The March 2020 SSD benefits statistics report numbers are here from the Social Security Administration, so let’s take a look. We’ll explain how the number of disability beneficiaries and average pay amounts changed in the past 30 days. These monthly disability reports let people who depend on disability compare their payments against the national average. Below, our statistical snapshot includes program data for both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
March 2020 SSD Benefits Statistics Update
Total Number of Social Security Disability Beneficiaries: 9,901,000
Disabled Workers: 8,345,000
Spouses of Disabled Workers: 112,000
Children of Disabled Workers: 1,444,000
Average Monthly Social Security Disability Benefit Amount: $1,122.20
Disabled Workers: $1,258.67
Spouses of Disabled Workers: $360.67
Children of Disabled Workers: $392.44
How the March 2020 SSD Benefits Statistics Report Affects Beneficiaries
It’s a small drop, but there are still fewer overall beneficiaries listed in the March 2020 SSD benefits statistics report. This month’s report shows 7,000 fewer disabled workers getting SSD payments than we saw in February. Spousal beneficiaries stayed flat month-over-month. Children of disabled workers added another 5,000 beneficiaries to their rolls since February’s report came out. Overall, that brings the total number of people getting SSD payments nationwide down by 1,000 this month:
Another interesting number in the March 2020 SSD benefits statistics report is the number of newly approved benefit claims. The SSA approved 68,433 claimants in March (52% men, 48% women). March was also the biggest month for newly approved SSD claims in 2019 (69,962 total, 52% men, 48% women).
March 2020 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Monetary Stats
According to the March 2020 SSD benefits statistics report, average beneficiary payments nationwide stayed flat compared to February. Payments to disabled workers rose $.52 this month, on average. Children of disabled workers also had a higher benefit payment in March, earning $.32 more. Spousal benefits saw the only drop in monthly average payments, falling $.65 between February and March:
Now, let’s compare those current average national payments to people newly approved for SSD benefits this month. According to the SSA, people just approved for SSD in March qualify for an average $1,407.44 per month. The average monthly payment for newly approved men is $1,550.84; for women, it’s $1,251.32.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Data in the March 2020 Report
What does the March 2020 SSD benefits statistics report show for latest SSI beneficiary numbers and average payments? Much like February’s report, every group of people getting SSI payments grew larger month-over-month. The biggest increase for March is the 18-64 age category, which added 10,000 new SSI recipients. SSI recipients aged 65 and up gained another 4,000 beneficiaries in March. The SSI category with the smallest increase for March is children younger than 18, adding 2,000 new beneficiaries. When you add these categories together, you get a total of 16,000 new SSI recipients nationwide this month:
Total SSI beneficiaries: 8,075,000 (+16,000)
Children under 18 receiving SSI: 1,132,000 (+2,000)
SSI recipients aged 18-64: 4,641,000 (+10,000)
SSI recipients aged 65+: 2,302,000 (+4,000)
We noted just one major pay change in the March 2020 SSD benefits statistics report for SSI beneficiaries: minor children. This month, children received $5.06 less in SSI benefits compared to February’s monetary average. Average SSI payments to working-age SSI beneficiaries increased $.31 for March. Seniors fared a little better, with payments to SSI beneficiaries aged 65+ gaining $.41, on average. Overall, the total average SSI payment nationwide was $.42 less this month compared to February.
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
Applying for disability through a Social Security attorney makes you 3x more likely to qualify for benefits the first time. Last month, the SSA shut down all Social Security offices nationwide. Applying for disability benefits by phone can take up to five hours to complete (if you can even through). And that’s if you have all your required documents assembled and ready to go when you call!
Even if you’re under a shelter-in-place order from the government, you can still get legal assistance with your claim. You can get a free, no-obligation claim evaluation online in less than two minutes. Then, an attorney calls you at home to give free legal advice about your claim. These lawyers all work on contingency, so you won’t pay anything for professional help now. Here’s the bottom line: If you’re not approved for a lump-sum back payment, you owe $0 in legal fees. And if you do get approved for benefits, you’ll only pay a small, one-time fee afterwards.
Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free disability benefits evaluation now:
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Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.