSI recipients, and it's one of the most frustrating aspects of the program.
Your spouse's income also gets partially deemed to you, even if they don't receive SSI themselves. If your spouse works, their earnings (after certain exclusions) can reduce or eliminate your SSI payment entirely.
How Marriage Affects SSDI
The rules are more favorable for SSDI recipients. Since SSDI is based on your work history and earnings record rather than financial need, getting married generally does not reduce your own SSDI payment. There's no resource limit for SSDI, and your spouse's income doesn't affect your benefit amount.
However, there are a few situations where marriage matters for SSDI. If you receive Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits on a parent's record, getting married can end those benefits—unless you marry another SSDI beneficiary or someone receiving certain other Social Security benefits. And if you receive benefits as a disabled widow or widower, remarrying before age 50 can affect your eligibility.
If both you and your spouse receive SSDI, your benefits remain independent of each other. Marriage doesn't create any combined income test for SSDI the way it does for SSI.
The Deeming Process Explained
When an SSI recipient marries, SSA looks at the spouse's income and resources through a process called spousal deeming. Here's how it works: SSA takes your spouse's total income, subtracts certain allowances (like a living allowance for the spouse and any dependents), and counts the remainder as available to you. That deemed income then reduces your SSI payment.
Even if your spouse earns a modest income, the deeming calculation can significantly reduce or eliminate your SSI. This is why many couples in the disability community feel forced to choose between marriage and financial stability—a choice no one should have to make.
Planning Ahead
If you're considering marriage and one or both partners receive disability benefits, talk to a benefits counselor first. Organizations like your state's Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) program can run the numbers and help you understand exactly how marriage would affect your specific situation.
Consider whether an ABLE account could help protect savings. Married couples where one or both partners are SSI recipients may find ABLE accounts especially valuable for sheltering resources from the couple limit.
It's also worth understanding how marriage might affect other benefits you receive, including Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance, as each program has its own rules about household income and composition.
Navigating disability benefits as a couple is complicated, but you shouldn't have to figure it out alone. Purple is designed for people on SSI and SSDI, with tools that help you manage your finances and stay compliant—whether you're single or building a life together.