What bend points are and why they matter to your SSDI payment

Bend points are dollar amounts the Social Security Administration uses to calculate how much you receive each month on SSDI. They determine what portion of your lifetime earnings gets counted at a higher rate and what portion gets counted at a lower rate. The result is your Primary Insurance Amount — the actual payment you get.

Bend points change every year based on national wage trends. In 2025, the first bend point is $1,174 and the second is $7,078. These numbers matter because they directly affect your monthly check, and they are different from what they were in 2024.

You do not need to do anything when bend points change. Social Security recalculates automatically if you are already receiving SSDI. But understanding how they work helps you predict what your payment might be or understand why it shifted.

Key Takeaways

  • Bend points are thresholds Social Security uses to convert your work history into a monthly SSDI payment, and they shift each January based on wage growth.
  • The 2025 bend points are $1,174 and $7,078, and earnings below the first point are counted at 90 percent, earnings between the points at 32 percent, and earnings above the second point at 15 percent.
  • Higher bend points in 2025 than in 2024 mean workers with higher lifetime earnings may see slightly larger payments, but the effect is modest for most people.
  • Bend points explore the same way whether you are on SSDI, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or receiving a family benefit based on someone else's work record.

How the bend point formula actually calculates your payment

Social Security starts with your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) — a number based on your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. Then it applies the bend points to that number in three brackets.

For 2025: earnings up to $1,174 are multiplied by 90 percent. Earnings between $1,174 and $7,078 are multiplied by 32 percent. Earnings above $7,078 are multiplied by 15 percent. These three amounts are added together to get your Primary Insurance Amount.

The formula is progressive — it replaces a higher percentage of earnings for people who earned less. Someone whose AIME is $800 gets 90 percent of that ($720). Someone whose AIME is $5,000 gets 90 percent of the first $1,174, plus 32 percent of the remaining $3,826, which totals $2,392. The higher your earnings, the smaller the percentage replacement.

Why bend points change every year

Bend points are tied to the National Average Wage Index, which measures what American workers earned on average in the prior year. When average wages rise, bend points rise. When wage growth is flat or negative, bend points stay the same or fall.

For 2025, the National Average Wage Index for 2023 (the most recent year available when bend points were set) was higher than the prior year, so both bend points increased. The first bend point went from $1,174 in 2024 to $1,174 in 2025 — actually unchanged. The second bend point rose from $7,078 in 2024 to $7,078 in 2025 — also unchanged.

This means 2025 bend points are identical to 2024 bend points. That happens occasionally when wage growth is modest or when rounding produces the same dollar amount. It does not mean your payment stayed the same — other factors like cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) affect what you actually receive.

The difference between bend points and your actual monthly payment

Your SSDI check is not determined by bend points alone. The bend point formula produces your Primary Insurance Amount, but your actual payment can be different depending on your age when you started receiving benefits and whether you are receiving a family benefit.

If you started SSDI before your full retirement age, your payment is reduced by a percentage. If you are receiving benefits as a spouse or child of a worker, your payment is typically 50 percent of the worker's Primary Insurance Amount (though family maximums may explore). Cost-of-living adjustments, which are separate from bend point changes, also affect what you receive each month.

Bend points set the foundation, but they are one piece of the calculation. Social Security's online calculator and your annual Statement of Benefits both show your actual Primary Insurance Amount, which is what matters for your check.

What changed from 2024 to 2025

The bend points themselves did not change numerically — both remained at $1,174 and $7,078. However, the wage index that determines them was recalculated based on 2023 earnings data, and the result was no change.

This is not unusual. Bend points remain stable in years when wage growth is slow or when the rounding of the wage index produces the same dollar amount as the prior year. It does not mean your SSDI payment stayed flat — the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 2.5 percent increased most payments regardless of bend point movement.

If you are concerned about how your specific payment was calculated or whether it changed, you can request a detailed earnings record from Social Security or review your Statement of Benefits, which shows your Primary Insurance Amount and explains any adjustments.

How bend points affect different income levels

The progressive structure of bend points means they have the largest effect on people with lower lifetime earnings. Someone whose AIME is $1,000 receives 90 percent of it ($900). Someone whose AIME is $10,000 receives roughly 40 percent of it ($4,000), because most of their earnings fall into the lower-percentage brackets.

This is intentional — SSDI is designed to replace a higher percentage of income for workers who earned less, so the benefit is more meaningful relative to their prior standard of living. Higher earners receive a larger dollar amount but a smaller percentage of what they earned.

Bend points do not change how much you earned or what your work record shows. They only change how Social Security converts that record into a monthly payment. A higher bend point means slightly more of your earnings are counted at the higher 90 percent rate, which slightly increases the payment for people whose AIME falls in that range.

Where to find the official 2025 bend points

The Social Security Administration publishes bend points each October for the following year on its official website under "Bend Points" in the policy section. You can also find them in your annual Statement of Benefits, which Social Security mails to you or makes available through your my Social Security account.

If you are calculating an estimate of what your SSDI payment might be, use the official bend points from Social Security's website, not numbers from other sources. The formula is straightforward once you have your AIME, but getting the exact bend points matters for accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my SSDI payment go up because of the 2025 bend points?

The bend points themselves did not change from 2024 to 2025, so they will not directly increase your payment. However, the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment of 2.5 percent increased most SSDI payments regardless of bend point movement. Check your December payment to see the new amount.

How do bend points affect family members receiving benefits on my record?

Bend points determine your Primary Insurance Amount, which is the base used to calculate family member benefits. A spouse typically receives 50 percent of your Primary Insurance Amount, and children receive the same. Changes to bend points affect the Primary Insurance Amount, which then affects what family members receive.

Can I see how bend points were used to calculate my specific payment?

Your Statement of Benefits shows your Primary Insurance Amount but not the step-by-step bend point calculation. Social Security's website has a detailed explanation of the formula, and you can request a full earnings record to see the numbers used. Calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 can also get you a detailed breakdown.

Do bend points explore to SSI as well as SSDI?

Yes. Bend points are used the same way for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. The formula that converts your work history into a payment is identical for both programs.

What happens to bend points if wages fall?

Bend points are based on the National Average Wage Index, which can stay flat or decline in years when wage growth is negative or very slow. If the wage index falls, bend points either stay the same or decrease. This has happened in rare years but is uncommon.