How Much Does Social Security Disability Pay?

Many people who are blind or disabled depend upon Social Security disability benefits as their primary source of income. For someone who qualifies for Supplemental Security Income benefits, it may be their only source of income available to pay for food and shelter.

Whether SSD benefits provide your only source of income or supplement other income sources, you want to know what to expect as a monthly payment in order. A disability advocate at London Disability understands your financial concerns and takes time to review all aspects of your application for benefits, including how much you should expect to receive each month. To help you gain a better insight into your disability benefits, the folks at London Disability offer the following information about the payments under the SSI and Social Security Disability Insurance programs.

Monthly payments through SSI

SSI pays a monthly benefit to individuals with very limited income and financial resources. Resources or assets that are available to you cannot have a total value exceeding $2,000. The limit for married couples where both spouses qualify for SSI benefits is only $3,000.

If you meet the financial limitations to qualify for SSI, you must be in one of the following categories for eligibility:

• Blind
• Disabled
• Elderly, which is 65 years of age and older.

The maximum monthly benefit paid through SSI in 2022 is $841 to eligible individuals and $1,261 to eligible couples. These are the federal benefit amounts, but the state where you live may pay a supplement to its residents who qualify for SSI. A disability advocate at London Disability can determine whether you are eligible for a state supplement and assist you with the application.

If you work while receiving SSD benefits, it may reduce what you receive from SSI. However, not all income counts toward reducing your monthly benefits. For example, the first $65 of monthly earned income may be excluded along with one-half of the balance. The amount of earned income that remains reduces your monthly SSI payment. Unearned income from sources other than working also may affect your benefits, so speak with an SSI advocate to learn more.

According to data released by the Social Security Administration, $624.51 is the average monthly SSI benefit. The average payment to children younger than 18 years of age is $732.72

Monthly benefits payable through the SSDI program

The key distinction between the eligibility requirements of the two Social Security disability programs is that you must have a work history to qualify for SSDI benefits. You must have worked and earned income through a job or self-employment and into the Social Security system through payroll or self-employment taxes.

As with the SSI program, you must have a disability that meets the definition established by federal law. The fact that you qualified for temporary or short-term disability benefits through your state does not necessarily mean that your disability meets the requirement to receive benefits through the federal program.

You must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity. The medical evidence must show that the impairment or impairments is expected to last for at least 12 months or cause death in order to qualify as disability for the SSDI program.

The Social Security Administration reports that it currently pays an average monthly SSDI benefit of $1,358.50 to disabled workers, but the amount that you receive each month may be more or less than the average. The reason is that unlike the SSI program that has a fixed monthly benefit available to all beneficiaries who qualify, Social Security calculates SSDI benefits using your average lifetime earnings from working at a job or through self-employment.

How long you worked before becoming disabled or the severity of your disability does not affect your monthly benefit. However, benefits that you receive through workers’ compensation may reduce what you receive each month from SSDI. If you have income from workers’ compensation or other sources, an SSDI disability advocate at London Disability can review your benefits to ensure that you receive the correct amount each month.

Working while receiving SSDI

Social Security has programs allowing you to attempt to return to work on a trial basis without losing any of your SSDI benefits. You may be eligible for a trial work period of up to nine months during which you may earn as much money as you want without losing your SSD benefits.

At the conclusion of the trial work period, you may be eligible for a 36-month extended period of eligibility. There are conditions that apply, including limits on how much you may earn each month, so be sure to speak with your SSDI advocate for more information.

Learn more about your SSD benefits

Your best source for accurate and reliable information about SSDI and SSI benefits is a disability advocate at London Disability. Get answers to your disability questions and skilled assistance with applications and appeals by contacting us today.