Each year, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients rely on cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to offset inflation. These adjustments significantly affect household budgets, but most people do not understand how the COLA is calculated. Contrary to popular belief, COLAs are not discretionary increases or political decisions. They are determined by a legally required formula and applied automatically by the Social Security Administration (SSA). What Is a Social Security COLA? A cost-of-living adjustment is an automatic increase intended to preserve the purchasing power of Social Security benefits when consumer prices rise. COLAs apply uniformly across Social Security programs, including: SSDI SSI Retirement benefits Survivors benefits There is no separate COLA calculation for disability benefits. SSDI beneficiaries receive the same percentage increase as retirees. See 42 U.S.C. § 415(i) . The Inflation Index Used: CPI-W The Social Security COLAs are based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) . The CPI-W measures changes in prices for a market basket that includes: Food and beverages Housing Transportation Energy (gasoline and utilities) Medical care Apparel and other consumer goods Federal law requires the SSA to use CPI-W—not an index tailored to retirees or people with disabilities. See 42 U.S.C. § 415(i)(1)(B) . How the COLA Is Calculated COLAs are determined using a three-month comparison, not annual inflation totals: The SSA calculates the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of the current year. That average is compared to the highest prior average for those same months in any previous year. If the current average exceeds the prior peak, the percentage increase becomes the COLA. If not, no COLA is paid. Benefits are never reduced due to inflation. They either increase or remain unchanged. The SSA explains this process in detail here . Why COLAs Often Feel Inadequate Many disability beneficiaries feel that COLAs do not fully offset rising expenses, perhaps because people receiving disability benefits may see their costs rising more quickly than other people: Medicare premium and medical costs—disproportionately borne by people with disabilities—often rise faster than overall inflation The CPI-W reflects spending patterns of working households, not disabled or retired populations, who may spend on different products COLAs are based on national averages and do not account for regional cost differences At most, COLAs should be viewed as inflation protection , not income growth. When COLAs Take Effect COLAs are typically announced in October, but take effect later: SSDI and retirement benefits reflect the COLA in January payments SSI benefits reflect the COLA in December payments, usually issued in late November This timing difference often causes confusion but does not change the adjustment amount. Can Congress Change the COLA Formula? Yes. Congress may amend the COLA formula through legislation. Proposals have included: Switching to CPI-E, which tracks older Americans’ spending Adopting “chained CPI,” which generally produces smaller increases Absent legislative change, the SSA must continue using CPI-W. Know How Your Benefits Will Change Social Security disability COLAs are automatic, formula-driven adjustments mandated by federal law. While they play a critical role in protecting benefits against inflation, they are limited by the structure of the CPI-W and may not fully account for the unique expenses faced by people with disabilities. Understanding how COLAs are calculated—and how they affect SSI and SSDI differently—allows beneficiaries to better plan and avoid surprises. Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice specific to your situation, please contact Donoff & Lutz, LLC directly to speak with an attorney.

If you’re applying for Social Security disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will encourage you to track your application through its online portal: “my Social Security.” With due respect for the good people at SSA, we very strongly encourage you to ignore the my Social Security portal (or, at least, to use it only for limited purposes). The Portal is Mostly a Prediction: An Analogy to the Domino’s Pizza Tracker Once upon a time, I went to a party where we ordered Domino’s pizza (still my wife’s favorite). As a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun, we put the famed Domino’s pizza tracker on the TV and cheered every step of the way. Everyone knows, of course, that the Domino’s pizza chef isn’t typing in status updates on every pie. The pizza maker doesn’t have time to update everyone whether they’re tossing the dough, spreading the sauce, adding cheese, watching the oven . . . if you’ve ever worked food service, you know that just isn’t possible. Instead, Domino’s just approximates how long each step takes, and presumably provides actual updates at some steps. For example, when the pizza chef hits “complete” on an order ticket, Domino’s probably has its kitchen system connected to the pizza tracker and can say that they’re waiting for the delivery driver to pick up your order. Although Domino’s is mostly estimating the pizza-making process, Domino’s does an excellent job. It’s an efficient, predictable (and tasty) pizza shop. Indeed, government technologists have explicitly admired the Domino’s pizza tracker! The my Social Security portal also just estimates how far a claim has proceeded through the disability review process (SSA representatives told us as much), but unlike the Domino’s pizza tracker, SSA does a bad job of estimating how long its process takes. And you can’t much fault the agency: due to funding deficiencies, it still has deeply outdated computer systems, and it’s hard to estimate disability claim processing times when claims take wildly different amounts of time to review. Why You Shouldn’t Rely on the my Social Security Portal If it’s not enough that you learn that the portal is simply an estimate of your claim's processing status, please consider some discrete reasons that you should ignore the portal: 1. The my Social Security portal is often wrong and can cause emotional distress. About once every other week, I speak to someone that saw something demonstrably wrong in the my Social Security portal. Many errors are minor. But it is incredibly disheartening to tell someone that they haven’t actually been approved for benefits, or that their benefits are less than the portal says. A few times, our clients have had anxiety attacks after the portal (wrongly) told them that their claim was denied. We’re not the only ones that have seen these problems, and notable computer errors have misled millions of recipients. 2. Even when correct, the portal might induce you to make mistakes. I have always worried that a claimant will see their claim was “approved” in the portal and subsequently ignore future SSA communications. The “approval” can be misleading, such as cases where a claim has been medically approved but still requires other steps before the benefits are paid. Or, in another example, we have had a client who saw their claim was “approved” on the portal, but who did not realize (because the portal did not tell them) that this approval was based on a significantly amended onset date. The claimant need to appeal the approval if they wanted to pursue all of their potential benefits. 3. The portal doesn ’ t include all the necessary information—if you overly rely upon the portal, you risk not communicating with SSA. The SSA says the portal will show your filing date, servicing office, scheduled hearing (if any), etc. The SSA only says it will show about that much. So many steps in a disability application are not reflected in any meaningful way online, possibly including some documents that require response. You cannot assume the portal will always alert you. If you miss a request because you believed “the portal is doing everything,” your claim could be delayed or even denied. 4. You might tolerate unjust delays because the portal suggests that everything is okay. The portal might tell you that your claim is “filed” or “in review,” but that doesn’t mean everything is hunky-dory. Since many claims face delays, missing evidence, or appeals, the portal status provides very little actionable insight. Relying on a superficially unchanged status could lull you into thinking nothing is required on your part, when in fact you may need to do something. It’s hard to know what to do, sometimes, but if you have a good attorney, they should handle things so you don't have to worry too much. What you should do instead Keep detailed records of your application: dates filed, copies of everything submitted, notes of calls with SSA or DDS, names of people you talk to, etc. Call your local SSA field office or the relevant DDS office (or your attorney) if you haven’t heard anything meaningful for more than a couple months. Respond promptly to SSA and DDS requests for information. Keep Social Security (and your attorney, if you have one) updated on your contact information, especially your phone number and mailing address. When Should You Check the Portal? It might feel reassuring to check the portal. But the portal often lags, omits, or misrepresents disability claim processing. As explained above, if you watch the portal too closely, you risk delays, errors, and emotional distress. That said, there are limited reasons to use the portal. Most notably, it can quickly provide your earnings history, which SSA is often slow to release otherwise. In general, check the portal if you’re looking for something specific—but don’t rely on it for vital claim information. What You Can Check Instead While you mostly will receive updates from the Social Security Administration through paper notices, there’s another way to follow claims: through Appointed Representative Services, authorized Social Security disability representatives have access to the Appeals and Appointed Representative Processing Services (AARPS) portal and the Electronic Records Express (ERE). The AARPS and ERE portals aren’t perfect, or complete, but they provide more reliable information than the my Social Security portal. Unfortunately, only appointed representatives—attorneys, for the most part—have access to these portals. So you will need to check with your attorney for updates that might show on these portals. Still, by far the most complete way to monitor steps in your claim: Watch your mailbox and read the letters that the Social Security Administration mails to you. Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice specific to your situation, please contact Donoff & Lutz, LLC directly to speak with an attorney.

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Vocational Experts Often Determine the Outcome of a Social Security Disability Hearing

The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published a July 2025 report identifying, among other things, how long it takes to receive an initial decision in a Social Security disability claim. While other information has occasionally surfaced about initial claim processing times, the OIG report is presumably the most reliable and trustworthy source. In 2024, an initial disability determination took 238 days to process, on average. But processing times vary widely from state to state. At the quickest, Rhode Island had a five-year processing average of 124.6 days. At the slowest, Alaska had a five-year processing time average of 216.5 days. Given its unique geography, of course, we might spare the Alaska disability determination services unit from harsh criticism. Here in Ohio , we receive a decision within about 4.5 months, on average. Why Disability Claim Wait Times Vary by State Disability processing times vary by state primarily due to differences in state-level resources, staffing levels, and case volumes within each Social Security Disability Determination Services (DDS) office. While the Social Security Administration (SSA) sets national guidelines, each state administers its own DDS, which means local factors—like budget constraints, hiring backlogs, or higher-than-average application rates—can lead to longer or shorter wait times. Additionally, some states may have more experienced staff or streamlined procedures, which can improve efficiency, whereas others might face delays from outdated systems or higher turnover. The Human Cost of Delays in SSDI Decisions Claimants regularly report that these processing times cause immense problems. If you can't work, after all, you won't make any money during the more than seven months (on average) that it will take to receive an initial disability decision. And, of course, many applications will take even longer, whether due to poor luck, difficulties during processing, or state-by-state variation. The majority of claims are also denied at the initial level, and those claims will require more time to appeal. How to Speed Up Your Disability Application To potentially speed up your application, we offer a few tips. 1. Submit a Complete and Accurate Application First, make sure that the initial application is complete and well-documented . Be thorough when describing medical conditions, symptoms, work history, and functional limitations. Incomplete or inconsistent information often leads to delays, or even denials that require appeals. Double-checking all forms for errors and submitting supporting documents with the application can save time and reduce the likelihood of additional requests from the SSA. 2. Respond Promptly to All SSA Requests Second, once a claim is filed, the SSA or DDS might contact an applicant for additional information or to schedule consultative exams. Responding promptly to all phone calls, letters, and requests helps prevent delays. Missing a scheduled exam or failing to return paperwork can stall or derail the decision-making process. 3. Explore Expedited Options if Applicable Finally, SSA will sometimes expedite a claim following a “ dire need ” request—for example, if the applicant is at risk of homelessness. Additionally, the SSA has a “ TERI ” (Terminal Illness) process and Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program to fast-track claims involving certain severe conditions. We will admit that, in our anecdotal experience, these designations do not always seem like they accelerate processing times. Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice specific to your situation, please contact Donoff & Lutz, LLC directly to speak with an attorney.

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