Free SSDI Tool
SSDI Benefit Estimator
Get a ballpark estimate of your potential monthly SSDI payment.
Answer a few questions about your work history to see what people in similar situations often receive.
What This Tool Does
This estimator helps you understand potential benefits based on:
Work history
Earnings level
Work credits
You'll receive a monthly benefit range, not a single number — because exact amounts depend on your complete SSA earnings record.
What This Tool Does Not Do
This tool:
- Does not determine eligibility
- Does not guarantee any specific benefit amount
- Does not replace official SSA calculations
Only the Social Security Administration determines eligibility and exact benefit amounts.
How It Works
1
Answer 8 questions2
Get your range3
See next steps~2 minutes
Encrypted & private
No account needed
Common Questions
We use publicly available SSA guidance and 2026 benefit ranges to create a ballpark estimate based on your earnings history and work credits. This is not an official calculation — only SSA determines exact benefit amounts.
You earn Social Security credits by working and paying Social Security taxes. In 2026, you earn 1 credit for each $1,810 in earnings, up to 4 credits per year. Most people need 40 credits (10 years of work) to qualify for SSDI.
Yes. SSDI benefits are based on your average lifetime earnings before you became disabled. Higher earnings generally mean higher benefits, up to the maximum allowed by SSA.
You can apply for SSDI while working, but your earnings must be below the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit. In 2026, SGA is $1,620/month for most people (or $2,700/month for blind individuals).
This is a ballpark range based on general SSA formulas. Your actual benefit depends on your complete earnings record, which only SSA has. For a precise estimate, create an account at ssa.gov.
Your answers are used only to calculate your estimate. If you're logged in, we can save your results to your dashboard. We never share personal information.
Your Privacy Matters
We ask these questions to give you a more accurate estimate. Your information is encrypted and never shared without permission. BenefitKarma is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration.
Educational tool only. Not legal advice. Not a guarantee of benefits.
SSDI questions, answered
What people ask before applying for Social Security Disability.
You generally qualify if you have worked long enough to earn the right number of work credits, paid Social Security taxes, and have a medical condition that prevents you from working at a substantial level for at least twelve months. Most adults need 40 credits, with 20 earned in the last ten years.
SSDI is based on your work history and Social Security taxes you paid. SSI is a needs-based program for people with very limited income and assets, no work history required. Some people qualify for both. They have different payment amounts, health coverage, and rules.
SSDI payments are based on your lifetime earnings, not your disability. The average benefit is around $1,500 a month, with a maximum near $3,800. Our free SSDI estimator uses Social Security's formula to give you a personal estimate based on your work history.
About two-thirds of initial SSDI claims are denied, usually for missing medical evidence, gaps in treatment, doing too much work activity, or failing to follow prescribed treatment without a good reason. Most people who keep going and request a hearing are eventually approved.
Substantial Gainful Activity, or SGA, is the income limit Social Security uses to decide if you are working too much to qualify. In 2025 the SGA limit is $1,620 a month for non-blind applicants. Earning above SGA almost always leads to a denial. Our SGA checker shows you exactly where you stand.
Date Last Insured, or DLI, is the last date you have enough recent work credits to qualify for SSDI. If your disability started before your DLI, you can still qualify even if you apply later. If it started after, you do not qualify for SSDI no matter how disabling the condition is.
Initial decisions average three to six months. Reconsideration takes another three to five months. A hearing before an Administrative Law Judge often takes one to two years from request. Appeals can stretch the full timeline past three years, which is why strong initial evidence matters so much.
Most people do not need a lawyer for the initial application. At the hearing level, representation roughly doubles approval rates. Disability attorneys work on contingency, meaning they only get paid if you win. The fee is capped by federal law at 25% of back pay, up to a set maximum.