Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI as most people call it, is the federal program that pays monthly benefits to workers who become disabled and can no longer hold a job, provided they paid enough Social Security taxes during their working years.
Every January, the Social Security Administration (SSA) applies a cost-of-living adjustment, known as the COLA. For 2025 that adjustment was set at 2.5%, which means every check issued throughout the entire year, including the one for December, is 2.5% higher than it was in 2024.
SSDI December 2025 Payment Dates Dropped
When it comes to the exact day the money lands in your bank account in December 2025, SSDI uses the same schedule as regular retirement benefits. The date is determined by the day of the month you were born. If your birthday falls between the 1st and the 10th, your payment will arrive on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
Those born from the 11th to the 20th will see their deposit on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and anyone born from the 21st through the 31st will be paid on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.
Those dates come directly from the official 2025 Social Security calendar. Since none of those Wednesdays are holidays and no weekends are involved, there won’t be any shifting forward or backward; the money will hit exactly on the days listed.
Bigger SSDI Checks in December: Are You on This List?
The amount you receive doesn’t change from month to month during the year. Whatever you were getting in January 2025 after the 2.5% increase is the same amount that will show up in December. Nationally, the average SSDI payment in 2025 is $1,580 per month.
That figure rose from roughly $1,542 the year before once the COLA was applied. The absolute highest check a single disabled worker can receive in 2025 is $4,018, but only people who consistently earned close to the Social Security wage cap for many years ever reach that level.
At the lower end, the federal floor sits around $967 a month for workers with limited or low-paying employment histories.
Other SSDI Averages to Know
If a spouse or children are also collecting on the disabled worker’s record, the family maximum can climb higher, sometimes to 150% or even 180% of the worker’s own benefit, though the Social Security rules place a ceiling on the total, so no family receives an excessive amount.
Keep in mind that SSDI is completely separate from SSI, the needs-based program. SSI has its own much stricter income and asset limits and pays a maximum of $967 for an individual or $1,450 for a couple in 2025. Some people qualify for both programs at the same time, but the combined payment is adjusted so it never exceeds the SSI federal rate.
A Couple of Practical Points Regarding SSDI
Once you’ve been on SSDI for two full years, Medicare kicks in and the Part B premium is deducted automatically from your check, so the net amount you actually see in your bank account is a little lower than the gross benefit. Also, if you go back to work and earn more than $1,620 a month in 2025, you risk losing your disability status because that exceeds the Substantial Gainful Activity threshold.
Looking ahead, the 2026 COLA has already been announced at 2.8%, which will push the average SSDI check to roughly $1,624 starting with the January 2026 payment.
For now, though, just circle December 10, 17, or 24 on your calendar depending on your birthday, and you’ll know exactly when your December 2025 money will arrive. The fastest way to confirm your personal amount and payment date is to log into your mySocialSecurity account online or call the Administration directly at 1-800-772-1213.
