Finance
Good news for Social Security retirees: here is next year’s payment schedule with COLA adjustments if you collect SSDI or SSI
The first COLA-adjusted payments for SSDI and SSI will arrive in late December and early January.
Like the other beneficiaries of programs overseen by the Social Security Administration (SSA), Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income recipients will see their benefit checks increase starting in January.
Each year, all programs have their benefit amounts to account for changes in the cost of living. In 2025, the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, applied to benefits will be 2.5 percent.
The COLA and how it will impact SSDI recipients
Currently, the average monthly benefit for an SSDI recipient is $1,542.43. This means that next year after the 2.5 percent increase is applied, the average check will rise by around $38 a month. SSDI benefits are distributed to workers who develop a disability that will keep them out of the workforce for a year or more or is fatal.
When will the first COLA-applied SSDI benefits be sent?
SSDI beneficiaries are on the same payment schedule as Social Security recipients, so the day they receive their benefits depends on the day of the month in which they were born.
- Second Wednesday 1st – 10th: January 8, 2025
- Third Wednesday 11th – 20th: January 15, 2025
- Fourth Wednesday 21st – 31st: January 22, 2025
For the remaining payments, they will be sent according to the wednesday birthday scheduled outlined above, unless a Wednesday happens fall on a public holiday, in which case they will be paid on the previous regular working day.
The COLA and how it will impact SSI recipients
In October, the average Supplemental Security Income (SSI):
- Under 18: $804.97
- 18-64: 745.96
- 65 and older: $576.49
Next year, for beneficiares under 18, benefits will increase by $20 on average, while those eighteen to sixty-four will see an average rise $18, and seniors will see their benefits increase by $14 on average.
The first COLA adjusted SSI benefit will be sent on Tuesday, December 31st, since January 1st is a public holiday in the United States. These payments will be sent on the first of the month for the remainder of the year, so long as the date does not fall on a weekend of public holiday. In those cases, like SSDI payments, they will be paid on the previous working day.