i am having to sell my property which is where the house i live in exsists. my house it full of mold mildew & termites. i am looking to buy another house with no more than the lot its on. i am selling for only the amount the new house costs. will this affect my disability? i an 74 yrs old and cant live without it. can you please help with this question?

Hi,

Social Security doesn't pay disability benefits to people after they reach full retirement age (FRA), so I assume that what you're now receiving are regular Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits automatically convert to Social Security retirement benefits when a person reaches FRA.

In any case, though, the sale of land or property has no impact on any type of Social Security benefits. That would be true even if you were still receiving SSDI benefits. Therefore, as long as what you're receiving are Social Security benefits, you have no cause for concern.

However, if you're receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), those benefits can potentially be affected by any change in your income or assets, including changes resulting from the sale of property. Generally, though, if a person sells their home and uses the proceeds to buy a new home within 3 months it doesn't affect their SSI benefits (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0501130110). If you are receiving SSI benefits, you should probably check with Social Security to discuss your situation with them.

Best, Jerry