I became disabled due to kidney failure but have recently received a kidney transplant. It is my understanding that SSDI will cease one year after transplant. I will be 63 at that time. Can I collect retirement and if so, how can I figure how much my retirement will be. I know it will be less than my SSDI which is only $1195 per month. I have worked part time the past 3 years only making $10-11,000 each year.

Hi,

Your SSDI (Social Security disability) benefits won't necessarily terminate at any time after your transplant. Your SSDI would only terminate if you return to work and earn too much, or if Social Security does a medical review of your case at some point and decides that you are no longer disabled according to their standards. Otherwise, your SSDI entitlement will continue until you reach full retirement age (FRA), at which time they would convert to unreduced retirement benefits at the same rate.

You could switch to regular retirement benefits between ages 62 & FRA, but you normally wouldn't want to do that unless your SSDI is in fact terminated. If you do switch to drawing retirement benefits before FRA, your benefit rate would be reduced for age. Your SSDI rate is equal to your PIA, which is essentially your full retirement age rate. The reduction for age applied to retirement benefits is 5/9ths of 1% for first 36 months that you start drawing early, which would amount to roughly a 20% reduction if you switched to retirement benefits at age 63. Based on an SSDI rate of $1195, that would result in an age 63 retirement rate of around $956.

Best, Jerry