Big News For SSDI Recipients – 2025 COLA Boost Could Raise Annual Payments By $456

Good news is on the way for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients! Starting in January 2025, SSDI payments will increase thanks to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced that COLA for 2025 will be 2.5%.

While slightly lower than the 10-year average of 2.6%, this increase will still provide essential financial support for those relying on SSDI benefits. Here’s what you need to know about how much extra you’ll get and when you can expect your updated payment.

Amount

With the 2.5% COLA increase, SSDI recipients will see a boost in their monthly payments starting in January 2025. The average SSDI recipient currently receives $1,539 per month, which will increase by $38 per month after the adjustment, totaling $456 extra over the course of a year.

However, the exact amount of your increase depends on your current SSDI payment. For example:

Current SSDI Payment	New Payment (After COLA)	Monthly Increase
$800	$820	$20
$1,539	$1,577	$38
$3,000	$3,075	$75

Those receiving higher payments will see larger dollar increases, while those with lower payments will still benefit from a modest boost. The COLA increase is designed to help all SSDI recipients keep pace with rising costs due to inflation.

Who Will Get

If your current SSDI payment is $1,539 per month, you will receive $456 extra over 12 months thanks to the COLA increase. This additional money will help cover the rising costs of necessities like food, healthcare, and housing, which have been affected by inflation. For higher earners receiving SSDI payments above the average, the increase will be more significant. For example, if your payment is $3,000 a month, you’ll get an additional $75 per month, or $900 annually.

On the other hand, those receiving lower-than-average payments will still benefit from the increase, though it will be smaller. For instance, a recipient receiving $800 will see an extra $20 per month, or $240 over the year.

COLA Increase

The first SSDI payment reflecting the COLA increase will be delivered on January 3, 2025. SSDI payments for 2024 will remain unchanged, with the new, higher payments arriving in the first week of 2025.

Here is the payment schedule for SSDI recipients in January 2025:

Payment Date	Who Will Receive Payment
January 3, 2025	Recipients who started SSDI before May 1997 or those who receive both SSDI and SSI
January 8, 2025	Recipients with birthdays on the 1st-10th of the month
January 15, 2025	Recipients with birthdays on the 11th-20th of the month
January 22, 2025	Recipients with birthdays on the 21st-31st of the month

For those receiving both SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your SSI will be paid first, arriving on December 31, 2024, due to January 1 being a federal holiday.

Payments

It’s important to note that while SSDI recipients will not see any increase in 2024, those who receive both SSI and SSDI will get their SSI payment with the COLA increase a little earlier, on December 31, 2024. This is because the first day of January is a federal holiday, and payments are usually issued on the business day before.

If you receive both SSI and SSDI, your SSDI payment will arrive after your SSI payment. This means that even though you’ll get an early SSI payment, you will need to wait until January for your updated SSDI payment.

The COLA increase for 2025 is a welcome boost for SSDI recipients, helping to offset the effects of inflation and rising costs of living. With an increase of 2.5%, SSDI recipients can expect anywhere from $20 to $75 more per month, depending on their current benefit amount. The first SSDI payment reflecting this adjustment will arrive on January 3, 2025, with additional payments scheduled throughout the month based on your birthdate.

While the increase may not be as high as in some previous years, it will still provide much-needed financial relief, especially for those on fixed incomes. So, check your SSDI payment schedule and prepare for a little extra in your pocket starting in January.

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