Finance calculators

SSDI Calculator

Updated Sep 9, 2026 By Jehan Wadia
Rate Formulas

Your Information

Age: 51  •  Full retirement age: 67

SSDI eligibility requires you to be under your full Social Security retirement age. Individuals born after 1960 have a full retirement age of 67.

You were 46 that year.

Select the year your disability prevented you from working.

Average monthly income: $4,166.67

Enter the average of your annual earnings over the last 10 years before you stopped working. Maximum reflects the Social Security taxable earnings ceiling.

Used to estimate work credits (4 credits per full year).

Compared against the Substantial Gainful Activity limit below.

SSA Schedule Values

SSA revises bend points and the SGA limit every year — edit these if you have a newer schedule.

Estimated Monthly SSDI Benefit

$2,014/month

Based on an AIME of $4,166.67 and the 90% / 32% / 15% bend-point formula

Estimated Annual Benefit

$24,168

Income Replacement Rate

48.3%

Your AIME

$4,166.67

How Your Benefit Was Calculated

Bend-Point Tier Rate AIME in Tier Contribution
Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) $2,014.25
Rounded down to the nearest dollar — Monthly Benefit $2,014

Step-by-Step Solution

Benefit by Bend-Point Tier

Monthly Benefit vs. Annual Income

Benefit at Other Income Levels

Average Annual Income AIME Monthly Benefit Annual Benefit Replacement Rate

Eligibility Snapshot From Your Inputs

    Introduction

    This SSDI calculator estimates how much money you could get each month from Social Security Disability Insurance. Move the sliders for your birth year, the year you stopped working, and your average yearly pay, and the estimate updates as you go.

    Social Security does not pay everyone the same amount. Your payment is based on how much you earned before your disability, not on how sick or hurt you are. Social Security takes your average monthly earnings, called your AIME, and runs it through a three-step formula. You get 90% of the first part, 32% of the middle part, and 15% of the rest. Those cut-off points are called bend points. Adding the three parts together gives your Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA. That is your monthly benefit.

    The calculator shows every step, so you can see where each dollar comes from. You also get:

    • Your estimated monthly and yearly SSDI benefit
    • How much of your old income the benefit replaces
    • A quick check on work credits and the SGA earnings limit
    • Charts and a table that compare payments at other income levels

    You can change the bend points and the SGA limit if Social Security updates them. This is an estimate, not an official award letter. For your real numbers, check your Social Security statement at ssa.gov.

    How to use our SSDI Calculator

    Enter your birth year, the year you stopped working, your past income, and your work history. The calculator shows your estimated monthly SSDI benefit, your yearly benefit, your AIME, your income replacement rate, and a step-by-step breakdown of the math.

    Your Birth Year: Slide to the year you were born. This sets your age and your full Social Security retirement age.

    Year You Stopped Working: Slide to the year your disability stopped you from working. This sets the 10-year earnings window used in the estimate.

    Average Annual Income: Slide to your average yearly pay over the last 10 years you worked. This is divided by 12 to get your AIME (average indexed monthly earnings).

    Years You Paid Social Security Tax: Type how many years you worked and paid Social Security tax. You earn 4 work credits per full year, and most people need 40 credits.

    Current Monthly Earnings: Type how much you earn each month right now. Enter 0 if you do not work. This is checked against the SGA limit.

    First Bend Point: The SSA dollar cutoff for the 90% tier. Change it only if you have a newer SSA schedule.

    Second Bend Point: The SSA dollar cutoff for the 32% tier. Income above this point counts at 15%.

    SGA Limit: The monthly Substantial Gainful Activity limit set by SSA. Earning more than this amount can make you ineligible for SSDI.

    Press Calculate to see your results, or Reset to start over with the default values.

    What SSDI Is

    SSDI stands for Social Security Disability Insurance. It is a monthly cash payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for people who can no longer work because of a serious health problem. It is not welfare. You pay for it with the Social Security taxes taken out of your paycheck, so it works like insurance you already bought.

    Who Can Get SSDI

    To qualify, you usually need to meet four tests:

    • Medical test. Your condition must stop you from doing major work and must last at least 12 months or be expected to end in death.
    • Work credits. You earn up to 4 credits a year when you work and pay Social Security tax. Most adults need 40 credits, which is about 10 years of work.
    • Recent work test. Younger workers need fewer credits, but most people need about 20 credits earned in the last 10 years.
    • Age. You must be at least 18 and under your full retirement age, which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

    How Your SSDI Payment Is Figured

    Your check is not based on how sick you are. It is based on how much you earned. SSA takes your past covered earnings and finds your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings). Then it runs your AIME through a three-step formula to get your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), which is your monthly benefit.

    The formula pays back a bigger share of low earnings than high earnings:

    • 90% of the first slice of your AIME
    • 32% of the middle slice
    • 15% of anything above the top slice

    The dollar cutoffs between the slices are called bend points. SSA sets new bend points every year, so the numbers change. The final PIA is rounded down to the nearest dollar.

    Working While On SSDI

    SSA uses a limit called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). If you earn more than the monthly SGA amount from a job, SSA usually says you are not disabled and you can lose your benefit. Blind applicants get a higher limit. SSA raises the SGA amount most years.

    Other Things To Know

    • There is a 5-month waiting period. Your first payment normally covers the sixth full month after your disability start date.
    • You get Medicare after 24 months of SSDI payments.
    • Your spouse and children may also get money, but there is a family maximum cap.
    • SSDI is different from SSI. SSI is based on low income and few assets, not on your work record.
    • When you reach full retirement age, your SSDI automatically switches to a Social Security retirement check of about the same size.
    • Benefits get a cost-of-living raise (COLA) most years.

    This tool gives an estimate only. For your exact numbers, check your earnings record in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov.

    Formulas used

    Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME)
    \text{AIME} = \frac{\text{Average Annual Income}}{12}
    AIME split across the three bend-point tiers
    \begin{aligned} A_1 &= \min(\text{AIME},\, B_1) \\ A_2 &= \max\left(0,\; \min(\text{AIME},\, B_2) - B_1\right) \\ A_3 &= \max\left(0,\; \text{AIME} - B_2\right) \end{aligned}
    Primary Insurance Amount (PIA)
    \text{PIA} = 0.90 \times A_1 + 0.32 \times A_2 + 0.15 \times A_3
    Estimated monthly SSDI benefit
    B_{\text{monthly}} = \left\lfloor \text{PIA} \right\rfloor
    Estimated annual SSDI benefit
    B_{\text{annual}} = B_{\text{monthly}} \times 12
    Income replacement rate
    R = \frac{B_{\text{monthly}}}{\text{AIME}} \times 100\%
    Work credits from years of covered work
    C_{\text{total}} = \min(40,\; 4 \times Y), \qquad C_{\text{recent}} = \min\left(20,\; 4 \times \min(Y,\, 10)\right)
    Age and Substantial Gainful Activity headroom
    \text{Age} = Y_{\text{current}} - Y_{\text{birth}}, \qquad \text{SGA Headroom} = \max(0,\; \text{SGA} - E_{\text{monthly}})

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the average SSDI payment per month?

    Most people get between $1,200 and $1,700 a month. The average is close to $1,580. The most anyone can get is around $4,000 a month, and that only goes to people who earned near the Social Security tax cap for many years.

    How long does it take to get approved for SSDI?

    A first decision usually takes 6 to 8 months. About 2 out of 3 first claims are denied. If you appeal and ask for a hearing, the whole process can take 1 to 2 years.

    Some cases move faster. People with certain severe illnesses on the SSA Compassionate Allowances list can be approved in weeks.

    How many work credits do I need for SSDI?

    Most adults need 40 credits, and 20 of them must be earned in the last 10 years. That is about 10 years of work, with 5 of those years being recent.

    Younger workers need fewer. A rough guide:

    • Under 24: 6 credits in the last 3 years
    • Age 24 to 30: credits for half the years since you turned 21
    • Age 31 and up: 20 to 40 credits, based on your age

    How much do you have to earn to get one Social Security work credit?

    In 2025 you earn one credit for every $1,810 in covered wages. You can earn a maximum of 4 credits per year, so $7,240 in a year gets you all 4. The amount goes up most years with wages.

    Can I work while receiving SSDI?

    Yes, but there is a limit. If you earn more than the SGA amount, about $1,620 a month in 2025 ($2,700 if you are blind), SSA usually decides you are not disabled.

    SSA also gives you a trial work period. You get 9 months where you can earn any amount and still keep your full check. The months do not have to be in a row.

    When do SSDI payments start after approval?

    There is a 5-month waiting period. Your first payment covers the sixth full month after your disability start date. If SSA finds you were disabled before you applied, you can get back pay for up to 12 months before your application date.

    Is SSDI taxable income?

    It can be. It depends on your total income, including half your SSDI plus any other money you get.

    • Single: tax starts above $25,000
    • Married filing jointly: tax starts above $32,000

    At most, 85% of your benefit can be taxed. Many people on SSDI alone pay no tax at all.

    What is the difference between SSDI and SSI?

    SSDI is based on your work record and the Social Security taxes you paid. There is no limit on your savings.

    SSI is for people with very low income and few assets, even if they never worked. In 2025 you can have no more than $2,000 in resources ($3,000 for a couple). Some people get both.

    Do my spouse and kids get money if I get SSDI?

    Yes, in many cases. Your minor children and a spouse caring for your child under 16 can each get up to 50% of your PIA.

    But there is a family maximum. Total family payments are capped at about 150% to 180% of your PIA, so payments get cut to fit under that cap.

    Does SSDI stop when I reach retirement age?

    The payment does not stop. At full retirement age your SSDI automatically turns into a Social Security retirement benefit. The dollar amount stays about the same. You do not need to file anything.

    When do I get Medicare with SSDI?

    After 24 months of SSDI payments. The clock starts with your first benefit month, not your approval date. Two conditions skip the wait: ALS starts Medicare right away, and end-stage kidney disease has its own rules.

    Why is my SSDI payment lower than I expected?

    A few common reasons:

    • Years with no earnings count as zero and pull your average down.
    • Only wages you paid Social Security tax on count.
    • The formula pays back only 15% of high earnings, so big salaries do not raise the check much.
    • Workers compensation or a public pension can reduce your check.

    What are Social Security bend points and why do they matter?

    Bend points are the dollar cutoffs that split your average monthly earnings into three slices. For 2025 they are $1,226 and $7,391.

    You get 90% of the first slice, 32% of the middle, and 15% of the top. This means lower earners get back a much bigger share of their old pay than higher earners. SSA sets new bend points every year.

    Can I get SSDI and a pension at the same time?

    Usually yes. A pension from a job where you paid Social Security tax does not lower your SSDI.

    But a pension from work where you did not pay Social Security tax, like some government jobs, can reduce your check under the Windfall Elimination Provision. Workers compensation can also cut SSDI so the combined total stays under 80% of your old pay.

    What health conditions qualify for SSDI?

    SSA keeps a Blue Book list of qualifying conditions. Common ones include serious back and joint problems, heart failure, cancer, severe depression or bipolar disorder, diabetes with complications, and neurological diseases like MS or ALS.

    You can still qualify if your condition is not listed. What matters is whether it stops you from doing any real work for at least 12 months.

    How often does SSA review my disability case?

    SSA does a Continuing Disability Review on a schedule based on how likely you are to get better:

    • Improvement expected: every 6 to 18 months
    • Improvement possible: about every 3 years
    • Improvement not expected: every 5 to 7 years

    Most people keep their benefits after a review.

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