Social Security Disability Insurance benefits provide financial support to those who cannot work due to a serious illness, injury or another disability. If the Social Security Administration has approved your benefits application, you are already ahead of the game. After all, the SSA denies most first-time benefits applications.
You should notice a 5.9% increase in your monthly SSDI benefits. This increase, which is the largest in years, is to account for an increase in the cost of living. While the SSA’s COLA adjustment is not enough to keep up with inflation, it should help.
You should not have to do anything
The COLA should be automatic. Therefore, you do not have to file any additional paperwork to see a boost in your SSDI benefits.
The SSA may make mistakes
Even though the SSA uses computer programs to issue benefits, it is not perfect. Therefore, early in 2022, you should check to see if you have received an increase. Your COLA should come with your first benefits check in January 2022, but some SSDI benefits recipients received the expansion in December 2021.
You can call customer service
If you do not receive the COLA with your SSDI benefits payment, your first step is likely to call the SSA’s customer service hotline. This is not likely to be a pleasant experience, though, as you may have to wait over an hour to talk to a representative. Still, the representative can probably tell you why the SSA has not applied your COLA.
Ultimately, if you cannot convince the SSA to pay you the benefits you deserve, you may have to explore your legal remedies.