Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance (RSDI) is a federally funded program designed to ensure the continuation of income to those who are disabled, have reached retirement age, or are the surviving dependents of those who qualified for Social Security Disability Insurance. Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance is the largest income continuation program of its sort in the United States.
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.
Survivors include widows, widowers, and dependant children of deceased persons who were covered by Social Security Disability Insurance. In some cases, it is also available to grandchildren, stepchildren, adopted children, adult disabled dependents, and dependent parents.
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).
Dependent children typically qualify for Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance if their parents were covered by Social Security Disability Insurance until they are 18 years old. Children still in high school qualify until they are 19.
Those who are completely disabled according to the Social Security Disability standards also qualify for Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance. To qualify based on disability, you need to show that you are completely incapable of performing any work for which you are qualified due to a physical or mental handicap.
