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How much SSDI will I get?

Enter your average indexed monthly earnings to estimate your monthly Social Security disability (SSDI) benefit, the most your family can get, and the 2026 earnings limit.

Your numbers

Work and earnings
Monthly SSDI benefit
$2,025.00

With average indexed monthly earnings of $4,000.00, your SSDI benefit is about $2,025.00 a month.

Primary insurance amount
$2,025.80
A year
$24,300.00
Family maximum
$3,038.70
Earnings limit (SGA)
$1,690.00

Monthly SSDI benefit: $2,025.00. With average indexed monthly earnings of $4,000.00, your SSDI benefit is about $2,025.00 a month.

The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use

How to calculate

Estimates your monthly Social Security disability (SSDI) benefit from your average indexed monthly earnings, with the family maximum and the 2026 substantial gainful activity limit.

Example with the default inputs (Average indexed monthly earnings $4,000.00, Year the disability began 2026, Statutorily blind No): With average indexed monthly earnings of $4,000.00, your SSDI benefit is about $2,025.00 a month.

Method: PIA = 90% of AIME to the first bend point + 32% to the second + 15% above, down to the dime; SSDI = PIA down to the dollar; family maximum = min(max(85% of AIME, PIA), 150% of PIA).

  • SSDI pays the full PIA, with no reduction for age. Bend points are those of the year the disability began; a year after 2026 uses 2026.
  • Cost-of-living adjustments after the year of disability are not included.
  • Benefits start after a five-month waiting period; you need enough recent work credits, and SSA must find you disabled.
  • Other disability payments (workers’ compensation, some public disability benefits) can lower SSDI and are not included.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Average indexed monthly earnings $3,000.00, Year the disability began 2026, Statutorily blind no gives Primary insurance amount $1,705.80, Monthly SSDI benefit $1,705.00, Family maximum $2,550.00, Earnings limit (SGA) $1,690.00.Source: SSA PIA formula and 2026 bend points; 42 U.S.C. 403(a)(6)
  2. Average indexed monthly earnings $1,000.00, Year the disability began 2026, Statutorily blind yes, Monthly earnings from work $2,000.00 gives Primary insurance amount $900.00, Monthly SSDI benefit $900.00, Family maximum $900.00, Earnings limit (SGA) $2,830.00, Your earnings at or below the SGA limit.Source: 85% of AIME = 850 is less than the PIA, so the family maximum is the PIA (42 U.S.C. 403(a)(6)); SSA 2026 SGA for the blind $2,830
  3. Average indexed monthly earnings $9,000.00, Year the disability began 2020, Statutorily blind no, Monthly earnings from work $1,700.00 gives Primary insurance amount $2,890.20, Monthly SSDI benefit $2,890.00, Family maximum $4,335.30, Your earnings above the SGA limit.Source: SSA 2020 bend points ($960 and $5,785)

How it works

1. Bend points. SSDI uses the bend points of the year the disability began (the year of eligibility). For a year after 2026, the 2026 bend points ($1,286 and $7,749) are used. Call them b₁ and b₂.

2. Primary insurance amount (PIA).

PIA = 0.90 × min(AIME, b₁) + 0.32 × (min(AIME, b₂) − b₁, not below 0) + 0.15 × (AIME − b₂, not below 0)

rounded down to the next lower dime.

3. Monthly SSDI benefit = the PIA rounded down to the whole dollar. There is no reduction for age. A year = 12 × the monthly benefit.

4. Family maximum = the smaller of (a) 85% of AIME, or the PIA if that is larger, and (b) 150% of the PIA.

5. Earnings limit. Substantial gainful activity (SGA) in 2026 is $1,690 a month, or $2,830 if statutorily blind. If you enter monthly earnings, the page says whether they are above the limit (more than the SGA amount) or at or below it.

Assumptions

  • Cost-of-living adjustments after the year of disability are not included.
  • The five-month waiting period, the work credits test and SSA’s medical decision are not modelled.
  • Workers’ compensation and some public disability payments can lower SSDI (the offset) and are not included.

Worked examples by hand

AIME $3,000, disabled in 2026. PIA = 0.9 × 1,286 + 0.32 × (3,000 − 1,286) = 1,157.40 + 548.48 = 1,705.88, down to $1,705.80. Benefit $1,705 a month. Family maximum = the smaller of 85% × 3,000 = $2,550 and 150% × 1,705.80 = $2,558.70: $2,550.

AIME $1,000, blind, earning $2,000 a month. PIA = 0.9 × 1,000 = $900; benefit $900. 85% of AIME = $850 is less than the PIA, so the family maximum is the PIA, $900. SGA for the blind is $2,830, so $2,000 is at or below the limit.

AIME $9,000, disabled in 2020, earning $1,700 a month. 2020 bend points $960 and $5,785. PIA = 0.9 × 960 + 0.32 × 4,825 + 0.15 × 3,215 = 864 + 1,544 + 482.25 = 2,890.25, down to $2,890.20; benefit $2,890. Family maximum = the smaller of $7,650 and 150% × 2,890.20 = $4,335.30. $1,700 is above the 2026 SGA of $1,690.

Other questions people ask

How is SSDI calculated?

SSDI pays your primary insurance amount (PIA), the same amount a retired worker gets at full retirement age, with no reduction for age. The PIA is 90% of the first $1,286 of your average indexed monthly earnings, 32% of the part up to $7,749, and 15% above that (2026 bend points).

What is the SGA limit for 2026?

Substantial gainful activity is $1,690 a month in 2026, or $2,830 if you are statutorily blind. Earning more than that usually means SSA does not consider you disabled. A trial work period lets people already on SSDI test work at a lower amount.

How much can my family get on my SSDI record?

Your spouse and children may get benefits too, but the total is capped by the disability family maximum: the smaller of 85% of your AIME and 150% of your PIA, and never less than your PIA.

How long until SSDI payments start?

There is a five-month waiting period: benefits start with the sixth full month of disability. You also need enough recent work credits, and SSA must decide that your condition meets its definition of disability.

What is the difference between SSDI and SSI?

SSDI is insurance you earn by working and paying Social Security tax; the amount depends on your earnings. SSI is a needs-based payment of up to $994 a month in 2026 for people with low income and few resources.