As confirmed by the Social Security Administration (SSA), this month will bring two additional payments for beneficiaries in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. The next disability benefits payment will be sent to eligible recipients on March 20th.
The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program manages three different benefit programs, known as retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). OASDI’s purpose is to provide retired workers with their earned Social Security benefits. On the other hand, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and SSDI benefits help people who would otherwise struggle to make ends meet.
SSDI is one of the most important programs, as it assists and protects workers who become unable to support themselves as a result of a serious and permanent impairment. As of January 2023, Social Security disability benefits were paid to 7.6 million individuals, which includes 90,000 spouses and 1.1 million children.
How much can American citizens receive with disability benefits?
According to the SSA figures, the total amount of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments in 2022 was around $143 billion. These annual payments are funded by Social Security payroll taxes, which represent less than 1% of GDP and approximately 2% of the government budget. Employers and employees both pay Social Security payroll taxes, which amount to 0.9% of their earnings.
In 2024, the Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that the average monthly SSDI payment will be $1,537. However, recipients who had relatively high incomes in previous years may be eligible for up to $3,822. Only a small percentage of SSDI beneficiaries, whose benefits were calculated based on high earnings over 35 years of work, are eligible for this maximum SSDI payment.
Furthermore, the average SSDI recipient is in late middle age, with 44% being 60 years of age or older and 79 percent being 50 years of age or older, and they all have a severe musculoskeletal, mental, or other incapacitating disability. The prospects for beneficiaries in the job market are extremely dismal, and their death rates are at least three times higher than those of the general public.
Disability benefits: SSDI payment schedule for March
The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages several financial benefit programs, such as the Social Security Retirement Benefits program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Here you can find the Social Security payment dates for all the financial assistance programs. Remember that the range of birthdates for each month falls between the specified dates.
Social Security Financial Programs | Date | Payment date |
SSI benefits and Retirement (Born before May 1997) | March 1st | Payment always falls on the first of each month. |
Retirement and SSDI benefits | 2nd Wednesday (March 13th)
3rd Wednesday (March 20th) 4th Wednesday (March 27th) |
Birthdate range: 1st–10th.
Birthdate range: 11th–20th. Birthdate range: 21st–31st. |
Requirements to be eligible for SSDI benefits
To become eligible for disability benefits, particularly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, beneficiaries must meet stringent criteria:
- Disability benefits status. The beneficiaries must meet two requirements: they must be fully insured, which means they have worked for at least 25% of their adult lives, and disability insured, which means they have worked for at least 5% of the previous ten years.
- Severe impairment. A severe, medically verifiable physical or mental impairment that has persisted for at least five months and is anticipated to last at least 12 months or cause death must be the beneficiary’s condition.
- Inability to perform substantial work. Because of their physical or mental disabilities, beneficiaries must be unable to perform any other type of significant work, taking into account their age, education, and work history, as well as their inability to perform their previous work. In 2023, substantial work was defined as earning $1,470 per month ($2,460 for blind individuals), or roughly 40% of the median income of a full-time worker with a high school degree but no college.