The amount you receive depends on your work history, not your disability

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays you based on how much you earned before you became unable to work — not on how severe your condition is or how much you need. The Social Security Administration calculates your benefit using your average earnings over your working years. Two people with the same disability can receive very different amounts.

Your monthly payment is called your Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA. The Social Security Administration has a formula that converts your lifetime earnings into a monthly dollar figure. If you earned more during your working years, your SSDI payment will be higher. If you earned less, your payment will be lower.

The average SSDI payment in 2024 is around $1,550 per month, but this is just an average. Some people receive $800 a month; others receive $3,000 or more. Your actual amount depends entirely on your own earnings record.

Key Takeaways

  • Your SSDI payment is based on your earnings history, not the severity of your disability or how much money you need.
  • The Social Security Administration calculates your benefit using a formula applied to your average lifetime earnings.
  • You can see your estimated benefit amount by creating a my Social Security account online before you file.
  • If you worked very little or took time out of the workforce, your SSDI payment will be lower than someone who worked steadily.
  • Family members may also receive payments based on your work record, which does not reduce your own benefit.

How Social Security calculates your payment

The Social Security Administration looks at your highest 35 years of earnings (or fewer if you have not worked that long). They adjust those earnings for inflation so that money from 1990 is counted fairly against money from 2020. Then they average those 35 years together to get your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings, or AIME.

Once they have your AIME, they explore a formula called a bend point formula. This formula takes your AIME and converts it into your Primary Insurance Amount. The formula is progressive, meaning it replaces a higher percentage of earnings for people who earned less. Someone who earned $20,000 a year will see a larger percentage of that income replaced than someone who earned $100,000 a year.

The exact percentages and dollar amounts in the bend point formula change each year. The Social Security Administration publishes new bend points every January. You do not need to calculate this yourself — the agency does it for you when you file.

What you can see before you file

You do not have to wait until you file to know roughly what you will receive. If you create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov, you can view your earnings record and see an estimate of your SSDI benefit amount. This estimate is based on your actual work history and updates each year.

The estimate assumes you become unable to work at the age you are now. If you wait longer before filing, your estimate may change slightly because you may have additional earnings years to count. The estimate also assumes you will live to average life expectancy, which is just a baseline — it does not predict how long you will actually live.

If you do not have a my Social Security account, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask them to mail you a Statement of Earnings. This document shows your earnings history and an estimate of your SSDI benefit.

How family members' benefits work

If you receive SSDI, certain family members may also receive payments based on your work record. These family members can include your spouse (at any age if they care for your child under 16, or at age 62 or older), your unmarried children under 19 (or up to 22 if in high school), and your unmarried adult children if they became disabled before age 22.

Each family member receives their own separate payment, calculated as a percentage of your Primary Insurance Amount. A spouse typically receives 32.5 percent of your PIA; a child typically receives 75 percent. These payments do not come out of your benefit — they are separate payments funded by Social Security.

However, there is a family maximum. The total amount paid to you and all your family members combined cannot exceed 150 to 180 percent of your Primary Insurance Amount (the exact percentage varies). If the family maximum is reached, each family member's payment is reduced proportionally, but your own payment stays the same.

When your payment amount changes

Your SSDI payment is adjusted once a year for Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA. In December, the Social Security Administration announces the COLA percentage for the following year, and your payment increases in January. In 2024, the COLA was 3.2 percent. In 2023, it was 8.7 percent. The COLA varies year to year based on inflation.

Your payment can also change if you return to work and earn above the Substantial Gainful Activity level, or SGA. In 2024, SGA is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,590 for blind individuals. If you earn more than this amount, Social Security may determine that you are no longer unable to work and may stop your benefits. The rules around work and SSDI are complex, and it is worth asking Social Security about your specific situation before you take a job.

Comparing SSDI to other disability programs

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a different program that also pays people who are unable to work. Unlike SSDI, SSI is not based on your work history — it is a needs-based program. SSI pays a federal benefit amount (in 2024, $943 per month for an individual), and some states add extra money on top. SSI also has strict limits on how much money and property you can own.

If you did not work long enough to may have access to for SSDI, you may be able to receive SSI instead. Some people receive both SSDI and SSI at the same time, though the total is usually capped at the SSI federal benefit amount. The program you receive depends on your work history and your assets.

Veterans who are unable to work may also be able to receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is a separate system from Social Security. Some people receive both VA disability and SSDI.

What happens to your payment if you work

SSDI has a Trial Work Period that lets you test whether you can work without losing your benefits. During the Trial Work Period, you can earn any amount and keep your full SSDI payment. The Trial Work Period lasts nine months (not necessarily consecutive) within a rolling 60-month window.

After the Trial Work Period ends, you enter the Extended Period of may be able to access. During this period, you can work and earn up to the SGA amount ($1,550 in 2024) without losing your benefits. If you earn more than SGA, your benefits stop for that month, but they can restart if your earnings drop below SGA again.

If you work and your earnings stay below SGA for nine consecutive months, your case is closed and you are no longer receiving SSDI. You can reapply later if you become unable to work again, but you would have to go through the process process again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see my SSDI benefit amount before I file?

Yes. Create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to view your earnings record and see an estimate of your benefit. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 and ask Social Security to mail you a Statement of Earnings, which includes an estimate.

Does my SSDI payment change if I get married or have a child?

Your own SSDI payment does not change. However, your spouse or children may become able to receive their own payments based on your work record. These are separate payments and do not reduce what you receive.

What if I worked outside the United States?

Social Security counts work you did in the United States only. Work you did in other countries generally does not count toward SSDI, unless you were a U.S. citizen working for the U.S. government or a U.S. employer.

Can I receive SSDI and unemployment benefits at the same time?

No. Unemployment benefits are for people who are able to work but cannot find a job. SSDI is for people unable to work due to disability. You cannot receive both simultaneously.

What if I think my benefit amount is wrong?

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to review your earnings record. Errors do happen — sometimes employers report earnings incorrectly, or earnings are credited to the wrong person. Social Security can correct errors going back several years.