Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments for May 2025 will follow the known schedule already established by the Social Security Administration (SSA), based on the beneficiaries’ date of birth. This system, in force since 1997, organizes disbursements throughout the month so that the system is not overloaded on a specific date.
Specifically, those whose birthdays are between the 1st and the 10th of any month will receive their payment on the second Wednesday of May, which corresponds to May 14, 2025. For those born between the 11th and the 20th of the month, the assigned date is the third Wednesday, that is, May 21. Finally, beneficiaries with dates of birth between the 21st and the 31st will receive their deposit on the fourth Wednesday, which will be May 28.
Why do SSDI amounts come with an extra 2.5%?
All of these amounts will include a 2.5% increase due to the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which represents an increase over the 2024 payments. Additionally, the SSA states that if any of these scheduled dates coincide with a federal holiday, the payment will be made the previous business day, ensuring that beneficiaries do not experience delays.
In 2025, the SSDI payments show a significant increase due to the cost of living adjustment (COLA). The maximum monthly amount that a beneficiary can receive is $4,018, a figure that exceeds the $3,822 established as a cap in 2024. This maximum amount applies, above all, to people with solid work histories and high incomes, who have made considerable contributions to the system throughout their career.
However, most beneficiaries do not receive this maximum amount. The overall average monthly payment in 2025 is $1,580, which represents a moderate increase compared to previous years.
An important fact is that people who have recently been approved for SSDI usually get higher payments. This is because their benefits are calculated based on more recent income, already adjusted for inflation, and because they tend to have more continuous work trajectories, without long periods without contributions. In these cases, the monthly average can be close to $1,753.
This is how the SSA calculates your SSDI disability benefit payments
Determining the individual amount depends on a complex formula that considers the beneficiary’s average earnings during his or her working life prior to disability. The SSA evaluates up to 35 years of highest reported income, discarding years with lower contributions.
This approach seeks to reflect the economic capacity of the individual before their disability, ensuring that those who contributed the most to the system receive proportional supports. However, this model also implies that people with intermittent career paths or low salaries may receive payments substantially below average.