Usually, on an annual basis, the Social Security Administration (SSA) works to improve itself and its policies constantly. This is to align with economic shifts throughout the nation and evolving healthcare needs seen among its prospective application and current collectors of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. So if you have an interest in this government-assistance benefits program in any capacity, you must make yourself well-informed on these possible reforms. So please continue reading to learn important information about SSDI benefits in 2025 and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you better understand how this affects you as a new applicant or current recipient.
What important information should I know about SSDI benefits in 2025?
Just like any other year, the most significant area of change within the SSDI benefits program you should look out for in 2025 is the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Now, COLA is an annual increase in Social Security benefits to help incoming and current recipients feel financially secure even with the rising living costs due to inflation. In 2024, there was an 8.7 percent COLA increase, which has been reported to be the largest in decades. Then, 2025 has an estimated 2.5 percent increase, which is still quite considerable. In dollar amounts, this means an average jump from $1,542 per month to $1,580 per month; or, approximately an extra $50 percent.
What do these changes mean for new applicants and current recipients?
To reiterate, the COLA increase may provide new applicants and current recipients with the financial relief they require to weather the storms that are ever-evolving economic shifts. With this, you must understand that the COLA increase may go hand-in-hand with a higher substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit; in other words, a higher income limit. Specifically, in 2025, the SGA limit is expected to rise from $1,550 to $1,620 per month for non-blind applicants and recipients and $2,590 to $2,700 per month for blind individuals.
With that being said, this increased SGA limit may allow incoming and current recipients to earn more income, all while collecting an increased benefits amount. This may, in turn, provide more opportunities for individuals to test out more and different part-time employment opportunities they are capable of maintaining without immediately losing the financial netting of monthly SSDI benefits payments.
This is not to mention that the SSA may also increase its allotted trial work period (TWP). Last year, any month in which earnings would exceed $1,1110 would count toward a TWP month. This year, this total amount may spike to $1,160 in a month. Again, these increases are thanks to the country’s ongoing inflation rates.
There is no need to remain hesitant when you have a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney on your side and supporting you. So please inquire with us at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur at your earliest possible opportunity.