SSDI and SSI are two forms of government assistance that work for the disabled or sick individuals who cannot work. SSDI benefits are given for employees that worked many years and paid Social Security taxes, but cannot work anymore because of a disability. SSI has meant for many low-income individuals with low or no employment history due to one or more medical conditions that have prevented them from being able to work.
SSDI payments California
California has varying SSDI payments. For instance, in 2022, around 6.5 million people received SSI, while 7.9 million disabled workers received SSDI payments. The possible payment to eligible disabled workers under SSDI in 2024 is slightly under $3,822, with an average monthly payment of around $1,505. Compared to SSDI payments, SSI payments are typically far lower, with an average of a mere $600 and a maximum of $943 by 2024. Though this assistance can go a long way in offering help, it does not usually cover the basic necessities.
A study conducted by Atticus noted that overall, SSI typically covers less than one third of the living expenses, while SSDI payments rarely top half. In October 2023, the average SSDI payment was $1,665. SSDI benefits depend on a person’s earnings history and an amount of Social Security taxes paid. According to a study in 2022, SSDI payments ranged from $1,321.04 in the District of Columbia to $1,599.97 in Delaware.
SSDI benefits are calculated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) using adjusted earnings from the highest 35 years of a person’s working life to arrive at a Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). For 2024, the formula consists of 90% of the first $1,174 in income, 32% of income between $1,174 and $7,078, and 15% of income between those limits. All of this is done so that payments go considerably higher for SSDI beneficiaries who had much lower earnings throughout their lives.
For the Social Security Administration (SSA), SSDI benefits are calculated by taking into account the 35 years in which the annual earnings were highest by an individual in the history of work. In addition, all these amounts need to be adjusted for inflation and percentages should be applied so that a Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) can be determined.
For 2024 the formula is as follows: 90% of the first $1,174 of income, 32% of income between $1,174 and $7,078, and 15% for any income over that. This way, the SSDI payments are made significantly higher for those individuals who tend to have a lower lifetime earnings level.
Here are the average SSDI payments in different states as of 2022:
- Alabama: $1,454.98
- Alaska: $1,473.09
- Arizona: $1,542.92
- Arkansas: $1,415.43
- California: $1,524.99
- Colorado: $1,497.71
- Connecticut: $1,549.41
- Delaware: $1,599.97
- District of Columbia: $1,321.04
- Florida: $1,521.74
- Georgia: $1,485.38
- Hawaii: $1,532.11
- Idaho: $1,456.79
- Illinois: $1,495.07
- Indiana: $1,480.12
- Iowa: $1,412.23
- Kansas: $1,439.17
- Kentucky: $1,446.53
- Louisiana: $1,421.25
- Maine: $1,395.33
- Maryland: $1,542.21
- Massachusetts: $1,493.30
- Michigan: $1,508.94
- Minnesota: $1,475.73
- Mississippi: $1,416.49
- Missouri: $1,441.07
- Montana: $1,407.08
- Nebraska: $1,391.82
- Nevada: $1,562.44
- New Hampshire: $1,528.42
- New Jersey: $1,648.06
- New Mexico: $1,398.19
- New York: $1,540.57
- North Carolina: $1,483.98
- North Dakota: $1,388.96
- Ohio: $1,422.89
- Oklahoma: $1,423.04
- Oregon: $1,459.64
- Pennsylvania: $1,493.44
- Rhode Island: $1,464.35
- South Carolina: $1,512.46
- South Dakota: $1,391.16
- Tennessee: $1,446.63
- Texas: $1,463.70
- Utah: $1,473.63
- Vermont: $1,398.34
- Virginia: $1,497.40
- Washington: $1,494.32
- West Virginia: $1,465.15
- Wisconsin: $1,460.01
- Wyoming: $1,485.89
For January 2025, the dates for receiving SSDI benefits are as follows:
- January 3rd, for those who claimed disability benefits before May 1997
- January 8th, for those born between the 1st and 10th
- January 15th, for those born between the 11th and 20th
- January 22nd, for those born between the 21st and 31st
