How much do you get from disability checks

By

AARP

En español

March 08, 2022

Mathematically speaking, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is calculated in the same way as Social Security retirement benefits. Both are based on your record of “covered earnings” — work income on which you paid Social Security taxes.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) starts by figuring your average monthly income across your working life, adjusted for historical wage growth. It then plugs that figure into a formula to determine your primary insurance amount (PIA), also known as your full retirement benefit.

AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now

The PIA formula is progressive — weighted to provide proportionally higher benefits to lower earners — and it’s the same whether you’re claiming retirement or disability benefits. What differs is how much income data goes into determining your full benefit and when you can collect it.

For retirees, the SSA uses the 35 highest-earning years to calculate the monthly average income and PIA. (Only yearly earnings up to an annually adjusted cap are counted. In 2022, the cap is $147,000.) You become eligible to claim that full amount at full retirement age, which is 66 and 4 months for people born in 1956 and is gradually rising to 67. Benefits are reduced if you claim earlier — by as much as 30 percent if you start taking them at the minimum age of 62.

Because a worker may become disabled before reaching retirement age, Social Security uses a different time frame to determine the primary insurance amount for SSDI claims. The number of years of income used to figure the benefit depends on the age you became unable to work due to an injury or illness — the SSA’s basic definition of disability. 

Exactly how much of your earnings history is included depends on arcane Social Security terms like “elapsed years” and “computation years,” but basically, here’s how it works.

• The SSA counts up the number of years from the year you turned 22 to the year before you became disabled​.
• It throws out between one and five years (the longer you’ve been working, the more “dropout years”).​
• The resulting number is how many of your highest-earning years will go into the PIA calculation. 

Suppose you’ve been working without interruption since age 21 but are sidelined at 60 by advanced rheumatoid arthritis. Applying its computation rules, Social Security would use your 33 best years of income, indexed for wage trends, to figure your PIA. If your disability struck at 50, it would be your 23 highest-earning years; at 40, the top 15 years.

Groceries

Freshly

20% off a Freshly meal delivery subscription

View Details

See All

See more Groceries offers >

Regardless of your age, if your SSDI claim is approved, you’ll be awarded your full benefit — 100 percent of your PIA.

Still, that full payment tends to be lower for SSDI recipients than for retirees, in part because your disability can cost you higher-earning years that would boost your calculated benefit. The average monthly retirement and SSDI benefits in January 2022 were about $1,614 and $1,359, respectively, according to SSA data. If you have an online My Social Security account, you can check your projected retirement and disability benefit amounts. 

How Does the SSA Determine Who Receives the Maximum Benefit Amount?

SSDI payments differ because the SSA bases its monthly payments on your earnings the last few years before you apply for disability. This means that claimants with a higher salary or income will generally receive a larger monthly payment, up to the maximum benefit amount. Those who earned only a modest income will receive less money each month.

In some cases, this means those who suffer a permanent impairment at a younger age receive a smaller check each month. Older claimants have often worked their way further up the ladder and earn a higher income than their younger counterparts.

For a free legal consultation, call 412-661-1400

How Is Permanent Disability Pay Calculated?

While you could use the same formula the SSA uses to calculate your own benefit amount, this would require first figuring out the numbers used in the formula, including your:

• Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME); and
• Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).

In addition to requiring several steps, it is often difficult to know exactly which numbers the SSA is using, making it hard to get an accurate answer.

You can log into your Social Security account and use the free benefits calculator. This calculator will use the same numbers the SSA would use if you filed for permanent disability benefits today, and it should give you an accurate benefit amount for the current year.

Are There Any Other Factors That Might Affect Your Benefit Amount?

While the SSA website can give you a good idea of your benefit amount, the site does not take some things that could affect your payout into account. These additional factors could decrease your monthly disability payment or increase your total money from disability.

Decreasing Your Benefits Amount

If you receive other types of disability benefits, they could decrease your monthly SSDI payment. This includes payments you may receive from workers’ compensation.

However, not all other types of disability benefits will affect your SSDI. Service-connected veterans benefits, for example, do not typically reduce your monthly payments from SSDI.

Increasing Your Benefit Amount

The only way to increase your monthly benefit amount is to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This might be possible if your family has a low household income and few assets. This program is for those most in need.

You will not qualify for SSI if you qualify for an average SSDI benefit amount. However, you might qualify if you worked a low-paying job before your impairment. Also, you might only qualify for a relatively small SSDI monthly payment.

Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today

Can You Qualify for Back Pay for Missed Disability Payments?

There is a five-month elimination period—or waiting period—from when you apply for permanent disability before receiving your first monthly payment. However, it usually takes much longer than five months for the SSA to process your application. If you need to appeal a denial in your case, it could take you well over a year to get approved.

During that time, your unpaid benefits stack up. When the SSA finally approves you for SSDI, you will receive a payment for this back pay.

It is important to note you may not receive full back pay going back to the date you first applied. This might occur if the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who reviews your appeal decides the date you became impaired occurred after the date that you said it did on your application.

Getting Retroactive Benefits From Social Security

If the date you first suffered a qualifying impairment was before the date you first applied for SSDI benefits, you could also qualify for retroactive benefits.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

The Benefits of Working With Our Disability Benefits Lawyers

You might not be in a position to tackle your permanent disability case by yourself. This is where our team comes in. Our lawyers can analyze your condition and advocate for you. So, you can relax and continue with your life while we utilize our resources to help you. This might include:

• Explaining the process ahead of you
• Standing by you at hearings
• Communicating with the SSA when necessary
• Helping you gather supplemental information to add to your appeal
• Answering your questions about eligibility and your future

You might get confused or overwhelmed trying to figure out the SSD system on your own. Our team can take the pressure off you. You might fill out forms incorrectly or misinterpret your eligibility, resulting in claim denial. Do not risk your benefits over stubbornness by refusing to seek out help.

You Will Partner with a Team That Prioritizes Clients and Their Needs

Some of our clients have left online testimonials of our commitment to service, including:

“…They sincerely believe in helping others and because of Berger and Green, my case ended successfully. These benefits have changed my life and I don’t have to worry anymore. Berger and Green were with me and came through for me in every possible way.” – Joe L.

How Can You Talk to Someone About Getting Disability Benefits?

At Berger and Green, our permanent disability team will help you navigate the disability process for you and fight for the full benefits you deserve. 

How much is disability in Florida 2022?

How much does disability pay in Alabama?

How much does disability pay in Utah?

How much does disability pay in New Jersey?