What is the New Jersey State Disability Maximum Weekly Benefit?

If you’re planning on applying for disability benefits in New Jersey, you should know a few things. For example, knowing when you’ll receive benefits, and the amounts of those benefits is of the utmost importance.

In New Jersey, you can’t get your Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits on a weekly basis. Instead, you’ll receive monthly payments that reflect your work history. In 2022, the maximum monthly SSDI benefit is $3,345 (or $771.92 when divided across all 52 weeks in a year). However, that amount is not guaranteed for all New Jersey residents. Even if you qualify for the maximum monthly payment, some things can threaten your access to benefits. For example, earning too much additional income can halt your monthly SSDI payments. To protect your access to benefits and understand your payments, turn to an experienced disability lawyer.

Our NJ disability benefits attorneys are here to help residents access the benefits they deserve. For a free case evaluation at Young, Marr, Mallis & Deane, call today at (609) 755-3115.

Can You Get Disability Benefits Weekly in New Jersey?

If you qualify for SSDI payments in New Jersey, you can start receiving benefits to compensate you for lost wages due to injury or illness. Because you will likely depend on these payments to replace your lost income, it’s important to learn how often you can expect to receive them.

You should first know that you won’t receive weekly SSDI payments in New Jersey. Instead, you’ll receive your benefits on a monthly basis. Furthermore, each month’s benefit will be received the following month. For example, you’ll receive your January benefit in February, and so on. Because you will not receive weekly SSDI benefits in New Jersey, it’s important to budget your expenses in accordance with your monthly payments.

This can confuse New Jersey residents who may be used to bi-weekly paychecks, not monthly ones. If you are concerned about receiving monthly benefits instead of weekly payments, speak to your Mount Holly disability lawyer. Your attorney can help you better understand how you will receive payments and when.

The day of the month you receive your SSDI payments will depend on your birthday. Those born between the 1st and the 10th will get payments on the second Wednesday of the month. New Jersey residents born between the 11th and the 12th will receive payments on the third Wednesday of the month. And those born between the 21st and 31st will receive their checks on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Remember, weekly SSDI benefits aren’t available in New Jersey.

What is the Maximum Benefit for Disability Recipients in New Jersey?

In addition to knowing when you’ll receive your disability benefits, it’s important to understand how much you can get. Each year, the Social Security Administration adjusts its limits for monthly SSDI payments to account for inflation and other factors. As of 2022, the monthly maximum has once again increased.

In 2022, the monthly benefit maximum for SSDI payments is $3,345. To find the weekly average, we can multiply that monthly amount by 12 for each month, then divide by 52 weeks in the year for a total of around $771.92 per month.  Some months have more than 4 weeks, so dividing by 4 does not give us an accurate calculation of how this converts to weekly pay.

That doesn’t mean you will receive that much, however. In New Jersey, residents become eligible for SSDI benefits when they pay into the system over time. Essentially, when you work over the years, your employer will take taxes for Social Security out of your paycheck. The more extensive your work history, or the more taxes taken out of your paychecks over the years, the larger your monthly benefit may be.

To better understand your likely monthly disability benefit, speak to a Trenton disability lawyer. While the maximum monthly benefit may seem appealing, it is by no means guaranteed for all New Jersey residents. Your lawyer can help you understand your monthly benefit based on your work history in New Jersey.

What Can Threaten My Maximum Disability Benefit in New Jersey?

Once you start receiving SSDI payments in New Jersey, whether you’re getting the maximum benefit or not, that amount is subject to change. In New Jersey, you can receive SSDI benefits so long as you are eligible. If changes threaten your eligibility, you may lose access to benefits. This applies to all SSDI recipients in New Jersey, whether they receive the maximum monthly payments or not. Knowing what can affect your payments is crucial, especially if you depend on SSDI benefits to support you and your family. Our Mount Laurel, NJ disability benefits attorneys can answer all of your questions.

Improved Condition

If your disability is removed while receiving SSDI payments, your benefits will stop. As a rule, you should inform your New Jersey disability lawyer of any changes to your medical condition. While it’s possible that those changes can threaten your access to benefits, you must report such changes to the Social Security Administration.

Substantial Gainful Activity

Substantial gainful activity (SGA) is often impacts access to SSDI benefits for New Jersey recipients. Social Security Disability benefit recipients are prohibited from earning a certain amount of additional income. If you choose to have a part-time job while receiving monthly SSDI payments, you may lose access to benefits if you earn over $1,350 a month or $2,260 a month if you’re blind.

With SSDI benefits, it’s all or nothing. So long as your condition remains and prevents you from engaging in SGA, you can receive your maximum SSDI benefit. If anything changes, your monthly payments won’t just reduce, but they will stop entirely.

Trial Work Periods

Trial work periods (TWP) can also impact New Jersey residents receiving SSDI payments. If you get monthly SSDI benefits and earned over $970 in the past month, speak to a New Jersey disability lawyer. You may have unknowingly entered into a TWP and have put your access to benefits at risk.

Call Our New Jersey Lawyers to Learn About Your Disability Benefits Today

If you think you may be eligible for the maximum disability benefit in New Jersey, ask us for clarification. For a free case evaluation with the Piscataway disability lawyers at Young, Marr, Mallis & Deane, call today at (609) 755-3115.