January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report

January 2021 SSD Benefits Statistics Report

Let’s review the January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report from the Social Security Administration (SSA). We’ll explain how federal disability benefit amounts and beneficiary numbers changed during the last 30 days. If you receive disability benefits, you can compare your monthly payments to the current national average. These reports include the latest data for both the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.



January 2021 SSD Benefits Statistics Report

Total Number of Social Security Disability Beneficiaries: 9,624,000

Disabled Workers: 8,161,000

Spouses of Disabled Workers: 104,000

Children of Disabled Workers: 1,359,000

Average Monthly Social Security Disability Benefit Amount: $1,144.26

Disabled Workers: $1,278.18

Spouses of Disabled Workers: $360.62

Children of Disabled Workers: $400.00

How the January 2021 SSD Benefits Statistics Report Affects Beneficiaries

The January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report shows the first increase in total beneficiaries since April 2020. Back then, we saw a slight bump of 1,000 recipients, only for that number to drop again the following month. This time, however, the number is much larger – and we expect the rolls to continue growing throughout 2021. Disabled workers gained another 10,000 recipients during the last 30 days. However, 4,000 fewer child SSD recipients offset some of those overall gains. Spousal beneficiaries remained flat compared to last month, resulting in a total net gain of 6,000 SSD recipients:  

January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report: total beneficiaries

Now, who added the most newly approved SSD claimants during the last 30 days? Here’s the breakdown by demographic group:

  • 48,594 disabled workers won benefits (25,441 men and 23,153 women)
  • 2,107 spousal beneficiaries (244 husbands and 1,863 wives)
  • 20,466 children of disabled workers added to beneficiary rolls (including 1,059 disabled children)

January 2021 SSD Benefits Statistics: Looking Deeper at the Monetary Stats

The January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report shows average payments went up cross the board this month. Monthly payments to disabled workers rose $1.13/month, on average. Average benefits to children of disabled workers rose $1/month, compared to December’s report. Finally, spousal beneficiaries saw their average payments increase $.11 month-over-month nationwide. On average, these shifts brought the total SSD payment nationwide up $1.58 during this 30-day period.

January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report: monthly monetary average

Here’s the monthly benefit amount broken down by statistical group for newly approved SSD claims:

  • $1,125.78 for all newly approved claimants nationwide, averaged
  • $1,455.12 for disabled workers ($1,605.48 for men, $1,289.89 for women)
  • $387.21 for spousal beneficiaries ($337.58 for men, $393.70 for women)
  • $419.86 for children of disabled workers

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Data in the January 2021 Report

The January 2021 SSD benefits statistics report also tracks the SSI program’s monthly beneficiary and payment data. Strangely, every beneficiary group (except for seniors aged 65+) shrank the same amount as it did last month. It’s the lone standout, losing just 2,000 recipients during the last 30 days:

Total SSI beneficiaries: 7,926,000 (-34,000)

Children under 18 receiving SSI: 1,100,000 (-9,000)

SSI recipients aged 18-64: 4,534,000 (-22,000)

SSI recipients aged 65+: 2,293,000 (-2,000)

Average SSI payments for all age groups rose this month, thanks to the 1.3% COLA increase going into effect. SSI payments to children younger than 18 increased $17.69/month, on average, since December. Working-age SSI recipients saw their average benefits go up $9.48/month in January. Seniors aged 65 and older received $7.09 more in SSI benefits this month, on average. When combined, these shifts in all age groups drove the average monthly SSI payment up $9.80 nationwide. Here are this month’s SSI pay amounts for each beneficiary group:

  • $585.53/month for all SSI beneficiaries nationwide, on average
  • $693.16/month for children younger than 18
  • $615.23/month for SSI recipients aged 18-54
  • $475.18/month for seniors aged 65+

People who qualify for legal assistance through this website typically get $12,000 in lump-sum backpay as well as monthly benefits. That’s because having a Social Security attorney file your claim triples your SSD approval odds on your first try. People who apply on their own without legal assistance usually wait 18-24 months for their first check, if approved. Unfortunately, the SSA is taking longer to review SSD applications while all their field offices remain closed. If you can’t afford to go years with no income, why not talk to a lawyer for free about your claim?

Every disability lawyer works on contingency. That means you pay $0 for legal assistance filing your SSD application. If the SSA won’t approve your claim, you pay your lawyer nothing. But if you win benefits, 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.