SSDI Benefit Estimator

Your benefit is based entirely on your earnings history, not on how severe your condition is. Social Security averages your highest indexed earnings years into a number called your AIME, then runs it through a three-tier formula: for 2026, 90% of your first $1,286 of monthly earnings, 32% of the amount from $1,286 to $7,749, and 15% of anything above that. The result is your monthly benefit.

No. Severity decides whether you qualify, never how much you receive. Two people with completely different conditions and identical earnings records get identical checks. That surprises a lot of my clients, but it means the medical fight and the money calculation are two separate things.

The average disabled worker receives $1,630 per month in 2026. The maximum is $4,152, but reaching it requires decades of earnings at or above the Social Security taxable maximum, which is $184,500 in 2026. Most people land somewhere between $1,000 and $2,500.

Yes. SSDI benefits get the same annual cost-of-living adjustment as retirement benefits. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. You never have to apply for it, the increase shows up automatically each January.

Eligible children under 18, and in some cases a spouse, can each receive up to 50% of your benefit on top of your own check. The total is limited by the SSDI family maximum, which is the smaller of 150% of your benefit or 85% of your AIME, and never less than your own benefit. The estimator above calculates this for you.

The most common reduction is the workers' compensation offset: if you receive workers' comp or certain state disability benefits for the same period, your combined benefits generally cannot exceed 80% of your pre-disability earnings. Private long-term disability insurance does not reduce SSDI, though many LTD policies reduce their own payment when SSDI is awarded.

It can be, depending on your total household income. Roughly speaking, if SSDI is your only income, you likely owe nothing. If you have other household income above the IRS thresholds, up to 85% of your benefit can be taxable. A tax preparer can tell you exactly where you land.

SSDI is based on your work history and earnings record, which is why this estimator asks about your earnings. SSI is a needs-based program with a flat federal rate that has nothing to do with your work history. Some people with low SSDI amounts qualify for both at the same time. We sort out which programs apply during your free evaluation.

Create a free my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount and open your Social Security Statement. It shows your official disability benefit estimate calculated from your real earnings record, plus your earnings history so you can check it for errors. Missing earnings years are worth fixing, they can lower your check.