Social Security benefit amounts for 2021

Social Security benefits increased by a small amount in 2021.

Each year, Social Security calculates a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to benefit amounts, based on the consumer price index. In 2021, benefits were raised by 1.3%. 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 highest individual SSDI benefit in 2021 is $3,148. The average individual SSDI benefit in 2020 is $1,258.

For SSI, the maximum monthly benefit is $791 for an eligible individual and $1,191 for an eligible couple. This is an increase from the 2020 maximums of $783 for an individual and $1,175 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 2021 is $1,310 per month, increased from $1,260 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 2021 cost-of-living adjustment is available in Social Security’s COLA Fact Sheet for 2021 (pdf).