How do they decide how much your monthly benefit is? I've worked for over 30 years and will be forced to retire by the end of the year at age 51. The last 10 years or so I've averaged about 80k per year. Not looking to get rich, but I do want to maintain my current lifestyle and not have to worry too much.

https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/form/disability-benefits-calculator


they screwed me over good when I got hurt, on work comp for 5 yrs. then released, the only income I was showing was from a settlement for one yr. (30k) so they based it on that and I got a whopping 468.00 one time ssdi payment.

probably a good idea to shoot zeek a pm and get his help on it, or find a disability lawyer close and have them on standby so you don't get hosed by the hosers.

Good luck. My wife had six neck surgeries. After #4 her neck broke and this required emergency surgeries #5 & 6. It only took 5 years for her to start getting SSDI payments. Be prepared to be denied the first time you apply. My Dad had diabetes, alzheimer's, and one leg amputated and he was denied his first time, when Mom applied.

Why do you need SSDI at 51 and forced to Retire? Plenty of low impact jobs out there most people can do, and not require them to get on the dole.

kingfish, if it is a medical condition (and I assume it is) you should start getting documentation from drs. hospitals etc. that can verify your claim.
look at your insurance and short term/long term disability and what they require.
do not expect ssdi to happen within a couple of months, I tried to explain my circumstances and got nowhere over about 2 months before I gave up.

if I remember right they take your highest 3 yrs. out of the last 5 and avg them then use some govt. formula to calculate payment.
my problem was I had been on comp for 5 yrs. and only had the settlement that was not related to comp showing as payroll info, they simply did not care about the circumstances.

good luck with it.

Here's the SSA calculator. Plug in your earnings over your working years and it'll give you a pretty close estimate of your benefits. It's a formula based off of your earnings, and your higher earnings count for less than your lower earnings do.

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/AnypiaApplet.html

I believe if you look at your SS online, theres a line that says if you retire today, your benefites will be (whatever).. It might say if you become disable today you will make (whatever)

When SS sent out annual letters they had all of the earnings info on them. The last one I got was in 2010 and they went to online only. It listed my benefits if disabled, retiring at 62, retiring at full retirement age, and at 70. Retirement benefits did not include future COLA adjustments. I think if the OP sets up a SS account he can get the exact amount without entering earnings. Back in 2010 I would have received $2,308/month if disabled. Now it would be much higher due to COLA adjustments. I believe that someone retiring at 51 with 30 years of work is going to take a hit when disability switches over to retirement. You need 35 years or work to qualify for full retirement benefits. SS is an overly complicated program.

I also believe there is a cap on the most you can make. What sux is you can make to much in SSDI to qualify for medicaid if you are not of age for medicare yet.

Got my 2021 SS statement in the mail a few days ago.

I'z gonna be rich!

Absolutely its overly complicated.

The work requirement for full retirement is only 10 years: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/credits.html
You need 40 'work credits' to claim retirement, and you can earn up to four credits in a work year.

SSDI qualifies the recipient for Medicare after one year. Yes, a person can receive too much in SSDI to automatically get medicaid, but Medicare covers most of the costs such a person needs covered anyways.

Are you suggesting that Stump Jumper overshot it by 25 years? If so, maybe just a rounding error on his part.

Wife makes to much in SSDI to qualify for Medicaid, Medicare starts 2 yrs after apporval of disability. There is a big loop hole for folks that fall into this and for folks that become disabled before retirement age.

I should have clarified. Less then 35 years and you will get a reduced amount. Every year less then 35 counts as 0 for your benefit calculation.