As of December 2024, a new 2.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA) was added to Social Security benefit payments. COLA, cost of living adjustments, are increases in Social Security compensation intended to help benefit recipients maintain the value of their monthly payments against inflation. In short, COLA helps to offset rising costs in an economy continuously affected by inflation so you can maintain your current quality of life.
April 9th COLA Increase: Confirmed SSDI Benefit Payment Increases
Your payments in April will account for the COLA benefit payment increase of 2.5% and will be reflected in the payments sent for April 2025. For Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit payment recipients, your payments will follow this schedule:
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Call Us TodayWhat Is SSDI And How Does This Affect Benefit Payments?
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federally managed and funded program that provides monthly benefit payments to individuals who are disabled. You must have a qualifying disability that is expected to:
- Last at least 12 continuous months, or will result in death.
- The disability must prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA) — meaning you are unable to perform work that earns above a certain monthly amount.
You must have paid into Social Security:
- You must have paid Social Security payroll taxes (FICA) through your employer or self-employment, resulting in work credits.
You must have sufficient work credits:
- Work credits are earned based on your annual income—as of 2025, one credit is earned for every $1,730 in wages, up to four credits per year.
- Most people need 40 work credits, 20 of which must be earned in the 10 years before becoming disabled (fewer credits are needed for younger individuals).
How The COLA Fits Into Your SSDI Benefit Payment
Your monthly SSDI benefit payments are based upon your average lifetime earnings before your long term disability. The more you earned and the more you paid into the system, the greater your SSDI benefit payments. However, the average for SSDI benefit payments is usually $1,500-$1,600 per month. The maximum amount you can be paid per month by SSDI is $4,018 (which is up from $3,822 in 2024).
All payments sent after January 1, 2025 will be subject to the 2.5% COLA increase, which includes SSDI benefit payments for the month of April 2025.