SSDI payments rose 2.8 percent in 2019

The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8 percent increase to all SSDI payments starting January 2019. This increase, called a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), happens most years and is tied to inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

If you received SSDI in December 2018, your January 2019 payment reflected this increase automatically. You did not need to request it or submit any paperwork. The SSA calculated the raise based on how much prices rose between the third quarter of 2017 and the third quarter of 2018.

The exact dollar amount of your increase depended on what you were receiving in December 2018. Someone getting $1,000 per month would have received an additional $28 per month starting in January 2019. Someone receiving $500 per month would have received an additional $14 per month.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI payments increased 2.8 percent in January 2019 as an automatic cost-of-living adjustment tied to inflation.
  • The increase applied to all SSDI recipients without requiring any action on your part.
  • Your new payment amount appeared in your January 2019 deposit; the SSA sent a notice in December 2018 showing the new figure.
  • COLA increases happen most years but vary in size depending on inflation during the measurement period.

How the 2.8 percent figure was determined

The Social Security Administration does not choose the COLA percentage. Instead, it is set by law based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes each month. The SSA compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of one year to the same three months in the previous year. The percentage change becomes the COLA for the following January.

For the 2019 increase, the SSA compared the third quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2017. Prices had risen 2.8 percent over that period, so all SSDI beneficiaries received a 2.8 percent raise. If inflation had been lower, the increase would have been smaller. If there had been deflation (prices falling), there would have been no increase at all—COLA cannot be negative.

This same method applies every year. The COLA announced in October applies to payments starting the following January. The 2019 COLA was announced on October 11, 2018.

What you should have received in December 2018

The SSA mailed a notice to every SSDI recipient in December 2018 showing the new payment amount effective January 2019. This notice, called a Social Security Benefit Statement, listed your old monthly payment and your new monthly payment side by side so you could see the increase.

If you did not receive this notice, or if you lost it, you could have called the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm your new amount. You can also create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov to view your payment history and current benefit amount at any time.

Some SSDI recipients did not receive an increase in January 2019 even though the COLA was announced. This happened if you were also receiving workers' compensation or certain other government benefits. The Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision can reduce or eliminate COLA increases in specific situations. If your payment did not increase when you expected it to, contact the SSA to find out why.

COLA increases in years before and after 2019

The 2.8 percent increase in 2019 was moderate compared to some years and higher than others. In 2018, SSDI recipients received a 2.0 percent increase. In 2017, the increase was 0.3 percent—one of the smallest on record. In 2020, the increase was 1.3 percent.

COLA amounts vary because they depend entirely on inflation. Years with higher inflation produce larger COLAs. Years with very low inflation or deflation produce smaller increases or no increase at all. From 2009 to 2011, there were no COLA increases because inflation was flat or negative during those periods.

You can find the COLA history for any year on the SSA website. The agency publishes the upcoming year's COLA in October, and it takes effect the following January for all beneficiaries.

How the 2019 increase affected your family if you receive benefits as a dependent

If you receive SSDI as a spouse or child of a worker who is disabled, retired, or deceased, you also received the 2.8 percent increase in January 2019. The increase applied to your individual payment amount, not just the worker's primary benefit.

However, family benefits are subject to a family maximum—a cap on the total amount the SSA will pay to all family members combined. If your household was already at or near the family maximum, your individual increase might have been reduced or eliminated so that the total family payment did not exceed the cap. This is rare but does occur in some cases.

If you were unsure whether the family maximum affected your 2019 increase, the December 2018 notice from the SSA would have shown your new amount. If you had questions about why your increase was smaller than expected, the SSA could explain the family maximum calculation.

What to do if your payment did not increase as expected

Contact the Social Security Administration if your January 2019 payment did not reflect the 2.8 percent increase. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778 for deaf and hard of hearing callers) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time. You can also visit your local SSA office in person or create an account at ssa.gov to send a message.

Have your Social Security number ready and be prepared to explain what payment you received in December 2018 and what you received in January 2019. The SSA representative can tell you whether the family maximum, workers' compensation offset, or another factor reduced your increase.

If the SSA made an error, they can correct it and send you a back payment for the difference. This process usually takes several weeks. Keep records of your payment deposits so you have proof of what you received.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the COLA increase happen every year?

The COLA is calculated every year, but the increase is not may provide to be positive. If inflation is flat or negative, there is no increase. From 2009 to 2011, beneficiaries received no COLA because prices were not rising. Most years do include an increase, but the size varies based on inflation during the measurement period.

If I started SSDI after December 2018, do I get the 2019 COLA?

Yes. Your initial SSDI payment is calculated using the current benefit formula, which already includes the 2019 COLA. You do not receive a separate increase notice, but the amount you receive reflects the current year's adjustment.

Can I get back pay if I missed the 2019 increase?

If the SSA made an error and failed to explore the 2.8 percent increase to your account, you can request a correction. Contact the SSA with proof of your December 2018 and January 2019 payments. If an error is confirmed, the SSA will issue a back payment for the difference, though this can take several weeks to process.

Does the COLA increase affect Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

SSI recipients also receive a COLA increase, but it is calculated separately and may be a different percentage. The 2019 SSI COLA was also 2.8 percent, but this is not always the case. If you receive both SSDI and SSI, each program applies its own COLA.