SSDI & SSI Benefit Lawyers in Cincinnati

SSDI benefits are calculated based on the type of benefits you wish to receive, whether or not you have paid into Social Security for your working life, and what your current income level is. The exact formula is complex and weighs several values differently in order to come to a benefit number. There is also a maximum amount you can receive in benefits, a number that updates every year. 

SSDI benefits take into account the amount of money you have earned on which you have paid Social Security taxes—known as “covered earnings.” The amount you have paid into the system, averaged over the number of years in which you paid it, gives you a number known as your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). Most people don’t know this number off-hand or even have records accurate enough to determine it on their own, so you can get it from the Social Security Administration by requesting a Social Security statement. 

From there, a formula is applied to your AIME to calculate your “primary insurance amount” (PIA), which is the base figure the SSA uses when determining your benefit award. This formula is adjusted year by year for things such as inflation and increased cost of living. From there, your PIA is then used to determine what your monthly award should be. 

There is an easier way to calculate a rough estimate, however, and it’s conveniently available online. The only thing you need is your salary information over the years you’ve worked, and you can plug in numbers to come up with a number that will likely be fairly close to your actual award. You can find that calculator online here.