Social Security Disability (SSD) payments provide crucial financial support to individuals who cannot work due to a disability. However, many recipients struggle to make ends meet on the fixed income SSD delivers. This blog will explore several strategies on how to increase social security disability payments.
1. Check the Cost of Living Adjustment
The Social Security Administration (SSA) periodically adjusts Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payment amounts to keep up with inflation, known as the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). The COLA is determined by the percent change in the consumer price index (CPI) year-over-year. By receiving regular COLA increases, your SSD payments can keep up with rising living expenses.
2. Get Your Disability Benefits Recalculated
SSDI payments are calculated using your average lifetime earnings based on your work history. If you think there may be errors in how the SSA calculated your earnings or employment history when determining your SSDI payments, you can request a recalculation.
The SSA will review your previous year's job income, typically based on the documents you submitted during your initial application, to verify your salary. They will compare your earnings from the year before your health problems started and the year before that. This review assesses whether any prior year's income might affect your Social Security disability payments.
3. Be Employed for at Least 35 Years Before Retiring
To qualify for SSDI, you must have worked and paid into Social Security for at least 35 years. Specifically, you must have earned certain "credits" to qualify for SSDI. You can earn up to four credits per year and need 40 credits (or ten years of work) to qualify. However, the amount of your SSDI payment is based on your average lifetime earnings, so the more you work and pay into Social Security, the higher your payment will be.
4. Apply for Disability Benefits After Reaching Full Retirement Age
You can begin receiving SSDI benefits as early as age 62. However, the amount you receive will be reduced by 25% to 30% if you accept payments before your full retirement age (FRA).
For individuals born in 1960 or later, the FRA is 67. If you wait until your FRA to receive SSDI payments, you will receive your total benefit amount without any reduction.
Get The SSD Payments You Deserve!
Understanding how to increase your Social Security Disability payment can be a game changer. At Law Offices of Jeff Martin, our Social Security disability attorneys in Tulsa, Oklahoma, know how significant these benefits are in maintaining your quality of life. That's why our lawyers are dedicated to helping you take full advantage of them. Call our law firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, today!
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