The average disability payment handed out in 2020 was approximately $1200. Many beneficiaries received lesser amounts, and payments can be as low as about $700 a month. Calls for an increase in the amount of disability benefits that Americans can recover after becoming disabled, are increasing.
The Unites States has the dubious distinction of paying out some of the lowest amounts in benefits in the developed world. Benefits payments have not kept pace with all the external factors that can influence a person’s cost of living. Living expenses in many areas in Georgia have increased, while disability checks remain the same.
Apart from inflation, there are other reasons why a disability check just isn’t sufficient to sustain many beneficiaries. The amount that beneficiaries are eligible to receive from other federal and state programs can also be very low. When you are eligible for Workers’ Compensation in addition to disability benefits, you may find that the other benefits lead to a reduction in the amount of disability benefits that you recover.
Moreover, you do not qualify for additional disability benefits based on the severity of your condition. The amount is dependent on the amount of taxes you have paid into the system and the number of years you have worked before you became disabled.
The Social Security Administration must address the struggles of a growing number of Americans who are forced to leave the country and move abroad when their benefits payments make it impossible for them to even afford rent and other essentials.