One of the top concerns of disability applicants is, “How much does disability pay?” The exact amount of disability payment you’ll receive will depend on factors like the kind of disability program you apply for, whether you have other income sources, the state you live in, your work history, and annual cost-of-living adjustments. How much disability benefits pay is unique for every beneficiary. Understanding these factors, learning how the Social Security Administration calculates disability benefits, and consulting a Social Security disability lawyer can help you establish how much disability payment amounts could be.

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Factors That Determine Disability Payment Amounts in Chicago

When considering disability benefits in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are the two federal disability programs you can apply for to receive monthly payments. Social Security disability lawyers are often asked, “How much is a disability check?” Several factors may impact the exact amount of disability payments an individual can expect to get in Illinois.

Type of Benefits You Qualify For

Knowing the answer to the question, “How much does disability pay?” starts with first determining whether you’ll receive your disability benefits through the SSDI or SSI program. The type of disability program you qualify for primarily determines the payment amount you’ll receive. So, how much is disability in 2025? The maximum disability payments in 2025 are $4,018 per month for SSDI and $967 per month for SSI. SSDI provides a higher earning potential.

Work History

The SSDI benefit amount you receive is based on your prior earnings, specifically, how long you worked and how much wages you paid Social Security taxes on prior to becoming disabled. According to the Annual Statistical Report on SSDI released in October 2024, the average disability payment under the SSDI program in Illinois is $1,546.15. People without a work history or sufficient work credits can receive SSI benefits.

Other Income

Your SSDI monthly benefits could be reduced if you receive other income from sources like workers’ compensation and public disability benefits. Regular income from work won’t affect your SSDI payment amount. If you’re an SSI recipient and have other income, some income will be deducted from your SSI benefit amount.

Taxation

You may pay taxes on SSD benefits if you have other income that bumps you over income thresholds. The IRS adds half of your annual SSDI payments to all your other income to determine your total income. If filing jointly, your income and your spouse’s income are considered. The thresholds for taxation of SSDI benefits by the federal government are:

  • $25,000 if your tax filing status is single, head of household, qualifying surviving spouse, or married filing separately
  • $32,000 for married couples filing jointly
  • $0 if married filing separately but lived with your spouse for a portion of that tax year

Even if your total income is above the threshold, only a portion of your SSDI benefits is taxable. SSI benefits aren’t federally taxable. Most states, including Illinois, don’t tax SSDI benefits.

COLA

The annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) impact Social Security disability benefit amounts. The SSA makes a cost-of-living adjustment to disability payments each year to keep up with rising inflation. Higher inflation results in a higher cost of living. The disability payment amounts increase with the annual COLA adjustments, which are based on the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W).

The SSA announced a 2.5% COLA for 2025, implying disability benefit recipients got a 2.5% raise in 2025.

How to Calculate Your Disability Benefits

How disability payments are calculated varies depending on the type of program.

How to Calculate SSDI Benefits

The SSA uses your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings) and PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) to calculate your monthly SSDI payment amount.

Your AIME is your average past earnings over a period of time, adjusted for inflation. The SSA uses up to 35 of your working years and finds the average of several years when your earnings were highest to calculate your AIME. The SSA will index (or adjust) your wages to account for changes in the cost of living over the years. The SSA will then average the indexed earnings of your highest-earning years to come up with your AIME.

A tiered formula that changes every year is then applied to your AIME to calculate your PIA. In 2025, the formula is 90% of your first $1,226 of AIME plus 32% of your AIME above $1,226 and through $7,391 plus 15% of any amount above $7,391. The sum is rounded down to the next lowest multiple of $0.10 to give your PIA. Your PIA will be the monthly SSDI benefit amount you’ll receive from the SSA. You can find out your PIA from your mySSA account, the SSA’s online disability benefits calculator, or by calling your Chicago Social Security office.

Receiving other government-regulated disability benefits could lower your SSDI benefits. Once you’re approved for SSDI benefits, you may be entitled to back payments. The amount of SSDI back pay you’ll receive will depend on your SSDI monthly benefit amount. The number of months of back payment you’ll get will depend on when you applied for SSDI benefits and the date the SSA decides your disability started. An attorney can help with obtaining SSDI backpay with the earliest possible onset date, enabling you to recover more back pay.

How to Calculate SSI Benefits

Calculations of SSI benefits start with the max disability payment rate, which is $967 for an eligible individual and $1,450 for a couple in 2025. Part of your countable income will be deducted from the maximum monthly benefit when calculating your benefit amount. Countable income includes earned income like wages, unearned income like disability benefits, pensions, dividends, and other incomes that aren’t from a job, and in-kind income like the value of the food and shelter someone gives you for free.

The SSA doesn’t count the first $20 of any kind of your monthly income. Additionally, it disregards the first $65 of your earned income and half of the remainder. For example, suppose you’re an SSI recipient and earn an income of $307 monthly. The SSA would disregard $20 ($307-$20=$287), and then the first $65 of your earned income ($287-65=$222), and half of the remainder ($222/2), resulting in $111. In this case, your earned income would reduce your SSI benefit amount by only $111.

There are other exceptions that SSA doesn’t consider countable income, such as the value of home energy assistance, SNAP benefits, grants, scholarships, gifts, or fellowships used for educational expenses, shelter and food you get from a nonprofit agency, and needs-based assistance from the State or local government.

When to Consult a Disability Lawyer for Assistance With Your Claim

The processes of calculating and qualifying for disability benefits on your own can be complex. The SSA rejects about 70% of initial disability claims. The first level of appeal, the Reconsideration stage, has a denial rate of over 80%. Most people go through multiple stages of appeals. Applicants who work with a disability lawyer are three times likelier to qualify for benefits. You may miss out on the disability benefits you’re entitled to by choosing to navigate the disability claims process independently. For those reasons, getting a disability lawyer involved early in the process is highly beneficial.

A disability attorney can analyze your case and determine what benefits you qualify for, how much your monthly benefits should be, and how to apply for them. An attorney can maximize your benefits by ensuring they’re calculated accurately.

A disability lawyer will know the medical evidence necessary for your condition and help you gather your medical documents and present them in a way that demonstrates why your condition is disabling and makes it hard for you to work. Lawyers help applicants fill out and strengthen their applications and submit all the necessary paperwork.

Timely and clear communication with the SSA is essential to keeping your application moving forward and speeding up the claims process. Your disability attorney will handle communications with the agency, follow up, and quickly respond to requests.

A disability lawyer can be of great help before you apply for disability benefits. Nevertheless, a lawyer can still help you even if your claim has already been denied and increase your odds of approval during the appeals process. Your lawyer will help you file an appeal. At disability hearings, your attorney will cross-examine witnesses and present compelling arguments for why you qualify for disability benefits in front of a judge.For over 14 years, Ankin Law has helped people understand the disability claims process, file their claims, and appeal denied claims. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and claim evaluation with a member of our Chicago legal team.