The Biggest Ways Your Disability Case Might Change in 2022
Every year, the US government makes changes to disability benefits. At our Memphis SSDI law firm, we keep up with these new rules to make sure you have the highest chance of success.
If you’re applying for disability benefits, you may want to know how this year is different from last year. Here are some of the biggest ways disability has changed in 2022, and how each change might affect you and your case:
Cost of Living Increases
The Social Security Administration (SSA) takes an annual look at the cost of living and uses these numbers to set payments for the coming year. This is called a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).
This year, disability recipients will receive a 5.9% increase in their benefits. As a result, average monthly payments will rise from $1,282 to $1,358. (This is just the average: the actual numbers will vary depending on your situation.)
This is the highest increase in disability benefits since 1982! But why?
First, the COVID pandemic had a huge impact on the economy, including for people with disabilities.
Second, spikes in inflation have made everything more expensive. As you can probably tell from your own gas and food bills, the cost of living is much higher this year than in previous years. The SSA takes all of this into consideration.
This change shouldn’t affect your application at all, but it will affect what you will receive if and when you are approved for SSDI. For anyone struggling to pay the bills right now, a cost of living increase can make all the difference.
Changes to Rules Around Other Income
You can receive disability benefits while working some part-time on the side. Every year, the SSA decides exactly how much you can make and still receive benefits.
In 2022, this number rose from $1,310 a month to $1,350 a month.
Supplementing your income can be extremely helpful, and many of our SSDI clients make money on the side through Uber, e-bay, and a thousand other creative jobs. However, if you make too much, you can be penalized and denied disability benefits.
If you’re applying for SSDI in 2022, make sure you’re not making more than $1,350 per month in additional income.
How Our Memphis SSDI Law Firm Can Help
Applying for SSDI can be an incredibly stressful experience. The SSA asks for a ton of information, and then after you do all that work, they deny the majority of cases.
When you’re denied SSDI, get a lawyer and appeal. This is the next step, and it’s the easiest and most foolproof way to get the benefits you need and deserve.
Our Memphis SSDI lawyers study all these numbers and use them to build you the strongest case possible. We fight for you, and we don’t get paid a penny unless you win. Even better: we only get paid a fraction of what you are owed for the past—you keep every dollar you win moving forward.
To get started, give us a call at 901-327-2100 or fill out the form below. I look forward to speaking with you.