The August 2019 SSD benefits statistics report from the Social Security Administration (SSA) is now available, so let’s dive in. Below, you’ll learn how beneficiary numbers and average monthly payments changed in the last 30 days. We review these reports so people on disability can compare their monthly payments to the national average. This analysis uses data from both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.
August 2019 SSD Benefits Statistics Update
Total Number of Social Security Disability Beneficiaries: 9,989,000
Disabled Workers: 8,443,000
Spouses of Disabled Workers: 116,000
Children of Disabled Workers: 1,431,000
Average Monthly Social Security Disability Benefit Amount: $1,103.68
Disabled Workers: $1,236.33
Spouses of Disabled Workers: $354.08
Children of Disabled Workers: $381.79
How the August 2019 SSD Benefits Statistics Report Affects Beneficiaries
There were 18,000 fewer total beneficiaries in the August 2019 SSD benefits statistics report compared to July. Disabled workers made up most losses, dropping 15,000 beneficiaries since last month’s report. It’s no surprise that spousal beneficiaries stayed flat this month. Children of disabled workers lost 3,000 beneficiaries since July’s report came out.
As predicted, total people getting SSDI payments finally fell below 10 million this month. That’s the lowest number of disability recipients nationwide since January 2010!
August 2019 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Monetary Stats
The August 2019 SSD benefits statistics report shows raises in every category this month. Children got the biggest pay bump for August, receiving $.41 more. Spouses and disabled workers received identical increases for August. Both groups added $.21 to this month’s payments. Nationwide, total payments for all SSDI beneficiaries rose $.15 this month, on average.
As we noted earlier, SSDI beneficiary numbers are the lowest we’ve seen in years. When numbers were this low in early 2010, the average monthly payment was $920.05. Today’s SSDI beneficiaries get paid $183.63 more, on average.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Numbers in the August 2019 Report
Let’s look at SSI data in the August 2019 SSD benefits statistics report. There are now 19,000 fewer total SSI beneficiaries compared to July (8,072,000). The average monthly SSI payment nationwide fell $2.52 since July. Our chart below shows average monthly payments and the number of SSI beneficiaries by age category:
According to the August 2019 SSD benefits statistics report, 12,000 fewer children got SSI payments in August. The category of working-age Americans lost another 18,000 SSI beneficiaries since July. People 65 and older grew by 2,000 new SSI beneficiaries in August.
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
Legal assistance from a Social Security attorney triples your chances to get approved for benefits the first time you apply. A lawyer can potentially expedite your claim and get you the most benefits you deserve paid faster. Many applicants with lawyers get their first disability payment within six months. People who apply on their own without a lawyer may wait up to 26 months for their first payment. That’s because right now, the SSA denies 2 in every 5 first-time applicants for simple paperwork mistakes!
Think you can’t afford legal assistance? You won’t pay anything now for professional help. That’s because these attorneys work on contingency. In other words, if you don’t get benefits, the lawyer gets $0. And if your case does win, you’ll only pay a small, one-time fee.
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.