What the 2023 COLA calculator does

A 2023 COLA calculator shows you what your Social Security Disability Insurance payment became after the cost-of-living adjustment took effect in January 2023. It takes your payment amount from December 2022 and applies the 8.7% increase that Social Security announced in October 2022.

The calculator does not predict future payments or determine what you should receive. It straightforward multiplies your old payment by 1.087 to show the new amount. You can do this math yourself with a basic calculator, or use one of the tools Social Security or third-party websites offer.

Most people who receive SSDI saw this increase automatically deposited in January 2023. If you did not, or if you want to verify the math, a calculator can help you understand what your payment should have been.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2023 COLA was 8.7%, meaning most SSDI payments increased by that percentage in January 2023.
  • To use a calculator, you need your December 2022 SSDI payment amount, which appears on your Social Security statement or bank deposit record.
  • Multiplying your old payment by 1.087 gives you the amount you should have received starting in January 2023.
  • If your January 2023 payment did not increase by roughly 8.7%, contact Social Security to ask why.

Where to find your December 2022 payment amount

Before you can use any calculator, you need to know what you were receiving before the increase. Your December 2022 SSDI payment appears in several places.

Check your bank or payment app for the deposit that arrived in early January 2023 — the label usually says "SSDI" or "Social Security." That deposit is your January 2023 payment (the increased one). Look back one month to December 2022 to find the old amount.

You can also log into your Social Security account at ssa.gov. Under "Benefit Verification," you can view your payment history month by month. If you do not have an online account, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask a representative to read your December 2022 payment amount to you.

Your Social Security statement, mailed once a year, also shows recent payment amounts, though it may not be current if it was printed before January 2023.

How to do the calculation yourself

You do not need a special tool. Take your December 2022 payment amount and multiply it by 1.087. The result is what your January 2023 payment should have been.

For example: if you received $1,200 in December 2022, multiply $1,200 × 1.087 = $1,304.40. That is what you should have seen in January 2023 and every month after.

If your actual January payment is close to this number (within a dollar or two, since Social Security rounds), the increase was applied correctly. If it is significantly lower, something may have changed — a work deduction, a family member's earnings, or an error in Social Security's records.

Online calculators and Social Security tools

Social Security does not publish an official 2023 COLA calculator on its main website. However, you can find the 2023 COLA percentage (8.7%) on ssa.gov under "Cost-of-Living Adjustments," and you can do the math with any online calculator or spreadsheet.

Third-party websites and financial planning tools sometimes offer COLA calculators that let you enter your old payment and automatically show the new amount. These are convenient but not official — they straightforward perform the same multiplication you can do by hand.

The most reliable source is always your own Social Security account or a call to Social Security directly. A representative can confirm your exact payment amounts and explain any difference between what you expected and what you received.

What to do if your payment did not increase by 8.7%

Most people received the full 8.7% increase in January 2023. But some did not, and the reason is usually one of these: a work deduction reduced your payment, a family member's income affected your benefit, you reached full retirement age and your payment changed, or there was an error.

Before you contact Social Security, calculate what 8.7% of your December payment should be, then compare it to what you actually received in January. Write down both numbers.

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and explain that your COLA increase appears smaller than expected. Have your payment amounts ready. A representative can look at your account and tell you whether the difference is due to a deduction, a change in your case, or a mistake that needs correcting.

Why the 2023 COLA was 8.7%

Social Security calculates the annual COLA by measuring inflation using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). In 2023, inflation had risen significantly from the previous year, so the COLA was one of the largest in decades.

The COLA percentage changes every year based on inflation that year. It is announced in October and takes effect in January. You cannot change it or negotiate it — it applies to everyone on SSDI at the same rate.

Future COLAs will be different. In 2024, for example, the COLA was 3.2%. The percentage depends entirely on inflation in the months Social Security measures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a 2023 COLA calculator now if it is 2024 or later?

Yes, but only to understand what your 2023 payment should have been. If you are trying to calculate your current payment, you would need the 2024 COLA (or later), which is a different percentage. A 2023 calculator will not show your present amount.

What if I was not on SSDI in December 2022?

If you started receiving SSDI after December 2022, you did not receive a separate 2023 COLA increase — your first payment already included the new amount. A calculator would not explore to you.

Does the COLA calculator account for taxes or deductions?

No. A COLA calculator shows only the gross increase to your benefit. Your actual deposit may be lower if taxes are withheld, child support is deducted, or other adjustments explore. The calculator does not include those.

Is the 8.7% increase may provide every year?

No. The COLA percentage changes every year based on inflation. Some years it is higher, some years lower, and in rare years it can be zero. The 8.7% applied only to 2023.