Larry, I started receiving SSDI at age 59, I am now 62. Can I take early retirement and have my SSDI changed over to early retirement instead of waiting the full retirement age of 66+ years as the amount I now received will not changed when I reach the age of 66 and 2 months.

Hi,

You could, but you'd probably end up with a lower benefit rate by doing so. When you qualify for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits, your benefit rate is calculated at 100% of your primary insurance amount (PIA). A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA). Thus, qualifying for SSDI benefits is essentially like starting your unreduced full retirement age benefits early. If you continue to qualify for SSDI until you reach FRA, your SSDI benefits then convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits at the same unreduced rate.

You can't be paid both SSDI and Social Security retirement benefits at the same time, and if you switch from SSDI to Social Security retirement benefits prior to FRA your benefit rate would be reduced for age. If you were born in 1957, for example, and if you choose to start drawing your Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, your retirement benefits would be paid at the rate of roughly 72.5% of your PIA. So, in other words, switching from SSDI benefits to Social Security retirement benefits at age 62 would usually just result in the person being paid a substantially lower benefit rate.

Generally, the only circumstances in which it might be advisable for a person drawing SSDI to consider switching to Social Security retirement benefits prior to FRA is if a) their SSDI benefits are being offset because they also receive workers compensation benefits or a public disability benefit, or b) they have an eligible spouse and/or child who could receive a higher auxiliary benefit rate because of a higher family maximum benefit (FMB) rate that might apply, or c) if the person is earning enough to cause their SSDI benefits to be suspended. If none of those apply in your case, you should almost certainly just continue drawing your SSDI benefits until they automatically convert to Social Security retirement benefits when you reach FRA.

Best, Jerry