What the 2024 COLA increase was

Social Security raised all SSDI payments by 3.2 percent in January 2024. This was the annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA. If you received SSDI in December 2023, your January 2024 payment was 3.2 percent higher than what you got the month before.

The 3.2 percent figure came from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, a measure the government uses to track how much prices rise each year. Social Security calculates the COLA every October based on inflation data from the previous summer months, then applies it to all payments starting in January.

This was a smaller increase than 2023, when SSDI payments went up by 8.7 percent. The year-to-year change depends entirely on how much inflation happened in the months Social Security measures — there is no fixed percentage, and it can be lower or higher each year.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2024 COLA raised SSDI payments by 3.2 percent starting in January, meaning a recipient who got $1,000 in December 2023 received $1,032 in January 2024.
  • The COLA percentage is set each October based on inflation data from the summer months and applies automatically to all SSDI recipients — you do not have to do anything to receive it.
  • COLA increases affect your SSDI payment amount but do not change your work incentives, medical review schedule, or any other part of your case.
  • If you work and earn over the substantial gainful activity limit, the COLA increase does not protect you from a work-related case review.

How the 3.2 percent increase affected actual payment amounts

The 3.2 percent increase was applied to every SSDI payment, but the dollar amount you received depended on what you were getting before. Someone receiving $800 per month saw their payment rise by about $26. Someone receiving $1,500 per month saw their payment rise by about $48.

The increase also applied to any family members receiving benefits on your record — a spouse or child getting a payment based on your disability also received the 3.2 percent raise in January 2024. If multiple family members were on your record, each of their payments went up by the same percentage.

You should have seen the new amount in your January 2024 payment. If you use direct deposit, the money went into your bank account. If you receive a check, it arrived by mail. Social Security does not send a separate notice about the COLA increase — the change straightforward appears in your payment.

Why the COLA was lower in 2024 than in 2023

The 2024 COLA of 3.2 percent was lower than 2023's 8.7 percent because inflation slowed down. The Consumer Price Index measures how much prices rose for things like food, housing, gas, and medical care. In the summer months of 2023 (which determined the 2024 COLA), prices were not rising as fast as they had been in 2022 and early 2023.

This does not mean prices went down — it means they went up more slowly. A lower COLA still means your payment increased, just by a smaller amount than the year before. The COLA will be different again in 2025, depending on what inflation looks like in the summer of 2024.

What does not change when you get a COLA increase

The COLA increase affects only your payment amount. It does not change your work incentives, your medical review schedule, your ticket to work status, or anything else about your case. If Social Security was planning to do a medical review of your case in 2024, the COLA does not delay or cancel that review.

If you are working and your earnings are close to the substantial gainful activity limit (the income level that can affect your SSDI), the COLA increase to your payment does not count as earnings. Your work income is what matters for that rule, not your SSDI payment amount.

The COLA also does not affect Medicare or Medicaid. If you are receiving Medicare because you have been on SSDI for two years, your coverage continues the same way. If you are on Medicaid, your state's rules about income limits may change, but that is a separate decision from the COLA.

How to find out what your 2024 payment should be

You can see your current SSDI payment amount by logging into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Once you are signed in, click "Benefit Verification" to see your current monthly payment. This is the amount you should be receiving after the 3.2 percent increase was applied in January 2024.

If you do not have a my Social Security account, you can create one at ssa.gov using your email address and a phone number. You will need to verify your identity, which Social Security does by asking questions about your past.

If your payment looks wrong or you did not receive the increase, contact Social Security directly. You can call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time. Have your Social Security number ready when you call.

When the next COLA will be announced

Social Security will announce the 2025 COLA in October 2024. The announcement usually comes in the second week of October. The 2025 COLA will be based on inflation data from July, August, and September 2024, and it will take effect in January 2025.

You can find the announcement on the Social Security website at ssa.gov, or you can wait to see the new amount in your January 2025 payment. The COLA percentage is never known until October — it cannot be predicted in advance because it depends on inflation that has not yet happened.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to do anything to get the 3.2 percent increase?

No. The COLA increase is automatic. If you were receiving SSDI in December 2023, the 3.2 percent increase was added to your January 2024 payment without you taking any action. You do not need to contact Social Security or fill out any forms.

What if I started SSDI after December 2023?

If your SSDI began in January 2024 or later, your first payment already includes the 3.2 percent COLA. You do not receive a separate increase — the amount you are told you will get already reflects the 2024 adjustment.

Does the COLA increase affect my work incentives?

No. The COLA increase changes only your payment amount. Your work incentives — such as the trial work period, extended may be able to access period, or impairment-related work expenses — remain exactly the same. The increase does not count as earnings and does not affect your ability to work.

Will I owe taxes on the COLA increase?

That depends on your total income and filing status. The COLA increase is part of your regular SSDI payment, so it is treated the same way as the rest of your benefit for tax purposes. If you normally owe taxes on your SSDI, the increase will be included in that calculation. If you do not normally owe taxes, the increase does not change that.

What if my payment did not go up by 3.2 percent?

A few situations can prevent the full COLA increase from showing up. If you were in a work trial period or had your benefits suspended, the increase may not explore to those months. If you had a family maximum limit (a cap on total benefits paid to your family), the increase might have been split differently among family members. Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 if your increase looks different than expected.