Living with a disability in the United States not only involves facing physical or emotional challenges, it also requires great strength to deal with the economic instability that often accompanies this situation. For this reason, monthly disability payments from Social Security have become a real pillar for those who cannot work due to a medical condition. These checks offer more than just money: they provide peace of mind, predictability and a little respite.
One of the keys that makes this system fairer over time is the annual adjustment for COLA, the increase applied to payments to compensate for the effect of inflation. Thanks to this mechanism, the amount of the checks increases slightly each year, protecting the purchasing power of millions of people. For 2025, the increase has been 2.5%, which is already being reflected in the April deposits.
And in the week just beginning, thousands of beneficiaries are about to get their new payment with the COLA increase already incorporated. This extra income, although it may seem small in percentage terms, can make a big difference when every dollar counts.
Who will get the check on April 23rd with the COLA increase?
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 is a date marked in red for those who are part of group 4 of Social Security retirees, which also includes beneficiaries with a disability. This category includes all those who started receiving their payments after May 1997 and whose birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of the month. It is a large and diverse group, made up not only of retirees due to age or disability, but also of those who receive benefits as a spouse or survivor.
Payments are made following this monthly pattern, and the one on April 23 will already include the 2.5% increase corresponding to the 2025 COLA. Those who use direct deposit into their bank accounts are usually the first to get the money, sometimes even in the early hours of the morning. That punctuality makes all the difference for many families who have urgent expenses to cover and no margin for waiting.
With the COLA adjustment, the maximum check for disability retirement has increased to $4,018 per month in 2025. Of course, reaching that amount depends on many factors: high income during working life, more than 35 years of contributions and having applied for the benefit at the most favorable time. Although not everyone gets that amount, each beneficiary can count on a small increase which, added up month by month, ends up making a big difference in the annual budget.