When you apply for Social Security disability, you may wonder about the amount of the monthly benefits you may receive. Your financial assistance from Social Security disability will depend on factors such as the program you qualify for, your earnings during your career, and the income you currently receive.
What Are the Social Security Administration’s Disability Benefit Programs?
The Social Security Administration operates two disability benefits programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI provides benefits to workers who become disabled. As a result, eligibility for SSDI depends on having a sufficient work history that demonstrates contributions to the Social Security system. SSI provides benefits for low-income individuals, with eligibility based on income and asset thresholds. In some circumstances, a person can qualify for both SSDI and SSI.
Calculating SSDI Benefits
In SSDI, a person receives benefits based on their primary insurance amount (PIA). The PIA determines a person’s monthly benefit from Social Security, whether through ordinary retirement benefits or SSDI. The Social Security Administration calculates a person’s PIA based on their average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) during their working years, applying a formula to the AIME to determine a worker’s PIA.
The Social Security Administration usually applies an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to increase SSDI monthly payments. The SSA determines the annual COLA based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which tracks inflation based on the cost of various consumer goods and services for consumers in urban communities.
Calculating SSI Benefits
SSI pays benefits equal to the monthly federal benefit rate (as of 2025, $967 for individuals and $1,450 for couples), subject to adjustments for income or living in someone else’s home rent-free. For every $2 a person earns through a job, self-employment, or any other activity that earns money, the Social Security Administration reduces the person’s SSI benefit by $1. The SSA also reduces SSI benefits dollar-for-dollar for income earned through non-work sources, such as other disability benefits, unemployment benefits, or pensions. Income earned by an SSI recipient’s spouse may also affect the recipient’s monthly benefit.
Some states also provide a supplemental monthly payment to individuals receiving SSI benefits. These state supplements do not affect SSDI benefits.
An SSI recipient who lives in someone else’s home without paying their fair share of housing and food costs may have their SSI monthly payment lowered by up to $342.33.
Factors That Can Change Your Benefits
Some of the factors that can affect the benefits you receive from SSDI or SSI include:
- Income earned through various sources, such as employment wages, pensions, workers’ compensation, or disability insurance payments
- Qualifying for both SSDI and SSI, as individuals usually cannot receive full benefits from both programs
- Annual COLA increases announced by the Social Security Administration
- Recoupment of overpayments
- Various living arrangements, such as living with a working spouse or living in someone else’s home
How an SSD Lawyer Can Help
An SSD attorney can help you maximize the benefits you receive from Social Security disability by gathering records of your work history or finances to help you qualify for benefits and receive the correct monthly payment. An attorney can also assist you with administrative appeals if the Social Security Administration miscalculates your monthly benefit checks.
Contact a Social Security Disability Benefits Attorney Today
When you qualify for Social Security disability, the amount of benefits you may receive each month can depend on various circumstances. Contact Crowe & Shanahan today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an SSD lawyer to discuss your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits and to explore how much of a monthly benefit you might receive from programs you qualify for.