2026 Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart
Social Security disability benefits are an important resource for people in the United States who can no longer earn a living due to an injury or medical condition. There’s a lot to know about disability, from how you qualify to when you can expect payment to how much you’ll receive in benefits.
Here are three charts to help you understand what to expect.
Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart
In the “old days,” Social Security disability benefits were paid on the 3rd of the month, unless that date fell on a weekend or holiday. However, nearly 30 years ago, the Social Security Administration (SSA) broke up the payment schedule. Now, most recipients’ payment dates depend on when they were born–not how old they are, but the day of the month they were born.
Here’s how it breaks out:
| If you….. | Your benefits are paid on… |
| Started receiving benefits before 1997, regardless of your birth date | The 3rd day of the month following the benefit month |
| Were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month and started receiving benefits after 1997 | The 2nd Wednesday of the month following the benefit month |
| Were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month and started receiving benefits after 1997 | The third Wednesday of the month following the benefit month |
| Were born on the 21st through the 31st of the month and started receiving benefits after 1997 | The fourth Wednesday of the month following the benefit month |
If you receive both Social Security disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you will receive those payments separately. Your disability benefits will be paid according to the schedule above and your SSI benefits on the 1st of the month.
If the scheduled pay date lands on a weekend or holiday, benefits will be paid on the last business day before the scheduled date. This arises more often for SSI recipients and disability recipients on the old payment schedule, since the Wednesday schedule avoids weekends and several federal holidays.
In 2026, here are the deviations from the standard schedule.
For SSI recipients:
- Benefits normally payable on the 1st of February will be paid on January 30
- Benefits normally payable on the 1st of March will be paid on February 27
For old-schedule SSD recipients:
- Benefits normally payable on January 3 will be paid on January 2
- Benefits normally payable on July 3 will be paid on July 2
- Benefits normally payable on October 3 will be paid on October 2
Average Social Security Disability Benefits Pay
The amount you receive in monthly Social Security disability benefits will depend on your work history. Your benefit is calculated using the 10 highest-earning years of your working life, so if you had higher earnings during your career–even if it wasn’t stable across all of your working years–your benefits will be higher.
As of November 2025, the average monthly disability benefits paid to a disabled worker under the SSD program was $1,588.52/month. That’s an increase of about $7 compared with May of 2025. That number typically increases slightly over time, as the average monthly benefit for new recipients is typically higher than the average of all recipients. For example, the average benefit for disability recipients newly awarded benefits during December of 2025 was $1,811.02/month.
However, SSD averages vary by state. Here are the most recent state-by-state averages for disabled workers as reported by the SSA.
| State | Average Monthly Disability Benefit |
| Alabama | $1,507.49 |
| Alaska | $1,523.18 |
| Arizona | $1,597.07 |
| Arkansas | $1,469.77 |
| California | $1,579.42 |
| Colorado | $1,549.58 |
| Connecticut | $1,608.41 |
| Delaware | $1,662.86 |
| District of Columbia | $1,378.29 |
| Florida | $1,578.85 |
| Georgia | $1,538.65 |
| Hawai’i | $1,585.85 |
| Idaho | $1,512.08 |
| Illinois | $1,546.15 |
| Indiana | $1,530.25 |
| Iowa | $1,463.71 |
| Kansas | $1,489.09 |
| Kentucky | $1,500.39 |
| Louisiana | $1,471.70 |
| Maine | $1,450.74 |
| Maryland | $1,599.45 |
| Massachusetts | $1,548.85 |
| Michigan | $1,563.70 |
| Minnesota | $1,529.74 |
| Mississippi | $1,465.46 |
| Missouri | $1,493.45 |
| Montana | $1,463.41 |
| Nebraska | $1,442.38 |
| Nevada | $1,623.33 |
| New Hampshire | $1,586.41 |
| New Jersey | $1,711.30 |
| New Mexico | $1,449.88 |
| New York | $1,599.71 |
| North Carolina | $1,539.66 |
| North Dakota | $1,440.39 |
| Ohio | $1,474.77 |
| Oklahoma | $1,474.82 |
| Oregon | $1,510.19 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,548.78 |
| Rhode Island | $1,520.22 |
| South Carolina | $1,567.72 |
| South Dakota | $1,444.26 |
| Tennessee | $1,501.73 |
| Texas | $1,515.53 |
| Utah | $1,525.77 |
| Vermont | $1,449.45 |
| Virginia | $1,550.88 |
| Washington | $1,549.05 |
| West Virginia | $1,515.56 |
| Wisconsin | $1,513.08 |
| Wyoming | $1,535.81 |
While the average from state to state varies by only a few hundred dollars, the range of actual disability benefits can be much larger. The amount of your Social Security disability benefits will be the same as the amount you would have received in retirement benefits if you’d reached full retirement age. In 2026, the cap for that monthly SSD benefit is $4,152.00/month.
How Long Does It Take to Get Social Security Disability?
The time it takes to receive Social Security disability benefits depends on whether your initial application is approved or you have to request reconsideration and possibly appeal. If you do have to appeal, it also depends in part on where you live.
The SSA says that, on average, it takes three to five months to get an initial determination. If that application is denied, you’ll have 60 days to submit a request for reconsideration. Processing time for the request for reconsideration is similar to the initial application timeline. If you are denied again on reconsideration, the next step is to request a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ).
The SSA says the average wait time for a hearing is 8-10 months, but that time varies based on location. We don’t yet have data for 2026, but as we enter the year wait times are trending downward. As of December of 2025, the national average wait time for an SSD hearing before an ALJ was 263 days (about 8 months and 3 weeks). That’s down from 288 days in June of 2025 and 293 days the previous December.
The gap in wait time has shrunk somewhat compared with recent years. Here are the locations with the shortest and longest average wait times based on the most recent data available.
| Centers with Average Wait Times of 6 Months | Centers with Average Wait Times of 12 Months |
| Birmingham | Lawrence, MA |
| Charleston, WV | Santa Barbara |
| Columbia, MO | Springfield, MA |
| Evansville | |
| Fort Wayne | |
| Grand Rapids | |
| Houston North | |
| Jackson, MS | |
| Lexington | |
| Kingsport | |
| Louisville | |
| Macon | |
| Mcalester | |
| Memphis |
The wait times listed above represent the time it takes to get to a hearing. After an ALJ hearing, you can typically expect to wait a few to several additional months for a decision.
Give Yourself the Best Chance Possible at Approval
If your claim is initially denied and you follow each step within the allowed time, you may still be awarded Social Security disability benefits. And, in most cases, you’ll receive benefits dating back to the filing of your initial application–in some cases, a bit further back. But, waiting months or even years to start receiving benefits can be tough.
Most disability applications are initially denied, and there are no guarantees. But having the right advocate at your side can increase your chances of approval by ensuring that you avoid common pitfalls and provide the strongest evidence possible. To learn more about how Disability Help Group can assist, call 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form here.
FAQs:
Social Security Disability benefit amounts are not the same for everyone. Payments are based on your work history, earnings, and when your disability began. The 2026 Social Security Disability benefits pay chart below provides a general look at how monthly SSDI payments may vary, helping you better understand what to expect while your claim is being reviewed.
1. How should you read a Social Security Disability pay chart for 2026?
A Social Security Disability pay chart shows estimated monthly benefit amounts based on a person’s past earnings and work history. The 2026 chart helps applicants understand how income levels can affect SSDI payments, but actual benefit amounts are determined individually by the Social Security Administration.
2. Does everyone receive the same SSDI amount shown in the 2026 pay chart?
No. SSDI benefits are not a flat rate. The amounts shown in a 2026 Social Security Disability pay chart represent examples or ranges, not guaranteed payments. Your final monthly benefit depends on how much you earned and paid into Social Security over your working years.
3. Can your SSDI payment be different from the chart amount in 2026?
Yes. Many factors can cause your actual SSDI payment to differ from chart estimates, including your disability onset date, prior earnings, and any applicable cost-of-living adjustments. The chart is a helpful reference, but it does not replace an official benefits determination from Social Security.
