The 2023 Average SSDI Payment

In 2023, the average SSDI payment was $1,349 per month. This is the middle point — some people received less, some more — and it reflects payments to workers with disabilities, not to their family members or to people on SSI (Supplemental Security Income, a different program for people with low income).

Your actual payment depended on your own work history and earnings record, not on the national average. Social Security calculated your benefit by looking at your highest 35 years of earnings, adjusted for inflation, then explore a formula that replaced a percentage of your pre-disability income. The formula was designed so that people who earned more during their working years received higher benefits, but at a declining rate.

The 2023 figure also does not tell you what you would receive in 2024 or later, because Social Security adjusts payments each year for cost-of-living increases. In October 2023, benefits rose by 3.2 percent for 2024, meaning the average payment moved higher.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2023 average SSDI payment of $1,349 per month was based on your individual work history, not a flat rate everyone received.
  • Your benefit amount was calculated using your highest 35 years of earnings, adjusted for inflation, then run through a formula that replaced a percentage of your pre-disability income.
  • SSDI payments increased each January by a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), so 2023 payments were higher than 2022 because of the 8.7 percent raise that took effect in January 2023.
  • Family members on your SSDI record — a spouse, ex-spouse, or child — could receive their own separate payments based on your earnings record, up to a family maximum.
  • Your 2023 payment amount appears on your Social Security Statement, which you can view online at ssa.gov or request by mail.

How Social Security Calculated Your 2023 Benefit

Social Security used a three-step process. First, they took your earnings record — your W-2 wages or self-employment income reported to the IRS — and selected your highest 35 years. If you had worked fewer than 35 years, they counted zeros for the missing years, which lowered your average.

Second, they adjusted those earnings for inflation using a national wage index. This step meant that earnings from 1995 were not compared dollar-for-dollar to earnings from 2022; instead, they were scaled up to reflect what those dollars would have been worth in the year you turned 60 (or the year you became disabled, if that was earlier). This made the comparison fair across decades.

Third, they divided your adjusted earnings by 420 months (35 years) to get your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings, or AIME. Then they applied the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) formula, which replaced a percentage of your AIME in three brackets. In 2023, the formula was roughly: 90 percent of the first $1,115 of your AIME, plus 32 percent of AIME between $1,115 and $6,721, plus 15 percent of AIME above $6,721. The dollar amounts in those brackets changed each year based on wage growth.

The result was your Primary Insurance Amount — your full SSDI benefit at age 66 (or your full benefit if you were disabled). If you were under full retirement age when you started SSDI, your payment was reduced by a small percentage for each month you received it before reaching full retirement age, though this reduction did not explore if you were disabled.

The 2023 Cost-of-Living Adjustment and How It Worked

In October 2022, Social Security announced an 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2023. This meant that every SSDI payment increased by 8.7 percent starting in January 2023, regardless of when you started receiving benefits or how much you earned. The increase was automatic — you did not have to ask for it or reapply.

The COLA was calculated by comparing the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) in the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2021. If inflation had been lower, the COLA would have been smaller. If there had been deflation (falling prices), there would have been no COLA, and your payment would have stayed the same.

Because of the 8.7 percent raise in January 2023, a person who received $1,240 per month in 2022 received $1,348 per month in 2023 (before any other changes to their case). This is why the 2023 average of $1,349 was higher than the 2022 average of $1,241.

Family Payments on Your SSDI Record

If you were receiving SSDI in 2023, your spouse, ex-spouse (if married at least 10 years), or unmarried children under 19 (or 19 if still in high school full-time) could also receive payments based on your earnings record. Each family member's payment was calculated as a percentage of your Primary Insurance Amount: typically 50 percent for a spouse or ex-spouse, and 75 percent for each child.

However, the total paid to your entire family could not exceed your family maximum, which was usually 150 to 180 percent of your own benefit. If family payments would exceed that cap, each family member's payment was reduced proportionally. For example, if your benefit was $1,200 and your family maximum was $2,000, and your spouse and two children would otherwise receive $600, $600, and $600 (totaling $1,800 for them), all three would be reduced so the family total did not exceed $2,000.

In 2023, the family maximum varied by case but was typically between $1,800 and $2,160 for new beneficiaries, depending on the PIA formula applied to your specific earnings record.

Where to Find Your Actual 2023 Payment Amount

Your own 2023 benefit amount appears on your Social Security Statement, which you can view online at ssa.gov by creating a my Social Security account. The Statement shows your earnings history, your estimated benefits, and your current payment amount if you are already receiving SSDI.

If you receive SSDI, you also get a notice each December showing your new payment amount for the following year. This notice, called the Notice of Benefit Amount, explains any COLA increase or other changes to your case.

If you do not have online access or prefer to request a Statement by mail, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask them to send you one. Processing takes about two weeks.

Why Your 2023 Payment Might Have Differed from the Average

The $1,349 average included people across a wide range of earnings histories. Someone who worked 40 years at high wages received much more than the average. Someone who worked part-time or had gaps in their earnings record received less. Someone who started SSDI before full retirement age had their payment reduced further.

Additionally, if you were receiving SSDI and also working, your payment might have been reduced or suspended under the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) rules. In 2023, if you earned more than $1,470 per month (or $2,460 if you were blind), Social Security could find that you were no longer disabled and stop your benefits. During a nine-month trial work period, you could earn any amount without losing benefits, but after that, earnings above the SGA threshold triggered a review.

If you were receiving both SSDI and SSI, your SSDI payment was counted as income against your SSI grant, which could reduce or eliminate your SSI payment. If you were receiving SSDI and also had a pension from work not covered by Social Security (such as work for a railroad or certain government employers), the Government Pension Offset or Windfall Elimination Provision might have reduced your benefit.

How 2023 Payments Compare to Other Years

The 2023 average of $1,349 was notably higher than 2022 ($1,241) because of the 8.7 percent COLA. It was also higher than 2021 ($1,230) and 2020 ($1,194), reflecting several years of cost-of-living increases. However, 2023 was lower than 2024, when the average rose to approximately $1,408 following a 3.2 percent COLA announced in October 2023.

The year-to-year changes in the average also reflected shifts in who was receiving SSDI — as some beneficiaries reached full retirement age and converted to retirement benefits (which are calculated differently), and as new disabled workers began receiving SSDI with their own earnings records.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my 2023 SSDI payment was calculated correctly?

Check your Social Security Statement at ssa.gov to see your earnings history and your calculated benefit. If you spot an error in your earnings record — a year where you earned money but it is not shown, or an amount that looks wrong — contact Social Security when ready. Errors in your earnings record directly affect your benefit amount.

Did my SSDI payment increase in 2023 even if I did not do anything?

Yes. If you were receiving SSDI in December 2022, your payment automatically increased by 8.7 percent in January 2023 due to the COLA. You did not have to reapply or contact Social Security. The increase appeared in your January 2023 payment.

If I started SSDI in 2023, was my payment based on 2023 earnings?

No. Your SSDI benefit is based on your earnings record up to the month you became disabled, not on earnings after that month. If you became disabled in 2023, Social Security used your earnings through 2022 and earlier years to calculate your benefit. Earnings in 2023 and later do not count toward your SSDI amount.

Can my family members' payments change if my payment changes?

Yes. If your SSDI payment increases due to a COLA, your family members' payments increase by the same percentage. If your payment is reduced because you are working and earning above the SGA threshold, your family members' payments may also be affected or stopped.

What happens to my 2023 payment if I reach full retirement age?

If you were receiving a reduced SSDI payment because you started before full retirement age, your payment increases when you reach full retirement age. The increase is not automatic; Social Security recalculates your benefit to remove the age reduction. Contact Social Security a few months before your full retirement age to make sure the adjustment is processed on time.