Social Security benefit amounts for 2019

Social Security benefits increased by a small amount in 2019.

Each year, Social Security calculates a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to benefit amounts, based on the consumer price index. In 2019, benefits were raised by 2.8%. This applies to Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

The amount of an individual’s SSDI benefit depends on how much they paid into the system through taxes withheld from their paycheck. The majority of SSDI beneficiaries receive a benefit between $300 and $2,200 per month. The average individual SSDI benefit in 2019 is $1,234.

For SSI, the maximum monthly benefit is $771 for an eligible individual and $1,157 for an eligible couple. This is an increase from the 2018 maximums of $750 for an individual and $1,125 for a couple. The resource limits will stay the same: $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.

The substantial gainful activity (SGA) level for a disabled, non-blind individual in 2019 is $1,220 per month, increased from $1,180 per month. This is the amount in gross monthly income above which Social Security generally considers someone to not be disabled.

Complete information about the 2019 cost-of-living adjustment is available in Social Security’s COLA Fact Sheet for 2019 (pdf).