Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, is a program run by the federal government, under the big umbrella of the Social Security Administration (SSA). It gives monthly checks to workers who have paid taxes during their working lives. The program kicks in if they have to stop working at an early age because they are disabled.
Unlike the SSI program, which is based on how much money you have and the financial needs, SSDI is based on how much you contributed to Social Security.
The SSDI and the COLA increase: What to know
These benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, children who depend on them, and sometimes surviving parents. To qualify for the program, you have to be disabled for at least a year or be terminal. You are also checked out through a tough medical and job process by the SSA. More than 8 million SSDI recipients get a COLA boost each year and so they are protected from inflation.
Now, the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is the addition made to your benefits each year. The amount is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The government announces the increase in mid-October based on the data for the third quarter July to September. The increase takes effect in January of the following year.
Expected COLA for 2026: the announcement could be delayed
The COLA for SSD I in 2026 is expected to be 2.7%, an increase based on moderate inflation in 2025. It would mean a typical benefit check would increase by about $42 a month or $504 a year (this is just a simple projection, not the final or definitive number). This is based on the estimates by The Senior Citizens League TSCL andt the AARP.
SSDI payments in 2025 already include the 2.5% increase announced in October 2024 and kicked in on January 1st, 2025. The typical monthly check for a disabled worker is about $1,576. However, it varies widely. Most people get between $1,500 and $2,500, while the maximum is $4,018 for those with a lot of money coming in from work.
The Government shutdown could delay the COLA 2026
The U.S. government began a partial shutdown Oct. 1, 2025. It is expected to last until Congress agrees on money for the fiscal year 2026. It affects non-essential government agencies, but not the SSDI program, which is paid for by the Social Security Fund.
BUT, the COLA is made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that is the agency in charge to elaborate the COLA increase, is set to be closed during the Government shutdown.
Don’t panic, your money will still arrive on time: the payments will be deposited each month on the scheduled day in October, even if there is a shutdown. They will be mailed if you don’t have direct deposit. The schedule is based on your date of birth.
SSDI based on date of birth:
- Birth from the 1st to the 10thWednesday, Oct. 8, 2025 second Wednesday of the month
- Birth from the 11th to the 20thWednesday, Oct. 15, 2025 third Wednesday of the month
- Birth from the 21st to the 31stWednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 fourth Wednesday of the month
- Special for those who were on SSI before 1997 or who are combinedSSI recipients Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 third day of the month
If you receive both SSDI and SSI, SSD I is paid on the first day of every month. If the shutdown delays the announcement, updates on the ssa.gov government website could be delayed. You should also watch for notices. However, the shutdown shouldn’t affect direct deposits.
