The Social Security Administration (SSA) confirmed that Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits will go up by 2.5% in 2025. This rise is based on the cost of living index (COLA). The goal of this increase is to lessen the effects of inflation and keep people’s buying power stable. The monthly amount will range from about $1,537 on average to $4,018 at its highest point. This is the amount that a small group of users will get, as most will get closer to the average than the maximum.
Individuals who have worked and paid a minimum amount of Social Security taxes are eligible for SSDI benefits. These benefits are given to workers who have worked a certain number of years and get sick or hurt and can’t work for at least one year. More than 68 million people in the United States get help from the SSA. This includes people who get SSDI.
March 2025 payments: Next week, the last group will get their money
After a calendar is made based on the beneficiary’s date of birth, SSDI deposits are made every month on the third Wednesday:
Wednesday, March 12, 2025, from 1 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 20 p.m.
November 21 through March 31: fourth Wednesday (March 26, 2025).
They will get their money on March 26, 2025, a work day without transfers. This is the last group to get paid. The SSA says to only call them if the deposit doesn’t show up three work days after the due date.
Disability and work credits are the bare minimums for SSDI eligibility
To be eligible for SSDI, applicants must show that they have a disability that keeps them from doing serious work and lasts at least one year or is terminal. They also need to have 40 work credits, with at least 20 earned in the ten years before the handicap. In 2025, each credit is worth $1,810 in income, and you can only get 4 credits per year, which is $7,240 per year. People under 24 years old don’t have to get all of these points; they only need six in three years.
After the disability starts, there is a five-month waiting time during which the SSA will not pay benefits. As soon as that time is up, SSDI payments are triggered and start to be sent. This mistake makes it harder for applicants to plan their finances, and a lot of them spend all their funds before they get their first payment.
Regarding the amounts, the highest of $4,018 is impressive, but a recent study shows that less than 3% of recipients reach it because they need to have salary records in higher percentiles.
Things like Medicare Part B premiums, which for some groups will hit $185 per month in 2025, may cut into net benefits. Also, the 2.5% COLA is based on tried-and-true methods, but people have complained to groups like AARP that it’s not enough to keep up with rising costs in areas like health care, where prices rise by more than 4% a year.