Many people rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as their main source of income. The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides these monthly payments in a set schedule, based on the birthdates of recipients. In April 2025, there’s a small change that might affect some beneficiaries—and it’s important to understand who’s getting paid when and what to expect if delays happen.
If you or your loved ones receive SSDI, here’s everything you need to know about the April 2025 payments, how benefits are calculated, and what happens when an SSDI beneficiary passes away.
April 2025 SSDI Payment Schedule: Who Gets Paid and When?
In April 2025, the SSA followed its usual system of paying SSDI beneficiaries on Wednesdays, depending on their birth dates:
- People born from the 1st to 10th got paid on April 9
- Those with birthdays from the 11th to 20th were paid on April 16
- People born between the 21st and 31st were scheduled for April 23
However, the SSA confirmed that some beneficiaries in the last group will not receive their payment on April 23 due to specific case issues—not because of a system-wide problem. These delays are often caused by overpayments, administrative reviews, or eligibility checks.
No national holidays in April meant no large-scale delays, and most payments went out as planned.
SSDI Maximum Monthly Amount in 2025
In 2025, the maximum SSDI benefit is $4,018 per month. But very few people qualify for this full amount. That’s because the highest benefit is only for those who have:
- Worked and contributed to Social Security for 35 years
- Earned the maximum taxable income every year (which is $176,100 in 2025)
So, unless someone has had a long, high-paying career, they will likely receive less than the maximum.
How SSDI Benefits Are Calculated
SSDI uses a special formula to decide how much a person will get each month. Here’s how it works:
- Indexed Average Monthly Earnings (AIME): SSA adjusts your past earnings for inflation to calculate your average monthly earnings.
- Then they apply this formula:
- 90% of the first $1,226 of your AIME
- 32% of the amount between $1,226 and $7,391
- 15% of the amount over $7,391
The result is your Basic Insurance Amount (PIA), which is rounded and used to decide your final monthly benefit.
What Happens If the SSDI Beneficiary Dies?
When someone receiving SSDI passes away, the monthly payment stops. But in some cases, family members may be eligible for survivor benefits. It depends on factors like the beneficiary’s work history and the relationship to the survivor.
Also, the Social Security Fairness Act, active from January 2025, made changes that help some special groups—like teachers and firefighters—who didn’t previously get full benefits because of a rule called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
Now, WEP has been removed, and from April 2025, these individuals are seeing higher monthly payments. This change benefits around 3.2 million people, and the SSA is still reviewing complicated cases, which may take until November 2025 to finalize.
In April 2025, most SSDI payments went out on time, based on the SSA’s usual schedule. However, some people born between the 21st and 31st may experience delays due to personal case issues—not system problems. The highest SSDI benefits remain hard to achieve, as they require decades of high earnings and consistent contributions.
The good news is that recent changes, like the removal of WEP, are helping more people get fair payments—especially those who had government jobs not covered by Social Security. If you’re unsure about your SSDI status or payment, it’s always best to check directly with the SSA or your official Social Security account online.
