In 2025, the Social Security Administration’s disability programs will undergo various changes. Applicants and recipients of Social Security disability benefits should familiarize themselves with the changes coming to Social Security in 2025, which may affect eligibility for benefits and the monthly benefit amounts recipients receive.
How Much Will Social Security Disability Benefits Increase?
Last year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a 2.5 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025. The COLA increased all Social Security disability benefits (including benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance [SSDI] and Supplemental Security Income [SSI]) rates by 2.5 percent from the 2024 rates.
This means the average disabled worker’s monthly Social Security benefits payment will increase from $1,542 in 2024 to $1,580 in 2025. Additionally, the maximum SSI federal payment schedule will increase from $943 per month to $967 per month for individuals and from $1,415 per month to $1,450 per month for couples.
Will the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Earnings Limit Change?
The Social Security Administration also announced that Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limits have changed for 2025. When a person earns income through labor or work above the SGA threshold, the Social Security Administration will not consider them disabled, regardless of the severity of their medical condition.
In 2024, non-blind individuals had an SGA threshold of $1,550, and blind individuals had a threshold of $2,590. In 2025, those thresholds increased to $1,620 for non-blind individuals and $2,700 for blind individuals.
What Are the New SSI Income and Resource Limits?
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides disability benefits to low-income individuals. Eligibility for the program depends on meeting monthly income and resource limits.
The SSI resource limits of $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples have not changed for 2025. However, income limits for SSI have increased by the COLA amount. This means the monthly income limit to qualify for SSI has increased from $1,971 in 2024 to $2,019 in 2025.
The monthly payment that an SSI recipient receives depends on their countable income and the income of a spouse or parent who resides with them. A person who earns a monthly income above the limit may not receive any SSI. However, the Social Security Administration does not count certain types of income when calculating SSI benefits or determining eligibility. For instance, earnings of up to $2,350 per month (maximum of $9,460 per year) for a student under 22 will not count as income. This is an increase from the $2,290 monthly limit ($9,230 annually) for students under 22 in 2024.
Will the Trial Work Period (TWP) Threshold Increase?
Some disabled workers receiving SSDI benefits may attempt to return to work and still be considered disabled through a Trial Work Period (TWP). They will still receive their full, regular disability benefits through the entire period. The Social Security Administration will not consider the disability ended until the worker has performed services for at least 9 months (not necessarily consecutively) within a 60-month rolling period. The worker must make a certain amount in a month for it to count towards the 9-month TWP.
For 2025, the Trial Work Period threshold has increased from the 2024 rate of $1,110 per month to $1,160 per month. If you make more than $1,160 in a month, it will count as a month toward your nine-month Trial Work Period.
Are There Changes to the Retirement Age?
Federal law has gradually increased the full retirement age – the age at which a worker can receive full Social Security retirement benefits – over the past few decades from 65. Individuals born in 1960 and later have a full retirement age of 67. Someone turning 65 in 2025 must wait another two years before they reach full retirement age.
When an SSDI recipient reaches full retirement age, their disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits. Although the recipient’s benefit amount will not change, they no longer face the prospect of disability reviews that may terminate their benefits.
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Will Medicare Eligibility or Costs Change for SSDI Recipients?
People who receive SSDI benefits for at least two years become eligible for Medicare benefits. Congress has not changed Medicare eligibility rules for SSDI recipients for 2025. However, Medicare premiums have gone up. The standard monthly Medicare Part B premium has increased from $174.70 in 2024 to $185 in 2025.
What Should You Do to Prepare for the Changes?
Social Security disability recipients can address the 2025 changes to eligibility and benefits by taking various steps, such as:
- Review your 2025 benefits checks and compare them to your 2024 checks to confirm that you have received a 2.5 percent increase in your benefits.
- If you receive SSI benefits, review your sources of income and refer to the Social Security Administration’s list of excludable income to ensure that the agency has deducted the correct amount of countable income from your monthly benefit.
- Consider all the updated thresholds and earning limits to avoid potentially jeopardizing your benefits.
- Contact a Dallas Social Security disability attorney who can explain these changes, determine how they may impact you, and protect your rights.
Talk to Our Dallas Social Security Disability Lawyers Today
Call Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C. today at (214) 999-9999 for a free, no-obligation consultation with an SSD attorney to learn more about the Social Security increase for 2025 and discuss how it will affect your disability benefits. For over 50 years, our firm has worked diligently to protect the rights and interests of individuals with disabilities throughout the DFW area. Our dedication to positive results for our clients has earned us the trust and respect of the people we’ve represented over the years, who thank us for “always putting clients’ needs and concerns first.” We look forward to helping you, too.
