How Much Will You Get in Social Security Disability Benefits?

For disabled Michigan residents, paying their monthly bills can be intimidating. They may wonder how they will make ends meet now that they are not working. Social Security Disability benefits can provide some relief to these disabled Michiganders, but how much? How much will you get if you are approved for social security disability benefits?

How are Social Security Disability Benefits Calculated?

Often, your social security disability benefits will be lower than your wages before you stopped working. That’s because SSDI is not just based on your current income. It depends on your income history over the whole time you have been paying into the social security system. Most people get raises and higher-paid positions over time, so their benefits checks seem small because they are based in part on a previous, smaller salary. That’s why it is so important for people applying for SSDI to take a serious look at their monthly expenses. There may be budget items that need to be reduced, or even eliminated entirely, to make up for the lower income.

How Much Will You Get in Social Security Disability Benefits?

The calculations for determining your social security disability benefits may seem obscure, but they are not entirely unpredictable. If you are waiting on a decision from the Social Security Administration, you can use one of their online calculators to determine what you might get in social security disability benefits. The Quick Calculator is a good tool if you have been working at the same job for several years, because it estimates your previous years’ income based on your current salary, adjusted down based on average income growth statistics. If your work history has been more erratic – like if you changed jobs often or have been off work because of your disability – the Detailed Calculator lets you input your entire work history to get the most accurate estimate.

Using the Quick Calculator can give you a rough idea of what you can expect in social security disability benefits. Based on 2020 numbers, a person born in 1975 with a current salary of $40,000 can expect around $1,552 per month. A 50 year old earning $100,000 per year could receive about $2,649.

Remember that all of these figures are based on a complete inability to work. That means Michigan residents hoping to supplement their Social Security disability benefits with traditional wage income could be at risk. Talk to a Michigan Social Security Lawyer like William Crawforth before you start working to be sure you don’t lose the benefits you worked so hard to get.