Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance (RSDI) is a federally funded program that provides income to individuals and families who fit certain criteria. RSDI provides monthly benefits to retirees, disabled workers, and/or their surviving dependents. The program is operated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and provides a monthly income to certain people based on payroll contributions made via Social Security taxes. The various RSDI programs include:
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Retirement benefits: Retirees qualify for full RSDI when they reach full retirement age, if they are insured under the SSDI system (generally, if they have worked 10 years or more in the United States). Full retirement age is 65 years old for anyone born before 1960 and 67 years old for anyone born since 1960. Partial benefits may be obtained by covered retirees beginning at age 62.
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Survivors benefits: If a wage-earning family member dies, RSDI benefits may be obtained by surviving family members. Widows or widowers are entitled to RSDI benefits if they are over 60 years old. They may qualify at a younger age if they are disabled according to Social Security Disability standards. A widow or widower also qualifies if they are the primary caretaker for the deceased’s children (16 or under) .
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Disability benefits: RSDI benefits may be obtained by individuals who are hurt and cannot return to work, or if they have a medical problem that is expected to last at least a year or end in death. Applicants are eligible if they are at least 18 years old, are not receiving their own Social Security benefits, and have not been denied within the last 60 days. Eligibility for SSD benefits also requires that the individual have earned enough work credits. Monthly benefit amounts are based on the beneficiary’s average monthly earnings.
RSDI is different from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is for low-income individuals who are disabled, blind, or over 65 years old.
