A 3.6% cost-of-living increase will raise Social Security and SSI disability payments in 2027. Here’s what to know about the increased benefit amounts and eligibility limits.
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Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are increasing by 3.6% for 2027. This cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) raises monthly payments to help recipients keep up with inflation. But benefit amounts aren't the only numbers that change: certain earnings limits and other figures used to determine eligibility for disability benefits also increase. The 2027 changes can matter whether you're applying for benefits or already receiving payments and considering working.
Below, you'll find a chart summarizing the key changes for 2027, followed by explanations of the new SSDI and SSI payment amounts, work-related income limits, and earnings needed to qualify for work credits.
|
Limit |
2026 |
2027 |
|---|---|---|
|
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) |
$1,690 |
$1,770 |
|
SGA for Blind Persons |
$2,830 |
$2,950 |
|
Maximum SSDI Benefit |
$4,152 |
$4,188 |
|
Average SSDI Benefit |
$1,642 |
$1,701 |
|
Average SSDI Payment Including Spouse and Children |
$2,937 |
$3,077 |
|
Maximum SSI Benefit |
$994 |
$1,029 |
|
SSI Student Income Exclusion |
$2,410 (up to $9,730 annually) |
$2,500 (up to $10,080 annually) |
Social Security will start sending the increased payments to Social Security recipients in January 2027 and to SSI recipients on December 31, 2026.
How Have SSDI Amounts Changed for 2027?
SSDI recipients and their eligible family members will receive higher monthly payments in 2027. Here’s a look at how the increase affects average benefits and the maximum payment available.
Individual benefit amount. Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) payments have increased by 3.6% for 2027. Social Security expects the average monthly SSDI benefit to be $1,701 in 2027, and the most anyone can receive is $4,188 per month (there is no minimum amount).
Dependent benefit amounts. Benefit amounts for the spouses and children of disabled workers have also increased by 3.6%. The average amount that a disability recipient with a spouse and one or more children will receive is $3,077.
Has SSDI Eligibility Changed for 2027?
Several dollar thresholds tied to SSDI eligibility have increased for 2027, including how much you can earn from working and how much income you need to earn a work credit. Here’s what’s changed.
SSDI income limits. Social Security will consider you for SSDI benefits only if you aren't working or if you’re making less than $1,770 per month from working (up from $1,690 in 2026). If you're legally blind, you can make up to $2,950 per month. These are the "substantial gainful activity" (SGA) limits. On an annual basis, the SGA amount works out to income of $21,240 per year, or $35,400 if you're blind.
Trial work period. SSDI recipients are allowed nine separate months to try working over the SGA limit without losing their full monthly benefit. But any month you make less than $1,270 (in 2027) doesn’t even count as part of the trial work period and won’t affect your benefits at all.
SSDI unearned income limits. As to income that's not "earned" (like gifts, pension income, interest income, or unemployment benefits), the SSDI program has no limits.
Number of work credits. To be "insured" (eligible) for SSDI, you must have paid into the system for a number of years, either by paying FICA taxes in a job covered by Social Security or by paying self-employment taxes. Social Security keeps track of how much you've worked by giving you "credits" for each calendar quarter you worked.
The number of work credits you need varies for people of different ages, but to give you some examples, a 50-year-old needs 28 credits (7 years), and a 60-year-old needs 38 credits (9.5 years).
Income per credit. The amount of income needed to earn a credit for one calendar quarter of Social Security coverage increases in 2027 to $1,970, but you can only earn four credits per year. (See our article on SSDI work credits for more information.)
Attorney fees. The maximum fee that Social Security disability attorneys are allowed to charge stays at $9,200 for 2027, and Social Security can take no more than 25% of your back payments (and none of your ongoing payments) to pay the fee.
How Have SSI Amounts Changed for 2027?
Federal SSI payments are higher in 2027, but the amount you receive depends on your income, living arrangements, and whether your state adds a payment of its own.
Federal monthly SSI payment. The new federal payment for disabled SSI recipients is $1,029 per month. For married couples who live together and who both receive SSI, the monthly payment is $1,544. SSI recipients will receive less if they receive free rent from friends or relatives, or if they’re making any income.
State supplementary payments. Most states also add a state supplement onto the federal amount, at least for some categories of SSI recipients. Some states are also increasing the supplement amounts for 2027, but many have opted not to.
Has the SSI Income Limit Changed for 2027?
SSI’s income limits have increased for 2027, but there isn’t one cutoff that applies to everyone. The rules differ depending on whether you’re applying for benefits or already receiving them.
SSI income limit when you apply. When you apply for SSI, you can't be making more than $1,770 per month from working. If you're legally blind, you can't be making more than $2,950 per month.
After you've started receiving SSI benefits, you're no longer prevented from making more than $1,770 (or $2,950 for those who are blind or have low vision). Those are the SGA limits, and they no longer apply to SSI recipients. But the SSI program does have an ongoing income limit for all recipients.
SSI income limit after approval. The SSI income limit applies after you’ve started receiving benefits. Here's how it works. Any income you have (earned income like wages or unearned income like gifts) over $1,029 will reduce your benefit. But Social Security doesn't count over half of the income you receive from work.
The way the math works is that you can actually make about $2,143 from working before your SSI payment is reduced to zero. That's because Social Security doesn't count $85 of your income plus half the remainder. So, say you make $2,099. Social Security will only take $1,007 of that (($2,099-$85)/2 = $1,007) out of your SSI check, leaving you with a $22 benefit ($1,029 - $1,007). Here are some more examples of how your SSI payment could be reduced because of income.
In 2027, if you make $775 per month and you live on your own (not receiving free rent), your SSI benefit would be $684 per month ($1,029 - ($775-$85)/2).
If you make $1,475 per month, your SSI benefit would only be $334 (($1,029 - ($1,475-$85)/2). The more you make, the lower your SSI benefit will be.
In-kind income. If you receive free housing or discounted rent from a friend or family member, Social Security could treat this as "in-kind income" and lower your monthly SSI payment. But for 2027, if you pay at least $353 per month in rent, your SSI payment won't be reduced, even if your apartment or house is worth a lot more. Learn more in our article on in-kind income and support.
Student income exclusion. For students who receive SSI, the income exclusion amount (the amount of income you can make without losing your benefits) is $2,500 per month, up to an annual limit of $10,080.
Asset Limits for 2027
The resource (asset) limits for SSI remain the same as last year: $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. The SSI asset limit hasn't been raised since 1989.
The SSDI program doesn't have an asset limit. That's because SSDI is an insurance program that people pay into out of every paycheck; it's not a needs-based (low-income) program like SSI. So you don't need to have few resources to receive Social Security disability benefits (just like for Social Security retirement benefits).
For more information about qualifying for disability, applying for benefits, or working while receiving payments, explore our Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) sections.
