The 2018 SSDI payment amount in Massachusetts
In 2018, the average SSDI payment nationwide was $1,182 per month. Massachusetts had no separate state supplement to SSDI that year, so recipients in the state received only the federal amount. The actual payment you would have received depended on your work history and the age at which you became disabled — not on where you lived.
The federal payment is calculated from your earnings record. Social Security looks at your 35 highest-earning years, adjusts them for inflation, and converts that into a monthly benefit. Two people in Massachusetts could receive very different amounts even in the same year, because their work histories were different.
If you were receiving SSDI in 2018 and your payment was lower than the national average, that reflected your specific earnings record, not a Massachusetts rate. If it was higher, the same applied.
Key Takeaways
- Massachusetts did not add its own payment on top of the federal SSDI amount in 2018.
- Your 2018 payment depended on your work history and age when you became disabled, not on living in Massachusetts.
- The federal average in 2018 was $1,182 per month, but individual payments varied widely.
- Social Security calculated your benefit from your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation.
How Social Security calculated your 2018 benefit
Social Security used a formula based on your Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA. This number came from your earnings record — specifically, your 35 highest-earning years of work. Social Security adjusted those earnings for inflation and then applied a formula that replaced a higher percentage of lower earnings and a lower percentage of higher earnings.
Your age when you became disabled also mattered. If you were approved for SSDI before your full retirement age, your benefit was reduced slightly compared to what you would have received at full retirement age. This reduction was built into the calculation and applied the same way nationwide.
The only way to know what your specific 2018 payment should have been was to look at your Social Security statement or contact Social Security directly. The agency kept records of what it paid each month.
Why Massachusetts had no state supplement in 2018
Some states add their own money to the federal SSDI payment — these are called state supplements. Massachusetts did not run a state supplement program for SSDI recipients in 2018. The state did run Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, which are different from SSDI, but those are separate benefit systems with their own rules.
SSDI is a federal program funded by payroll taxes. States cannot change the federal payment amount, though they can choose to add money on top. Massachusetts chose not to do so for SSDI in 2018.
Cost of living and what $1,182 meant in 2018
The national average of $1,182 per month in 2018 was the gross amount before Medicare premiums or other deductions. For someone living in Massachusetts, this amount had to cover rent, food, utilities, and other expenses. Massachusetts housing costs in 2018 were above the national average, particularly in the Boston area.
Many SSDI recipients also received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if their SSDI payment was low enough. SSI is a needs-based program that adds money if your income and resources fall below certain thresholds. The SSI rules and payment amounts were set by the federal government, though Massachusetts could run its own SSI program with additional state funds.
If you needed more information about your 2018 payment
If you were receiving SSDI in 2018 and wanted to know your exact payment amount, you could have checked your Social Security statement online through your my Social Security account, called Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or visited a local Social Security office. The agency kept records of every payment sent.
If you were explore for SSDI in 2018 or later and wanted to know what your payment might be, Social Security could provide an estimate based on your earnings record. This estimate would have been specific to your work history, not a general Massachusetts figure.
How 2018 payments compared to other years
SSDI payments change each year based on a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. In 2018, there was a 2 percent COLA. This meant that someone who received SSDI in 2017 saw their payment increase by 2 percent in 2018. The year before, 2017, had a 0.3 percent COLA — a much smaller increase.
The COLA is set by federal law and applies to everyone on SSDI nationwide. It does not vary by state. Massachusetts recipients received the same COLA adjustment as recipients in every other state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Massachusetts add money to SSDI payments in 2018?
No. Massachusetts did not run a state supplement program for SSDI in 2018. Recipients got only the federal payment amount, which was based on their work history.
Was the $1,182 average the same for everyone in Massachusetts?
No. The $1,182 was a national average. Individual payments in Massachusetts varied based on each person's earnings record and age when they became disabled. Some received more, some less.
How did Social Security know what to pay me in 2018?
Social Security calculated your benefit from your 35 highest-earning years of work, adjusted for inflation, and applied a formula based on your age and disability status. This calculation was the same for everyone, regardless of state.
Could I have gotten a higher payment if I lived in a different state?
Not from SSDI itself — the federal payment is the same nationwide. Some states add their own supplements, but Massachusetts did not in 2018. If you also received SSI, the amount could have varied by state.
Where can I find what I actually received in 2018?
Check your Social Security statement online through my Social Security, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local office. Social Security keeps records of every payment sent to you.