Ask Larry

I am about to apply for sod. Would it improve my chances if I got a divorce?
I am very ill

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your illness.

I don't know what you mean by 'sod'. If you're applying for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI), then your marital status won't have any impact on your eligibility or benefit rate. However, if you're planning to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), then your eligibility could be affected by your marital status depending on your living arrangements and your husband's income and resources. The rules for determining SSI involve too many variables for me to be able to advise you, but you may want to try using the SSI screening tool available on Social Security's website: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/.

Best, Jerry