We have the September 2020 SSD benefits statistics report from the Social Security Administration is here, so let’s dive in. Our analysis will show how disability payments and beneficiary numbers changed during the last 30 days. These monthly reports track how much the federal government’s disability insurance and welfare benefit programs pay disabled Americans. If you’re on disability, these reports let you compare your payments against the typical amount paid nationwide. This review includes data from both the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.
September 2020 SSD Benefits Statistics Update
Total Number of Social Security Disability Beneficiaries: 9,732,000
Disabled Workers: 8,248,000
Spouses of Disabled Workers: 107,000
Children of Disabled Workers: 1,377,000
Average Monthly Social Security Disability Benefit Amount: $1,126.41
Disabled Workers: $1,259.12
Spouses of Disabled Workers: $357.57
Children of Disabled Workers: $390.96
How the September 2020 SSD Benefits Statistics Report Affects Beneficiaries
The September 2020 SSD benefits statistics report shows losses for every beneficiary category this month. The SSA struck 25,000 disabled workers from this month’s active payment rolls compared to August. In addition, the children’s category shrank by 5,000 beneficiaries since last month’s report. For the second month in a row, 1,000 spousal beneficiaries lost their active payment status in the last 30 days. Lastly, 5,000 fewer children of disabled workers received benefit payments in September compared to August. In total, that means the September 2020 SSD benefits statistics report shows 31,000 fewer beneficiaries compared to August:
To better understand these changes, here’s who the SSA approved for SSD benefits within the last 30 days:
- 52,246 disabled workers (27,530 men and 24,716 women)
- 2,508 spouses (276 husbands and 2,232 wives)
- 20,369 children of disabled workers (1,483 disabled children, 13,935 minor children and 4,951 students)
September 2020 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Monetary Stats
The September 2020 SSD benefits statistics report also lists average pay amounts for every beneficiary group. Much like August, spousal beneficiaries are the only category whose payments didn’t increase this month. Husbands and wives on SSD benefits received one penny less in September, on average. With a $.66 raise compared to last month, children saw this biggest jump in average payments. Average monthly payments to disabled workers rose $.16 between August and September. All these changes brought the average monthly SSD payment nationwide up $.39 over the last 30 days.
If you’re newly approved for SSD benefits, here are the average pay amounts broken down by category:
- $1,578.61/month for disabled workers who are men
- $1,271.56/month for disabled workers who are women
- $379.71/month for spousal beneficiary husbands
- $380.13/month for spousal beneficiary wives
- $391.57/month for minor children of disabled workers
- $419.61/month for disabled children of disabled workers
- $491.79/month for children of disabled workers who are students
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Data in the September 2020 Report
The September 2020 SSD benefits statistics report also lists any SSI program changes during the last 30 days. Unlike last month, every SSI beneficiary category gained new recipients in September:
Total SSI beneficiaries: 8,052,000 (+10,000)
Children under 18 receiving SSI: 1,130,000 (+2,000)
SSI recipients aged 18-64: 4,619,000 (+5,000)
SSI recipients aged 65+: 2,303,000 (+3,000)
For the first time since February, the September 2020 SSD benefits statistics report shows that average SSI payments went down. Currently, the average SSI payment for disabled and blind Americans aged 18-64 is $605.88/month. In August, the average SSI payment for people in that category was $606.40 per month. Seniors aged 65 and older currently receive $468.11/month in SSI benefits, on average. The average September SSI payment to children no more than 18 years old is $676.97/month.
You May Qualify for Legal Assistance
People who apply through a Social Security attorney are 2x more likely to win disability benefits on their first try. Those who qualify for legal assistance through our website typically get $10,000 in lump-sum backpay as well as monthly benefits. People who apply on their own without legal assistance usually wait at least 18-24 months for their first disability payment.
Since the SSA approves just 2 in every 5 SSD claims filed every year, legal assistance really helps you. Sign up for a free, no-obligation phone call and get confidential claim help at home. We’ll connect you with a local disability attorney who’s available to help you within one business day. These lawyers always work on contingency. That means you owe $0 for legal assistance if the SSA doesn’t approve your disability claim. And if they award you a cash settlement, then 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.