Millions of people rely on disability benefits through the Social Security Administration to get by each month. If you’re one of them, news of a Social Security disability extra payment giving you more money certainly would be welcome.
The folks at Gallo Cazort & Co. Law Firm want to set the record straight about news from Social Security that has people believing they’re getting extra disability payments this month. Here is the explanation to clear things up, but feel free to contact GCC Disability if you have additional questions about this topic or need assistance with your claim for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits.
The SSA Announces Social Security Disability Payment Changes
Disability benefits payable through the SSDI and SSI programs administered by the Social Security Administration are subject to annual cost-of-living adjustments based on the inflation rate. The announcement of the amount of the adjustment for 2025 is made in October 2024.
The SSA recently announced the 2025 increases for people who receive SSDI, SSI, and other benefits of a 2.5% increase in benefit payments starting in 2025. The COLA increase goes into effect for the 7.4 million SSI beneficiaries on December 31, 2024. The 7.3 million people receiving SSDI benefits begin receiving their increased benefit payments in January 2025.
The announced Social Security disability payment changes may be why some people thought an extra payment was coming. A COLA increase may not be an extra payment, but it is a welcome increase in the money you have available each month.
A COLA announcement is not the only reason some people believe they’re getting extra money from the SSA. How the SSA processes benefit payments occasionally appears to result in an extra payment, but it does not.
Are You Getting A Social Security Disability Bonus This Month?
The SSA processes disability benefit payments according to a schedule. It processes SSI payments on the first day of each month and SSDI payments on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month.
SSDI payments are proceeded according to the day of the month you were born as follows:
- Second Wednesday of the month for people born on the first through tenth of the month.
- Third Wednesday of the month for people born on the eleventh through twentieth of the month.
- Fourth Wednesday of the month for people born on the twenty-first through the thirty-first of the month.
It sounds simple enough unless you qualify for both SSDI and SSI benefits. If you qualify for concurrent benefits, which is what it’s called when you qualify for SSI and SSDI, Social Security processes your SSDI payment on the third day of the month, no matter what day of the month you were born. SSI benefits continue to be processed on the first day of each month.
A month when disability payment dates occur on a national holiday or a weekend may create the illusion of an extra benefit payment. Please note the use of the word “illusion” because it’s not a bonus payment.
When a processing date is on a weekend or national holiday, the SSA processes payments on the preceding weekday. For example, if you receive disability benefits through SSI, you will receive a payment on December 1 and another on December 31. The December 31 payment is not a bonus or extra payment. It is the January 1, 2025, payment processed on the preceding weekday instead of New Year’s Day.
Extra Money When SSDI Converts To Retirement Benefits
SSDI benefits are paid from Social Security taxes to provide access to retirement benefits for disabled workers too young to qualify for retirement benefits. You cannot receive SSDI and retirement benefits at the same time.
When you reach full retirement age, which for workers born in 1960 or later is 67, your SSDI converts to retirement benefits. If you thought the retirement age for Social Security was 65, Congress overhauled the Social Security system in 1983 by raising the age when you become eligible for full retirement benefits.
The conversion of SSDI to retirement benefits occurs automatically. You’ll get an SSDI benefit payment for one month and the next month’s retirement benefits, but you may be in for a pleasant surprise.
If you collected workers’ compensation or other public disability benefits, it may have reduced the amount you received each month from SSDI, but it does not reduce retirement benefits. Conversion could mean additional funds for SSDI recipients when they receive retirement payments.
Are Disability Benefits Increased This Month? Learn The Truth At GCC Law
Where disability benefits are concerned, you want accurate information and legal advice you can trust and rely on from experienced disability professionals. Whether you need help with an application for Social Security disability or require a gifted disability lawyer to appeal the denial of a claim for benefits, look no further than Gallo Cazort & Co. Law Firm. Contact GCC Law today for a free initial consultation. It’s a decision you won’t regret making.