The Social Security Administration (SSA) funds both retirement and SSDI benefits. On the contrary, the Federal Government provides the necessary money for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Therefore, workers give money to SSA’s Trust Fund, while the Fed gives cash to pay this supplement to low-income Americans with a disability, blind or seniors aged 65 or older.
The American benefit of these three that has the smallest maximum amount is the SSI program. Bear in mind that it can pay up to $1,415 for married couples, $943 for individuals and $472 for an essential person.
SSI will give fewer dollars to beneficiaries after COLA
Even if the Social Security Administration has granted a 2.5% COLA increase, it will be more beneficial for those who have larger payment amounts. For example, the SSI program can only give up to $24 extra to individual, while the maximum amount after COLA for couples will be of up to $35 dollars.
Compare the maximum amounts for SSI:
- individuals on Supplemental Security Income maximum amounts: $943 in 2024 & $967 in 2025 after COLA
- married couples on Supplemental Security Income maximum amounts: $1,415 in 2024 & $1,450 in 2025 after COLA
- an essential person on Supplemental Security Income maximum amounts: $472 in 2024 & $484 in 2025 after COLA
SSDI and retirement recipients will get more dollars after COLA than SSI
While SSI will have a boost of up to $35 dollars, retirees will get an almost $50 increase on average. AS you can see, there is a considerable difference. Hence, the higher your payment is, the more dollars you will receive from Social Security.
The average check for retirement will be about $1,927 in December and it will become $1,976 in January after the COLA boost. In the middle, between Supplemental Security Income and retirement benefits will be SSDI.
SSDI recipients can receive payments of up to $3,822 and they get about $1,539 on average. If compared to the maximum amount for couples on SSI, there is a huge difference. Since SSDI can get $38 extra after COLA but it is an individual payment.
