Social Security and SSI After a Disaster

If you have direct deposit, you will receive payment as usual.

If you receive payment by mail and are in an area where postal service is disrupted you can pick up your check at area post offices. Use the postal locator to find the nearest to you.

If you do not receive your payment, go to any open Social Security office and request an immediate payment. Use the SSA's online Field Office Locator to find the SSA office nearest you and see an updated list of open SSA offices. You can always use the SSA’s 24-hour automated service line to get recorded information or speak to a representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778).

Most assistance from a declared disaster will not count as income or resources for purposes of Social Security, SSI, or SSDI. This includes federal assistance from programs like FEMA, including help to repair or replace a home or other property; programs administered or provided by the State of Texas or local governments; and assistance from a disaster organization or charity. You must report any income or resources from other sources to the SSA within ten days after you receive it.

If you need Social Security information to apply for jobs or assistance from other agencies, apply to the SSA for a replacement in person or by mail. No online requests for replacements are permitted. To locate the nearest open SSA office, call 800-772-1213 (TTY 1- 800-325-0778) or visit the Social Security Office Locator.

If you become disabled and cannot work, you might qualify for disability benefits. Your SSDI benefits are based on your work history in the ten years before you become disabled. To qualify, you must have a severe physical or mental condition expected to last more than 12 months or end in death. The SSA will look at your ability to work and the severity of your disabling conditions. SSDI recipients automatically become eligible for Medicare after 24 months. Certain dependent family members may also be eligible for benefits if you qualify.

SSI is a cash benefit for low-income people without the work history required to get SSDI. You must be a person with a low income and a disability as defined by the SSA. All SSI recipients are eligible for Medicaid. There are no dependent benefits for SSI.

If you are divorced, and your marriage lasted ten years or longer, you can receive social security benefits on your ex-spouse's record (even if they have remarried) if you are unmarried and 62 or older.

You can receive SSDI benefits on your ex-spouse's record if you were married for at least one year. If you both receive benefits, you will receive the higher of the two amounts, not both. You cannot receive SSI benefits on your spouse's record, because SSI is a needs-based program, meaning that your specific financial situation is considered when benefits are determined.

Social Security Survivor benefits may be available to you if you are the deceased person’s spouse, the deceased’s minor child(ren) (or a disabled adult child), or a parent 62 years or older who were financially dependent on the deceased. This benefit depends on how you were related to the deceased and their earning history. You might be eligible for a $225 one-time death benefit if your spouse or parent died.

• FEMA
• SSA
• Small Business Administration (SBA)
• SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline, 800-985-5990 (crisis counseling)
• Legal Self-Help Tool for Disaster Survivors