Ask Larry

Can I Get An Increase In My SSDI Payment?

I'm on ssdi and receive 1026 monthly. My rent is 900. Can 8 get an increase in my ssdi payment

Hi. Probably not. Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits are based on an average of a variable number of your highest earnings years. Basically, the older you were when you become disabled, the more years that would have been used to calculate your benefit rate.

In other words, your benefit rate is calculated strictly based on your Social Security covered earnings history. Your expenditures such as rental expenses have no effect on how much you can be paid in SSDI benefits. About the only way that your SSDI rate could possibly increase other than from cost of living (COLA) increases would be if you return to work and earn enough to replace a lower earnings year that's being used to calculate your current benefit rate.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Aug 2 2021 - 9:20am
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