The 2017 SSDI payment amount

In 2017, the average SSDI payment was $1,171 per month. The maximum payment that year was $2,687 per month for someone at their full retirement age. However, the actual amount you would have received depended on your work history, the age at which you started receiving benefits, and whether you had already claimed Social Security retirement benefits.

These figures came from the Social Security Administration's official records for that year. The payment amount changed every January based on a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, which meant 2017's payments were different from 2016's and 2018's.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2017 average SSDI payment was $1,171 per month, though individual payments varied widely based on work history.
  • Your 2017 payment amount was calculated using your earnings record from the years you worked before becoming disabled.
  • The maximum payment in 2017 was $2,687 per month, but most people received less than the average.
  • If you were already receiving SSDI in 2017, your payment included that year's cost-of-living adjustment, which was 2 percent.

How your 2017 payment was calculated

Social Security used a formula based on your Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA. This was a number calculated from your highest 35 years of earnings. The Social Security Administration took your earnings record, adjusted older years for wage inflation, and then applied a formula that weighted your earlier earnings more heavily than your later ones.

If you became disabled before age 22, the calculation was different — it used your parents' earnings record instead. If you were already receiving retirement benefits when you became disabled, your SSDI payment was based on your retirement benefit amount, not recalculated from scratch.

Why 2017 payments differed from other years

Every January, Social Security recalculated all payments to account for inflation. In 2017, the cost-of-living adjustment was 2 percent. This meant that if you received SSDI in 2016, your 2017 payment was 2 percent higher (unless you were subject to the Government Pension Offset or Windfall Elimination Provision, which could reduce or eliminate your increase).

The 2017 COLA was lower than some years and higher than others. In 2016, there was no COLA at all. In 2018, the COLA was 2 percent again. These year-to-year changes meant that looking at your 2017 payment alone did not tell you what you would receive in future years.

What affected your individual 2017 payment amount

Your specific payment depended on several factors beyond the average. If you had a work history with very low earnings, your payment was lower than the average. If you had a long work history with high earnings, your payment was higher. The formula Social Security used rewarded people with longer careers and higher lifetime earnings.

Your age when you started receiving SSDI also mattered. If you were approved as a young adult and had been receiving benefits for years by 2017, your payment reflected the COLAs that had been added each January since you started. Someone approved for the first time in 2017 would have received a different amount than someone who had been on the rolls since 2010.

Comparing 2017 to other years

The 2017 average of $1,171 was higher than 2016 ($1,163) because of the 2 percent COLA. It was lower than 2018 ($1,182) for the same reason — the 2018 COLA was also 2 percent, but it was applied to a slightly higher base. Looking further back, 2015 had an average of $1,165, and 2014 had an average of $1,130.

These year-to-year changes were small because COLAs are tied to inflation, which has been relatively modest in recent years. Larger jumps in payment amounts happened when people turned 66 (their full retirement age) or when they reached 70, because Social Security recalculated their benefit at those ages.

If you were receiving SSDI in 2017

If you were already on SSDI before 2017 began, you automatically received the 2 percent increase in January 2017 with no action needed on your part. You did not have to reapply or contact Social Security to get the COLA. The increase straightforward appeared in your next payment.

If you were approved for SSDI during 2017, your first payment included the 2017 COLA, but only for the months you were actually may have access to to benefits. For example, if you were approved in June 2017, your first payment covered June through December and included the COLA for those months only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the 2017 SSDI payment amount the same for everyone?

No. The $1,171 average was just that — an average. Individual payments ranged from less than $500 per month to over $2,600 per month, depending on your work history and when you started receiving benefits. Your specific amount was calculated from your own earnings record.

Did the 2017 COLA explore to people who started SSDI that year?

Yes, but only for the months you were may have access to to benefits in 2017. If you were approved in March, your first payment included the 2 percent COLA for March through December. If you were approved in December, you received the COLA for just that one month.

How do I find out what my 2017 SSDI payment actually was?

You can view your payment history by logging into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Your account shows every payment you received, month by month, going back several years.

Did the 2017 COLA affect people on Supplemental Security Income?

SSI and SSDI are different programs. SSI recipients did receive a COLA in 2017, but it was calculated separately. The 2017 SSI federal benefit rate increased by 2 percent, the same percentage as SSDI, but the actual dollar amount of the increase was different because SSI payments start from a different base.