The main changes to Social Security Disability in 2025

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are getting several adjustments in 2025, most of them tied to cost-of-living increases and rule changes that take effect each January. The biggest change for most people is the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which raises monthly benefit amounts. For 2025, the COLA is 2.5 percent — lower than recent years, but still an increase from what people received in 2024.

Beyond the benefit bump, there are changes to how much money you can earn and still receive benefits, updates to how work incentives function, and shifts in the medical review process. Some changes help people on disability work more without losing payments; others tighten how the Social Security Administration reviews cases. Understanding what's different matters if you're already receiving disability or thinking about how work might affect your benefits.

Key Takeaways

  • Monthly SSDI and SSI payments will increase by 2.5 percent in 2025 due to the annual cost-of-living adjustment.
  • The earnings limit for SSDI work incentives rises to $1,550 per month in 2025, meaning you can earn more before losing benefits.
  • The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold — the income level that can end your disability case — increases to $3,822 per month for non-blind individuals in 2025.
  • Medical reviews and continuing disability reviews will follow updated criteria, and some people may be contacted to provide new medical evidence.
  • Work incentive programs like Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) have new income and resource limits.

How the 2.5 percent benefit increase works

The 2.5 percent COLA applies automatically to all SSDI and SSI payments starting in January 2025. You do not need to do anything to receive it — Social Security calculates the new amount and your payment changes on your regular payment date. If you receive $1,200 per month in 2024, your 2025 payment will be approximately $1,230.

The exact amount depends on your individual benefit calculation, which is based on your work history (for SSDI) or your income and resources (for SSI). If you receive both SSDI and SSI, you will see the increase on both. The COLA is announced in October of the prior year, so the 2.5 percent figure for 2025 was set in October 2024.

Earnings limits and work incentives in 2025

If you work while receiving SSDI, Social Security tracks your monthly earnings to determine whether you stay on the program. The trial work period — a nine-month window where you can earn any amount without affecting your benefits — remains unchanged. After the trial work period ends, your earnings are measured against the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold.

For 2025, the SGA threshold is $3,822 per month for non-blind individuals and $6,376 per month for blind individuals. If you earn more than these amounts, Social Security may find that you are no longer disabled and end your case. However, work incentive programs can help you earn more and keep your benefits. The Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) allows students under 22 to exclude up to $2,170 per month in 2025 (up from $2,110 in 2024). Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) — costs you pay to work because of your disability — can also reduce your countable earnings.

The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program lets you set aside income and resources toward a work goal without losing SSI. The resource limit for PASS accounts increases to $10,000 in 2025, and the income exclusion for PASS plans rises as well. These programs are complex, and the rules vary based on your situation, so speaking with a Social Security work incentive planning specialist can clarify what applies to you.

Changes to SSI resource and income limits

SSI recipients face strict limits on how much money and property they can own and still receive benefits. In 2025, the individual resource limit remains $2,000 and the couple limit remains $3,000. These limits have not changed in years, even as inflation has risen, which means they effectively become more restrictive over time.

The monthly income exclusion — the amount of income you can receive before it reduces your SSI payment — increases slightly in 2025. The general income exclusion is $65 per month plus half of remaining earnings. For unearned income (such as interest or other benefits), the exclusion is $20 per month. These small increases reflect the COLA but do not keep pace with actual cost-of-living changes for most people.

Medical reviews and continuing disability reviews

Social Security periodically reviews cases to confirm that recipients still meet the medical criteria for disability. These continuing disability reviews (CDRs) happen on a schedule based on how likely your condition is to improve. If your condition is unlikely to improve, you may be reviewed every five to seven years. If improvement is possible, reviews happen more frequently.

In 2025, Social Security is updating the medical criteria used in these reviews and may contact more people for new medical evidence. If you receive a letter asking for medical records or asking you to attend a consultative exam, respond promptly. Failure to provide the information can result in your case being closed. You have the right to submit your own medical evidence and to request a hearing if you disagree with a decision.

Changes to the Ticket to Work program

The Ticket to Work program allows SSDI recipients to work with an employment network or vocational rehabilitation agency while keeping their benefits and health insurance. In 2025, the program continues to operate under the same basic rules, but Social Security has expanded the list of approved employment networks in some states. If you are interested in using Ticket to Work, you can request a ticket from Social Security at any time while you are receiving SSDI.

Using a ticket does not affect your benefits when ready. Instead, it starts a period where you can work and test your ability to earn without losing SSDI or Medicare. If you earn above the SGA threshold, your benefits may stop, but you enter a grace period where you keep Medicare for a set time. The program is voluntary, and you can return your ticket if you decide not to use it.

What to do if you receive a notice from Social Security

In 2025, you may receive notices about your case for several reasons: a scheduled continuing disability review, a request for updated medical information, notification of your new benefit amount due to the COLA, or a change in your work incentive status. Read any notice carefully and note the important date for responding.

If you are asked to provide medical evidence, contact your doctor or healthcare provider right away and ask them to send records to Social Security. If you are notified of a review or a potential change to your benefits, you can request a hearing if you disagree. Social Security provides a free hearing process, and you can represent yourself or bring a representative. Keep copies of everything you send to Social Security and note the date you sent it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my SSDI or SSI payment go up automatically in January 2025?

Yes. The 2.5 percent COLA is applied automatically to all SSDI and SSI payments starting in January 2025. You will see the new amount on your regular payment date. No action is required on your part.

If I work in 2025, how much can I earn before I lose my disability benefits?

During your nine-month trial work period, you can earn any amount. After that, if you earn more than $3,822 per month (for non-blind individuals) in 2025, Social Security may determine you are no longer disabled. However, work incentive programs like IRWE and PASS can reduce your countable earnings and help you keep benefits while working.

What happens if I ignore a letter from Social Security asking for medical records?

If you do not respond to a request for medical evidence within the important date given in the letter, Social Security can close your case. Always respond to notices, even if you think your condition has not changed. If you need more time, contact Social Security and ask for an extension.

Can I use the Ticket to Work program if I want to try working in 2025?

Yes. Ticket to Work is available to SSDI recipients and lets you work with an employment network while keeping your benefits and health insurance during a trial period. You can request a ticket from Social Security at any time, and using it does not when ready affect your benefits.

Are the SSI resource limits changing in 2025?

No. The individual resource limit remains $2,000 and the couple limit remains $3,000 in 2025. These limits have stayed the same for many years, even as inflation has risen.