Decoding SSDI Payments: Will December Bring the 2025 COLA Increase?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed the timing of the 2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients. The 2.5% COLA boost will take effect in January 2025, but it will not be applied to SSDI payments in 2024. Instead, those receiving SSDI will see the increase starting in January 2025.
When Will the 2025 COLA Increase Be Paid to SSDI Recipients?
If you are a recipient of SSDI, you will not see the COLA increase in 2024. The first SSDI payment with the 2025 COLA boost will be issued on January 3, 2025, to those who filed and received benefits before May 1997.
For other SSDI recipients, the payments will be issued as follows:
- January 8, 2025: For SSDI beneficiaries born from the 1st to the 10th.
- January 15, 2025: For SSDI beneficiaries born from the 11th to the 20th.
- January 22, 2025: For SSDI beneficiaries born from the 21st to the 31st.
SSI Recipients Receiving the 2025 COLA Increase in 2024
The only Americans who will receive the 2025 COLA increase in 2024 are those who are also receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you received SSDI on December 3, 2024, and also qualify for SSI, your 2025 COLA boost for SSI will be delivered on December 31, 2024.
How Much Will the 2025 COLA Increase SSDI Payments?
The COLA increase for SSDI recipients will be 2.5%. This means that for every $100 you receive from Social Security, you will get an additional $2.50. For example, if your monthly SSDI payment is $1,000, after the 2025 COLA boost, it will increase to $1,025.
The average SSDI payment in 2024 is about $1,542, which will rise to approximately $1,580 after the COLA increase, adding about $38 per month. This increase is slightly lower than the boost received by retirees, reflecting the difference in how benefits are calculated for SSDI recipients.
The largest SSDI benefit payment, which is based on the taxable maximum, will also see a rise. In 2024, the maximum SSDI payment is $3,822, but with the 2025 COLA, it will increase to $4,018.
This COLA increase applies only to SSDI recipients, and is in addition to the general COLA adjustments that apply to all Social Security benefits.
