WILL MY SSDI BENEFIT INCREASE IF MY MEDICAL CONDITION GETS WORSE?

Here is a question we are often asked: "If my medical condition gets worse after I start getting Social Security disability, will be monthly benefit amount increase?"

The answer is No.

Social Security disability does not provide any benefit for "partial disability." Therefor, if Social Security has found you to be disabled, you are 100 percent or totally disabled. Therefore, you are receiving the maximum disability benefit available.

Also, SSDI benefits are not based on the severity of your condition(s); they are based on your lifetime earnings and age. If you become disabled prior to reaching your full retirement age, Social Security pays you an amount equivalent to your full retirement benefit. Therefore, no increase in benefits is possible.

However, Social Security will adjust your benefit payment each year based on the rate of inflation. This is called a Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA for short. In 2023, the COLA increased Social Security payments by 8.7 percent.

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Charles W. Forsythe is the founder of The Forsythe Firm, a Social Security advocacy group, in Huntsville, AL. He practices exclusively in the field of Social Security disability. He is happy to answer your questions.