In October, the Social Security Administration announced the Social Security Disability Insurance cost of living adjustment for 2022. The agency bases the increase on changes in the Consumer Price Index from fall 2020 to fall 2021.
If you receive SSDI, review the facts about the upcoming 2022 COLA.
COLA increase
Your SSDI benefits will increase by 5.9% in 2022. For example, if you receive $2,000 per month in 2021, your 2022 benefits will be $2118. According to AP News, the change represents the largest SSDI increase in 39 years.
The SSA reports the average monthly benefit in January 2022 will be:
- $1358 for a disabled worker
- $1553 for a single widowed person
- $1657 for retired workers
- $2383 for a disabled married worker with at least one child
- $2753 for couples receiving benefits
- $3187 for a mother widowed with two children
The tax rate for COLA benefits will stay the same in 2022.
Additional changes
SSA has also updated the amount you can earn and still receive SSDI. The so-called gainful employment amount is now $1350 per month, an increase from $1310 per month in 2021. Individuals who are blind can earn up to $2260 per month and still receive SSDI, compared to $2190 a month in 2021.
With the typical SSDI increase at just 1.65% annually for the past decade, the increased COLA rate reflects attention to the nation’s rising rate of inflation. The AP notes that about half of seniors in the United States receive about half their income from Social Security, while about a quarter rely on benefits for most of their income.
