The 2018 SSDI payment amounts and how they changed

In 2018, the average SSDI payment was $1,182 per month. The maximum payment that year was $2,788 per month for workers who had earned the highest wages before becoming disabled. These amounts were set by a formula tied to your average lifetime earnings, not by a flat rate everyone received.

The 2018 payments represented a 2 percent increase from 2017, which was the result of a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). COLA happens once per year, usually in October, and is based on inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. In some years there is no COLA at all — this happened in 2010, 2011, and 2016 because inflation was too low.

Your own 2018 payment depended entirely on your work history before you became disabled. The Social Security Administration calculated your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) using your 35 highest-earning years. If you had fewer than 35 years of work history, they counted zeros for the missing years, which lowered your payment.

Key Takeaways

  • The average SSDI payment in 2018 was $1,182 per month, with a maximum of $2,788 per month based on your earnings record.
  • Your payment amount was determined by your average lifetime earnings, not by the type or severity of your disability.
  • The 2018 payments included a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment over 2017, which happens most years but not all.
  • Family members on your record — a spouse or children — could receive their own payments based on your earnings, which did not reduce your payment.

How your earnings record determined your 2018 payment

Social Security took your 35 highest-earning years and calculated an average. They then applied a formula with three "bend points" — thresholds where the replacement rate changed. In 2018, those bend points were $885 and $5,336. The formula replaced 90 percent of your average monthly earnings up to the first bend point, 32 percent of earnings between the first and second bend point, and 15 percent of earnings above the second bend point.

This formula meant that workers with lower lifetime earnings received a higher percentage of their average earnings back as a benefit, while higher earners received a lower percentage. A worker who averaged $1,000 per month in earnings might receive $900 or more, while a worker who averaged $6,000 per month might receive $2,200 — a much lower percentage of what they earned.

If you had worked for a government employer and received a pension that was not covered by Social Security, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduced your SSDI payment. The reduction could be as much as half of your government pension, though it never reduced your payment below 50 percent of what it would have been without WEP.

Family payments on your 2018 record

If you were receiving SSDI in 2018, your spouse and children could also receive payments based on your earnings record. A spouse at full retirement age could receive up to 50 percent of your Primary Insurance Amount. A spouse under full retirement age or caring for a child under 16 could receive 75 percent of your PIA. Each child under 19 (or 19 if still in high school) could receive 75 percent of your PIA.

The total amount paid to your entire family — you plus all family members — was capped at 150 to 180 percent of your Primary Insurance Amount, depending on your situation. This meant that if you had multiple family members on your record, each person's payment was reduced proportionally so the family total did not exceed the cap. Your own payment was never reduced because family members were added; only theirs were reduced.

How 2018 payments compared to other years

The 2018 average of $1,182 was higher than 2017 ($1,159) because of the 2 percent COLA. It was also higher than 2016 ($1,163 average, though that year had no COLA increase). However, 2018 was lower than 2019 ($1,234 average with a 2.8 percent COLA) and much lower than 2023 and 2024, which saw COLA increases of 8.7 percent and 3.2 percent respectively due to higher inflation.

The maximum payment in 2018 ($2,788) was also lower than in later years. By 2024, the maximum had risen to $3,822 per month. These increases were driven by COLA adjustments and by the fact that workers retiring or becoming disabled in later years had higher lifetime earnings to base their calculations on.

Why 2018 payments matter now

If you became disabled before 2018 or were already receiving SSDI in 2018, your payment history from that year is part of your permanent record with Social Security. The agency uses historical payment amounts when calculating family benefits or when reviewing your case. If you are trying to understand how your current payment was calculated, looking at the 2018 formula and bend points can help you see how the system worked at that time.

The 2018 payment amounts are also useful for comparing how much SSDI has grown relative to inflation. If your payment has not kept pace with COLA increases since 2018, that suggests your earnings record may have changed, or you may be subject to a reduction like WEP or the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the 2018 SSDI payment amount the same for everyone?

No. Each person's payment was based on their own earnings record. The $1,182 average means half of recipients got more and half got less. Your payment could have been anywhere from the minimum (around $30 per month for someone with very little work history) to the maximum of $2,788.

Did the 2 percent increase in 2018 explore to everyone receiving SSDI?

Yes, the COLA increase applied to all SSDI recipients. If you were receiving SSDI in December 2017, your January 2018 payment was 2 percent higher. The only exceptions were people subject to the Government Pension Offset, whose SSDI might have been reduced or eliminated by a government pension.

How do I find out what my 2018 SSDI payment actually was?

You can view your payment history by logging into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Your payment stub or bank records from 2018 will also show the exact amount you received that month.

If I became disabled after 2018, how does the 2018 formula affect my payment?

It does not directly affect you. Your payment is calculated using the bend points and formula that were in effect when you became disabled or when you turned 62, whichever is later. The 2018 formula is historical information; your own calculation uses the current year's bend points.