Social Security establishes the guidelines that determine how much you can get in benefits based on various factors. The type of benefit you receive, general guidelines and your income will impact the total you receive.
Since there are many variables as to how much an SSDI benefit payment may be, it is impossible to know how much you will get until you apply. However, the Social Security Administration does provide information on maximum amounts, along with helpful information about increases and deductions.
Monthly maximums
Monthly maximum benefit amounts depend on whether you get benefits for just yourself or if you have a spouse also collecting benefits. There are limits for each, and the limits change every year.
For 2021, the maximum amount you can receive as an individual is $794. If you have a spouse also making a claim, then you can get a maximum of $1,191. Keep in mind that you may not receive the maximum. The actual formula for calculating how much you get will produce varying results per person.
Adjustments
The benefit amounts you receive usually change every year. This is a result of a cost-of-living raise. The cost of living from 2020 to 2021 increased by 1.3%, so you would receive 1.3% more in benefits in 2021 than you did in 2020.
The SSA will also adjust your benefits by your countable income each month. However much you earn in countable income, which may include all money you earn or receive, comes straight off of your benefit amount. For example, if you earned $200 in countable income for June and your benefit amount was $400, then you would only receive $200 in benefits for that month.
