Many Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries began receiving payments in recent years, typically after May 1997. SSDI payments are staggered monthly based on the recipient’s date of birth. This system helps prevent a backlog, as sending all 7.3 million payments at once would cause a blockage in the system.
SSDI benefits are provided to workers who have paid Social Security taxes and are unable to perform Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) due to a disability or medical condition. Before qualifying for SSDI, workers must have earned a certain number of work credits.
How Many Work Credits Do You Need to Qualify for SSDI?
The number of work credits needed to qualify for SSDI depends on your age when you become disabled. Here’s the breakdown:
- For workers aged 31 or older: You need 40 work credits, with 20 credits earned in the last 10 years before your disability began. This means you should have worked at least five of the last 10 years before the disability occurred.
- For workers aged 24 or younger: You need at least 6 credits, which is equivalent to 1.5 years of work in the three years before the disability began.
- For workers aged 24 to 31: You need to have worked half the time between your 21st birthday and the time you became disabled. For example, if you became disabled at age 30, you would need about 8 credits, which equals two years of work.
- For workers aged 31 to 42: The number of required credits increases with age, ranging from 20 to 40 credits. At least half of these credits must be earned in the last 10 years.
SSDI Payment Dates for June 2025
In June 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has scheduled SSDI payments according to your date of birth. Here are the dates:
- June 11, 2025: Beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of any month will receive their payments.
- June 18, 2025: Beneficiaries born between the 11th and 20th of the month.
- June 25, 2025: Beneficiaries born between the 21st and 31st of the month.
If you are eligible for both SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your SSI payment will be sent earlier on May 30, 2025 (since June 1 falls on a Saturday). Your SSDI payment will be sent on June 3, 2025, if you started receiving benefits before May 1997.
Maximum and Average SSDI Payments in 2025
The maximum SSDI payment for 2025 is ₹4,018 per month. However, this high amount is only for a small group of beneficiaries who had high-paying jobs and worked for at least 35 years.
For most SSDI recipients, the average monthly payment is ₹1,580. This is the amount that more than 90% of beneficiaries receive.
When workers receiving SSDI reach their Full Retirement Age (FRA), their SSDI benefits automatically convert into retirement benefits. These retirement benefits continue for life.