When a disabling medical condition prevents a person from working and earning a living, monthly disability benefits through the Social Security Administration ease financial hardships. How much disability pays each month is a common question people ask the disability professionals at Sackett and Associates.
The answer depends on several factors, including the program paying the benefits and others that affect how much a person receives in disability benefits. The following explanation of the disability benefit amounts includes a helpful payment calculator and tips for determining the amount a person with disabilities may receive each month in benefits.
Disability Benefits Through SSDI
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program pays disability benefits to people with a history of working at jobs or self-employment. They must have paid FICA taxes, commonly referred to as Social Security taxes, on the money earned from working.
The 2025 maximum monthly SSDI benefit for individuals with long work histories who earned the maximum wages subject to FICA taxation is $4,018. Your Social Security Disability benefits amount may not be the same as what other people with disabilities receive.
The Social Security Administration uses a formula to calculate how much a person receives as monthly SSDI benefits. How long a person worked before the onset of a disability, and the amount they earned in FICA wages over a portion of their work history, affect their monthly benefits.
The formula uses a person’s average earnings for an extended period, but it indexes them. Indexing accounts for the effects of inflation on the buying power of wages over the years. Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) become part of a complicated formula to compute your monthly SSDI benefits amount.
If you prefer not to do the math, the Social Security Administration offers an online SSDI payment calculator. The challenge to using the calculator is that you must know and input your yearly wages for your entire work history.
There’s a better method that doesn’t ask you to input your wage history. Create a “My Social Security” account, where you can view the retirement and disability benefits available to you based on your work and earnings record.
Disability Benefits Through Supplemental Security Income
SSDI is not the only program administered by Social Security that pays disability benefits. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) also provides benefits to people with disabilities, but unlike the SSDI program, monthly SSI benefits do not rely on earnings from working.
SSI pays a maximum monthly federal benefit of $967 for individuals with disabilities and $1,450 for couples. These are the federal SSI payment rates in 2025, which can change due to an annual cost-of-living adjustment to keep pace with the rate of inflation.
Depending on where you live, your state may supplement the federal benefit. The following states do not offer a supplemental benefit:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- North Dakota
- Tennessee
- West Virginia
People receiving SSI benefits while residing in the Northern Mariana Islands do not receive a supplemental benefit.
How State Supplements And Income Exclusions Work For SSI Benefits
States determine the amount of their supplemental benefit and may set rules or conditions. For example, an individual with a disability in California who lives independently can receive a combined state and federal benefit of $1,206.94 per month. The payment includes a $967 maximum federal SSI benefit and $239.94 from the state.
The combined benefit amount changes for a person living independently without access to cooking facilities. The California supplement increases to $368.81 in addition to their federal SSI benefits.
Keep in mind that SSI is a needs-based program, so income from other sources can reduce the amount of a person’s monthly federal benefit payment. For example, a person who works part-time and earns $475 monthly while receiving SSI benefits must report the earned income to the Social Security Administration.
Of the $475 monthly earned income, $65 may be excluded. Only one-half of the remaining $410, or $205, counts as earned income to reduce the federal benefits from $967 to $762 for the month. An additional $20 income exclusion may be applied, provided it was not used toward reducing unearned income for the month.
An individual living independently in California with access to cooking facilities and earning $475 during a month from working part-time would receive a federal benefit payment of $762 on the first of the month from the federal government. They also receive a state supplemental payment of $239.94 as combined state and federal benefits of $1,001.94.
Contact A Northern California Disability Lawyer
When you have questions or concerns about SSDI and SSI benefits, help is available from the disability benefits team at Sackett and Associates. Discover why Sackett Law has been the trusted disability law firm for people throughout Northern California and nationwide, providing advice and representation for over 45 years. Contact us today for a free consultation and disability claim evaluation.
Sources:
- SSDI payment estimate: https://www.ssa.gov/disability/amount
- SSDI online calculator: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/AnypiaApplet.html
- SSDI formula: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/awifactors.html
- My Social Security accounts: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
- State supplement SSI: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-benefits-ussi.htm
- California SSI: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11125.pdf
Leave A Comment