Social Security benefit amounts for 2022

 

The Social Security Administration announced that benefits will increase by 5.9 percent in 2022. This increase in benefits is the largest since 1982.

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 2022 is $3,345. The average individual SSDI benefit in 2021 is $1,277.

For SSI, the maximum monthly benefit is $841 for an eligible individual and $1,261 for an eligible couple. This is an increase from the 2021 maximums of $794 for an individual and $1,191 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 2022 is $1,350 per month, increased from $1,310 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 2022 cost-of-living adjustment is available in Social Security’s COLA Fact Sheet for 2022 (pdf).