The October 2022 SSDI payment increase

In October 2022, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments rose by 8.7 percent. This was the largest increase in four decades, driven by inflation measured through the Consumer Price Index. The raise took effect with the October payment, which most people received on the third day of the month.

The 8.7 percent figure applied to everyone receiving SSDI — there were no exceptions based on how long you had been on the program or how much you were already receiving. If you got $1,000 per month in September 2022, your October payment was approximately $1,087.

This increase also affected the people who depend on your SSDI payments. If you were receiving benefits as a spouse or child of someone on SSDI, your payment rose by the same percentage in October 2022.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI payments increased 8.7 percent in October 2022, the largest raise since 1981, because of how inflation is measured each year.
  • The increase applied to all SSDI recipients at the same rate, regardless of when they started receiving benefits or how much they were getting.
  • Family members receiving benefits based on your SSDI record — spouses and children — also received the same 8.7 percent increase.
  • The October 2022 increase was a one-time adjustment for that year; future increases depend on inflation measured in the following year.

Why SSDI payments increased that year

Social Security adjusts SSDI payments once per year based on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which measures how much prices rise for everyday goods and services.

In 2022, inflation was unusually high. The government measured prices in July, August, and September of that year and compared them to the same months in 2021. The result — an 8.7 percent increase — was announced in October and took effect with that month's payment.

This was not a one-time event or a special program. COLA happens every year. The percentage changes based on inflation in the prior year, so some years the increase is smaller, and some years it is larger. In 2021, for example, COLA was 1.3 percent.

How the October 2022 increase affected your payment amount

The 8.7 percent increase applied to your primary insurance amount — the base payment Social Security calculates for you. If you were receiving the full amount you were may have access to to, your payment went up by exactly 8.7 percent.

If your SSDI payment had been reduced because of other income you were earning (through the Substantial Gainful Activity rules), the increase still applied to your base amount. The reduction was then recalculated on the new, higher base.

If you were receiving SSDI and also collecting workers' compensation or public disability benefits, your SSDI payment might have been offset — reduced to keep your total income below a certain level. The October increase still raised your SSDI portion, though the offset was recalculated.

What happened if you were receiving benefits as a family member

If you were getting SSDI as the spouse or child of someone on the program, your payment also increased by 8.7 percent in October 2022. Social Security calculates family payments as a percentage of the primary beneficiary's amount, so when that amount rose, yours rose proportionally.

If your family's total benefits were subject to the family maximum — a cap on how much the entire family can receive based on one person's record — the October increase might have changed how payments were divided among family members. Social Security recalculates the maximum each year using the new COLA percentage.

When you received the October 2022 payment

Most SSDI recipients received their October 2022 payment on the third day of the month. The exact date depends on your birth date: people born on the 1st through the 10th of any month receive payments on the second Wednesday; those born on the 11th through the 20th receive them on the third Wednesday; and those born on the 21st through the 31st receive them on the fourth Wednesday.

If you were receiving your SSDI payment by direct deposit to a bank account, the money arrived on the scheduled day. If you were receiving a paper check, it was mailed several days before the payment date.

How COLA is calculated each year

The COLA percentage is set by law and is not something Social Security chooses. It is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for July, August, and September of the prior year. Social Security announces the new COLA in October and it takes effect with that month's payment.

If there is no inflation — or if prices actually fall — COLA can be zero. This happened in 2009 and 2010. Even when COLA is zero, your payment does not decrease; it straightforward stays the same as the previous year.

The COLA for the following year is based on inflation measured in the prior year. So the October 2023 increase was based on inflation from July, August, and September 2022. This means the COLA you receive in any given October reflects economic conditions from several months earlier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did everyone on SSDI get the same 8.7 percent increase in October 2022?

Yes. The COLA percentage applies to all SSDI recipients. The actual dollar amount of your increase depends on what you were receiving before October — someone getting $500 per month received a smaller dollar increase than someone getting $2,000 per month — but the percentage was the same for everyone.

What if I was not on SSDI for the full year in 2022?

If your SSDI started after October 2022, you did not receive the 8.7 percent increase that month. Your first payment was calculated using the new, higher payment amount that took effect in October. If your SSDI started before October 2022, you received the increase regardless of when during the year you started.

Does the October 2022 increase happen every year?

Yes, COLA happens every October. The percentage changes based on inflation from the prior year. Some years it is higher, some years it is lower, and in rare years it is zero. You can find the COLA percentage for each year on the Social Security website.

If I was working and earning income, did I still get the 8.7 percent increase?

If you were earning income above the Substantial Gainful Activity limit, your SSDI payment was already suspended. The October increase still applied to your primary insurance amount, so when you stopped working or your earnings dropped, your payment would be based on the new, higher amount.