WILL SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS INCREASE?

In order to know if your Social Security benefits will increase, you need to first understand the basics of your benefits. There are Social Security Disability benefits. Also, there are Supplemental Security Income benefits. Finally, there are retirement benefits. All three of these programs are run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This article will discuss whether or not your benefits will increase. It will also explain the relationship between the benefit programs.

WHAT ARE SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal program run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA provides cash benefits to people who are unable to work for at least one year or longer because of a physical or mental illness.

SSDI benefits are available only for those who have paid their Social Security taxes and have enough quarters of coverage. Younger workers may qualify for SSDI benefits with fewer credits and less work.

Additionally, in order to get benefits, you must be totally disabled and unable to work at any job. This means that you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from working at any job for at least one year. If your medical condition is only going to last for a short time, then you cannot get benefits. In all cases, to be paid benefits you must be off work or be expected to be off work for at least one year or longer.

In order to find that you cannot work at any job, the SSA will consider whether you have a medical condition that meets the SSA listing under step three. Or, you must be found eligible for benefits under the step five vocational analysis. Learn about the SSA’s vocational analysis. In order for the SSA to pay you benefits, you must be unable to work at any job in the national economy. Not just your past job.

CAN MONTHLY SSDI BENEFITS INCREASE?

If you are getting SSDI or SSI benefits, then you may want to know if your monthly benefits will increase. Once you are on SSDI benefits, you stop working due to your medical condition. Therefore, you can’t earn additional money. Because you aren’t working and paying taxes, your benefits will stay at the amount you are currently being paid. Your benefits cannot increase, except for small cost of living increases.

Why? Because your SSDI amount is based on your earnings. Whatever amount of money you receive is tied to the amount of money you made. If you had made a higher amount of money, then you would be getting a higher benefit. Once you are on SSDI benefits, your benefit amount can’t change. Unless you go back to work and start earning money again.

Each persons SSDI benefit is different because everyone makes different amounts of money. Your monthly SSDI amount is based upon your lifetime average earnings at work. There is no sliding scale based on the severity of your medical condition. You either have a severe medical condition that prevents you from working or you do not. There is no benefit payment in the middle. If you win SSDI benefits, then the SSA will pay you monthly benefits based on your individual earning record. As an example, the average SSDI benefit in 2026 is $1,500 a month.

CAN MONTHLY SSI BENEFITS INCREASE?

Yes. Monthly SSI benefits can increase, but only with a cost of living increase. For example, SSI payments in 2026 are $994 for an individual and $1491 for an eligible couple.  These amounts do not reflect any deductions for in-kind income, housing, or any state additions to the monthly payment.

If you receive SSI payments, even if your mental or physical condition gets worse, then you cannot get a higher amount of SSI money. Therefore, without any deductions, as an individual you will receive $994 per month in 2026. The SSI program is based on your disability and the amount of your income and assets. If you qualify for benefits, then your monthly payment only goes up if the government gives a cost of living increase. However, if your income changes because you get married, then your SSI benefits may cease.

SSDI BENEFITS CONVERT INTO RETIREMENT BENEFITS, BUT THEY DO NOT INCREASE

You need to understand that your SSDI benefits do convert to Social Security Retirement benefits once you reach your full retirement age. For most people that age is 67. However, your monthly benefit amount will not change. You will continue to receive the same amount of money in your monthly check.

Also, you do not need to do anything to receive your retirement benefits. The SSA will simply change your SSDI benefit into a retirement benefit once you reach full retirement age. However, not everyone’s retirement age is the same.

For example, full retirement age can range between 65 and 67 years of age. The date you can retire and get all of your benefits, depends on the month and year of your birth. People born after 1942 have a full retirement age of 66 years or older. Those born in 1960 or later must wait until they are 67 years old to start collecting full retirement benefits.

YOUR FULL RETIREMENT BENEFIT IS THE SAME AMOUNT AS YOUR SSDI BENEFIT 

When a person reaches full retirement age, their SSDI benefit will turn into regular Social Security retirement benefits. This rule applies to both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Your monthly benefit amount does not change when it converts into Social Security retirement benefits. The only thing that will change your monthly retirement amount will be cost of living adjustments. Your monthly SSDI benefit amount is the same amount of money you would receive at your full retirement age, no matter how old you are when you became disabled.

The SSA also lets you get Medicare benefits early if you receive SSDI benefits. You can get Medicare benefits after a 29 month waiting period from your onset date of disability, even if you are not yet 65 years old.

One thing to be aware of is this:  your retirement benefits do not go up if your health gets worse. Your retirement, just like SSDI benefits, is based on your own personal earnings record. Therefore, except for federal cost of living increases, your monthly benefit doesn’t increase with age or illness.

YOU DON’T GET AN INCREASE IN RETIREMENT BENEFITS IF YOUR HEALTH GETS WORSE

Every day we receive phone calls from people who are getting retirement benefits from the SSA. Normally, these people have been receiving retirement benefits for number of years and now that they are older, their health is worse. For example, a 72 year old person called our office and told us he was receiving retirement benefits. He had recently undergone double leg amputations due to diabetes and wanted to know if he could get a higher benefit because of the loss of his legs.

While it seems like this person should get additional money from the SSA because of the amputations. The fact is benefits just don’t work that way. Learn about benefit changes if your health declines.

Your SSDI benefit amount is based on the amount of money you earned during your working years. Everyone’s SSDI amount is different. The only way to get a higher amount of SSDI money is to go back to work.

THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT INCREASES YOUR BENEFITS

Approximately 70 million Americans will see a 2.8% increase in their Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments in 2026. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $50 per month starting in January.

Federal benefit rates increase when the cost of living rises. The cost of living increase is measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index. The Consumer Price Index rises when inflation increases, which then leads to a higher cost of living. Everyone has seen this happen in the last year, as the cost of food, gas, rent, and interest rates have gone up. When the cost of living goes up, the prices for goods and services are higher. The COLA adjustment helps offset these costs.

The SSA will mail COLA notices to retirement, survivors, and disability beneficiaries, SSI recipients, and representative payees. You may have to pay taxes on SSDI and SSI benefits.

MEDICARE PREMIUMS & SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS ARE INCREASING 

In 2026, the SSA announced that Medicare premiums will go up. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B increased to $202.90 (up from $185.00 in 2025). Part A and Part D costs also saw increases.

Additionally, the Trump administration is ending a temporary Medicare Part D premium subsidy program and scaling back certain drug negotiation rules. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it will let the temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration program expire at the end of 2026. Roughly 25 million beneficiaries will lose monthly federal premium buffers beginning in January 2027.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS LAST AS LONG AS YOU LIVE

Your SSA benefits last as long as you live. Taking benefits before your full retirement age (as early as age 62) lowers the amount you get each month for the rest of your life. However, waiting to get benefits past your full retirement age (up to age 70) increases the monthly amount for the rest of your life. The SSA’s Life Expectancy Calculator can make a rough estimate of how long you might live based on your age and gender. You can use the life expectancy calculator to plan for retirement. Also, you can use it to plan on whether you should take out early retirement benefits.

YOU CAN WORK AND RECEIVE RETIREMENT BENEFITS

If you get retirement benefits but want to continue to work, then you can. However, depending on how much you earn before full retirement age, the SSA might temporarily withhold some or all of your benefit amount. When you reach full retirement age, they will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for the months they reduced or withheld benefits due to your excess earnings. Any work after you reach your full retirement age won’t reduce your benefits. Learn about working and getting retirement benefits.

WORK MAY INCREASE YOUR MONTHLY BENEFIT AMOUNT IN RETIREMENT

Your earnings can increase your monthly benefit amount, even after you start receiving benefits. Each year, the SSA checks your earnings record. If your latest year of earnings turns out to be one of your highest 35 years, then the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount and pay you any increase due. You can get additional estimates based on what you think your future earnings will be with the Social Security Retirement Calculator.

DON’T FORGET THAT SOME SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS CAN BE TAXED

You may have to pay federal income taxes on a portion of your Social Security benefits if your total income is above a certain amount. You should learn about Social Security’s information on benefit taxes.

HOW TO APPLY FOR SSDI AND SSI BENEFITS 

If your medical conditions keep you from working for over a year, then you may qualify for monthly SSDI benefits. Applying for benefits with our help is simple. We will help you file your application for benefits on Social Security’s website.

You may not know how to do that. Fortunately, we do. We have spent over 30 years helping clients apply for and win SSD benefits. If you receive SSDI benefits, then within 29 months of your onset date of disability, you will also receive Medicare benefits. Medicare benefits are a form of health insurance that pays your medical bills. Find out about Medicare benefits.

Make sure to apply for SSDI and SSI benefits as soon as you know that you are not going to be able to return to work. If you are already getting VA benefits, then you probably will not receive SSI benefits, because you might receive too much money from the VA. However, you can still apply for SSI benefits to see if you can get them. SSI benefits pay out from the date of your application. They also come with Medicaid benefits. Additionally, benefits do not pay if your disability began after your date last insured.

With SSDI benefits, you can receive past due benefits one year prior to the date of your application. The opposite is true with SSI benefits. SSI benefits begin the day you apply. They do not go back in time prior to that date. Learn how to check on the status of your SSDI or SSI application. If you do not apply quickly, as soon as you can no longer work, then you are losing past due benefits.

HIRE THE LAW FIRM WITH THE MOST EXPERIENCE TO WIN YOUR BENEFITS

Are ready to apply for benefits? Then you should hire the best attorney you can find. You will want to hire the firm who has the most experience in order to win your SSDI benefits. Also, you want to hire the SSDI lawyer who will support you during the application and appeal process. You should also look for a law firm who are experts in SSD benefits, like us. We want to be your legal team. Our lawyers have won over 20,000 SSDI and SSI cases in the last 30 years.

Your legal team should also consist of your doctors. Because you will need treatment and possibly surgery for your physical condition. Your doctor can order an MRI and get you the treatment you need for your back and spinal conditions. We also have information on shoulder pain and neck pain that causes you to be unable to work.

Additionally, you will also need mental health treatment if you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Anxiety Disorder. The VA provides individual and group therapy options. They also have treatment programs where you can stay in the hospital for treatment.

We have a list of free and low cost doctors and clinics in both Utah and Nevada’s free and low cost services. We also have information on Idaho’s free health services and California’s free medical services. If you are suffering from a severe medical condition, then get treatment. Next, contact us for help filing your application for SSDI and SSI benefits.

HIRE CANNON DISABILITY TO WIN YOUR SSDI BENEFITS 

Contacting our law firm is free. We offer a free review of your case. Also, we do not charge an attorney fee unless we win your case. Cannon Disability Law is one of the best firms in the country. We are one of the best Social Security law firms in Las Vegas, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah. We have won over $100 million in both ongoing and past due benefits.

The lawyers at our firm are also members of the National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives (NOSSCR). NOSSCR is a national organization that helps those who need SSDI and SSI benefits. If you need information about how to win benefits, then you can learn about Utah SSD benefits and Nevada SSD and SSI Information. If you are from California, then we have California SSDI information. However, we can represent you no matter where you live.

In order to fight the SSA’s denials, you need a law firm with years of experience. Hire us. Dianna Cannon has been helping people who need SSDI benefits for over thirty years. Brett Bunkall and Andria Summers have many years of legal experience. Mr. Bunkall has a license to practice in Idaho. Learn about filing for Idaho SSDI benefits. Colorado benefit information is also available.

Together, we have won over 20,000 SSDI and SSI hearings. You can trust us. We will do everything we can to win your benefits. Call now and win the SSD benefits you deserve.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE WINS BENEFITS

If you need SSDI and SSI benefits, then contact us for help today. While we cannot increase your monthly benefits, since they are based on your work history, we can help you win your benefits. Not many law firms understand the Social Security appeal process. We are one of just a few law firms who have years of legal experience with the Social Security system. And, we are near you.

Take advantage of our free review of your case. Call and we will answer your questions. You can explain why your medical condition prevents you from working. We will be able to tell you if you qualify for benefits. We can also help you apply. Because we are experts in SSDI benefits, we will do our best to win your benefits and make the process easy for you. If you are worried about the cost of an attorney, then learn how to hire us with no money upfront.

Find out now if we can help you obtain SSDI benefits and SSI benefits. Contact us for a free review of your case. Put our years of legal experience to work for you. We want to help you.