Benefiting 70 million Americans, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will see an 8.7 percent cost-of-living (COLA) increase for 2023, representing the highest increase in four decades.

For retirees, the average Social Security benefit will increase by $146 monthly to $1827 in 2023 (up from $1,681 in 2022). Like Social Security and SSI benefits, SSDI benefits are affected by these increased COLAs as well.

Before we jump to the 2023 changes, let’s first look at who’s entitled to SSDI benefits.

cost of living ssdi

SSDI Benefits:  An Overview

If you cannot work for a year, you may be entitled to monthly benefits because of your disability. To be eligible for SSDI benefits, you must have worked a Social Security-covered job and have a medical condition meeting the Social Security’s disability definition. Additionally, the Social Security Administration reviews how long you’ve worked in a Social Security-covered job.

The longer you’ve worked, the higher your SSDI benefit may be.

However, benefits are only paid for total disability. Therefore, you cannot receive SSDI benefits for short-term disability, such as recovering from surgery. 

When determining if you’re entitled to SSDI benefits, the Social Security Administration looks at the following situations:

  • You cannot work (or cannot engage in gainful activity) because of your medical condition.
  • You cannot do your previous job because of your medical condition.
  • You have to adjust the type of work you do because of your medical condition. 
  • Your health condition has lasted (or is expected to last) for at least one year or to result in death, for example, in cases of terminal cancer.

What Are the 2023 SSDI Benefit Amounts?

Based on the new COLA limits, the average monthly SSDI benefit will increase by $199, from $1,364 to $1,483, as reported by the AARP. For a disabled worker with a spouse or child, the average SSDI benefit will increase from $2,407 monthly to $2,616.

What Are the 2023 SSDI Income Limits?

For SSDI benefits, the Social Security Administration sets an income limit to ensure that these benefits go to the people who need them the most. In other words, if a disabled person’s work exceeds this established income limit, then that person would not be eligible for SSDI benefits. 

When adjusting SSDI income limits, the Social Security Administration bases any changes on the National Average Wage Index. As such, disabled workers may earn up to $1,470 monthly without the risk of losing their SSDI benefits.  

For those disabled workers who are blind,  they may earn up to $2,460 monthly, up from $2,260. 

Why Retain Skelton & Stevens Legal Group?

At Skelton & Stevens Legal Group, we understand how stressful it is if you can’t work because of an injury or illness.  We’ll provide you with the personal attention you deserve as you manage your disability benefits while representing your best interests with our experienced SSDI attorneys.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our social security disability attorneys in Arkansas, to learn more about what we can do to help you.