February 2022 SSD benefits statistics report

February 2022 SSD Benefits Statistics Report

The February 2022 SSD benefits report from the Social Security Administration (SSA) is here, along with our analysis. Each month, the SSA issues a report showing how disability pay and beneficiary numbers changed during the last 30 days. Anyone already on disability can use these reports to compare their monthly payments against the national average. Below, we’ll discuss new data from both federal benefit programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).



February 2022 SSD Benefits Statistics Report

Total Number of Social Security Disability Beneficiaries: 9,142,000

Disabled Workers: 7,810,000

Spouses of Disabled Workers: 94,000

Children of Disabled Workers: 1,238,000

Average Monthly Social Security Disability Benefit Amount: $1,222.77

Disabled Workers: $1,358.70

Spouses of Disabled Workers: $375.72

Children of Disabled Workers: $429.34

How the February 2022 SSD Benefits Statistics Report Affects Beneficiaries

There are 37,000 fewer total beneficiaries listed in the February 2022 SSD benefits statistics report than we saw in January. Disabled workers make up most beneficiary losses during this 30-day period, shrinking by 34,000 recipients. Spouses of disabled workers stayed flat month-over-month compared to January’s report. However, children of disabled workers lost 3,000 beneficiaries from that category since last month’s report came out:

February 2022 SSD benefits statistics report: total beneficiaries

Looking at the bigger picture, we see monthly SSD application approvals fell 22% from 2018 to 2021, on average. This is likely because fewer people are applying for disability, plus in-person Social Security office closings/workforce reductions during the pandemic. Since the start of 2022, the SSA approved the following new SSD claimants:

  • 92,071 disabled workers (49,331 men and 42,740 women)
  • 4,247 spouses of disabled workers (507 husbands and 3,740 wives)
  • 37,845 children of disabled workers  

February 2022 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Monetary Stats

Next, let’s review average monthly pay amounts in the February 2022 SSD benefits statistics report. Average SSD payments to spouses went down $.79 between January and February. However, benefits for children of disabled workers increased $.50 month-over-month, on average. Disabled workers’ monthly benefits went up $.20 since January’s report, bringing the national average up by $.02 for February 2022:

February 2022 SSD benefits statistics report: Monthly Monetary Average

Of course, if the SSA approved your SSD claim within the last 30 days, your average payments may be higher. Here are the latest average SSD amounts for newly approved claimants in every category:

  • $1,570.28/month to disabled workers ($1,733.35/month for men, and $1,379.38/month for women)
  • $397.13/month to spousal beneficiaries ($346.62/month for husbands, and $399.07/month for wives)
  • $445.30/month to children of disabled workers

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Data in the February 2022 Report

The February 2022 SSD benefits statistics report also includes the latest SSI monthly pay amounts and beneficiary numbers. For the first time since we can remember, every SSI beneficiary category gained new recipients during this 30-day period:

Total SSI beneficiaries: 7,692,000 (+2,000)

Children under 18 receiving SSI: 1,044,000 (+1,000)

SSI recipients aged 18-64: 4,349,000 (+9,000)

SSI recipients aged 65+: 2,299,000 (+2,000)

In addition, here are February’s average monthly SSI pay amounts for each age group:

  • $623.06/month (all SSI beneficiaries in every age group combined nationwide)
  • $724.89/month for children aged 18 and younger
  • $657.64/month for those aged 18-64
  • $511.31/month for seniors 65+ on SSI based on age and income alone

The SSA is nearly 3x more likely to award you benefits when a Social Security attorney files your claim. Those who qualify for legal assistance through this website typically get at least $12,000 at once, plus monthly benefits. People who apply on their own without legal assistance usually wait 2-3 years for payments after appealing several claim denials.

Why not sign up for a free, confidential phone call and get claim advice from an expert near you? Every disability lawyer we can get to answer your questions by phone works on contingency. That means you pay $0 for legal assistance if the SSA doesn’t award you benefits. And if you win, 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 online 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.