If you rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), September brought several changes and deadlines worth your attention. Below, we break down what’s new, what’s coming next, and how these updates affect beneficiaries in Massachusetts and across the United States. As always, if you have questions about eligibility, denials, appeals, or overpayment notices, we at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are here to help at (617) 777-7777.
The Big One: Electronic-Only Payments Deadline (September 30)
Federal benefits, including SSDI, are moving away from paper checks. September 30 marks the cut-off for beneficiaries who still receive a physical check to switch to an electronic option. This is designed to reduce the loss or theft of checks, expedite delivery, and lower administrative costs.
What to do now
- Choose your payment method. You have two primary options:
• Direct deposit to your bank or credit union
• Direct Express® prepaid debit card (no bank account required) - Update your information. Have your routing and account numbers ready if you’re choosing direct deposit. If you prefer Direct Express, you’ll enroll and receive a card with instructions.
- Beware of scams. SSA and Treasury will not call or text you for your whole SSN, PIN, or banking passwords. If something feels off, hang up and call a verified number directly.
- Document your change. After switching, log the date, method, and any confirmation number so you can track your first electronic payment.
Massachusetts tip: If you or a loved one needs in-person assistance, you can contact a local Social Security office to inquire about language services, accessibility, and scheduling. For Spanish-speaking families, we recommend requesting bilingual support or interpreter services when scheduling an appointment.
September’s Payment Calendar Quirks (And Why You Didn’t Get SSI)
September’s calendar often confuses folks because of federal holidays and the way SSI and SSDI schedules are set.
- SSI: There is no SSI payment in September this year because the September SSI check was paid early at the end of August due to the Labor Day schedule. That’s normal, but it can create a cash-flow pinch later in the month. If you missed the early deposit, check your statement to ensure your payment method is set correctly.
- SSDI: SSDI benefits are paid based on your birthday (or the primary beneficiary’s birthday if you receive on a record). Payments are typically received on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month. If your deposit didn’t arrive as expected, confirm your banking details, review your award letter for the correct cycle, and call the number on your notice if you believe there’s been an error.
Budgeting tip: When SSI pays early, set aside a portion for the month that has no regular SSI deposit. Also, if you’re switching to electronic payments this month, confirm with your bank whether funds may “post” after business hours or over a weekend.
COLA Watch: What the 2026 Increase Could Look Like
Each fall, Social Security announces the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for the upcoming year, which is calculated using the third-quarter CPI-W data (July through September). While the official number is due in October, September is the month to set expectations:
- Early projections suggest a modest increase rather than the outsized adjustments seen in 2022–2023.
- Your SSDI benefit increases by the COLA automatically if you’re eligible in January.
- If you receive concurrent benefits (SSDI and SSI), remember that deductions or offsets can affect what shows up in your bank account.
What you can do now
- Review your current benefit amount and any offsets (e.g., workers’ compensation, long-term disability insurer overpayment recovery).
- If your medical or financial situation has changed significantly, consider whether a work review, trial work period, or a request to change withholding is appropriate.
- If you’re on Medicare through SSDI, a higher COLA can sometimes be partially offset by Part B premium adjustments. Keep an eye on those announcements as well.
Policy Watch: Potential Changes to Age and Vocational Rules
There’s ongoing discussion about how the SSA weighs age, education, past work experience, and transferable skills when deciding claims. This matters most for claimants over 50 who rely on the “grid rules.” Any recalibration of these vocational factors could change approval odds for older workers, those with primarily physical work backgrounds, or those with limited transferable skills.
How to protect yourself
- Build the record early with functional evidence: detailed symptom logs, medication side effects, and physician narratives that map limitations to specific workplace demands.
- Ask your treating providers for functional capacity forms that address sitting, standing, lifting, reaching, time off task, and reliability.
- Document failed work attempts, accommodations that didn’t work, and flare-up frequency in conditions like MS, lupus, fibromyalgia, Long COVID, or severe mental health disorders.
Whether or not the final rules shift significantly, strong medical-vocational evidence remains the backbone of a winning claim.
In the Hearing Room: New Vocational Evidence Framework (Still Relevant)
Hearings scheduled this fall and winter are being conducted under updated guidance that clarifies how vocational expert (VE) testimony should be presented and challenged. The core ideas:
- The ALJ should ensure VEs cite reliable sources for job numbers and requirements.
- Representatives can and should cross-examine with methodological questions: What data set is being used? What time frame? How did you adjust for part-time vs. full-time roles?
- Representative jobs must reflect your actual limitations as found by the judge. If the residual functional capacity (RFC) includes limits on pace, time off task, or social interaction, the VE’s job examples must be consistent with those limits.
For claimants and families, the takeaway is simple: details win cases. If you have a hearing coming up, we can help you prepare targeted testimony, clarify your treatment history, and anticipate VE questions.
Service Levels and Wait Times: Planning Your Timeline
SSA backlogs ebb and flow, but most Massachusetts claimants still face meaningful wait times between initial filing, reconsideration, and scheduling a hearing. Practical planning can reduce stress:
- Initial and recon decisions: Many are still taking several months to process. File with complete, organized medical records to avoid avoidable delays.
- Hearing scheduling: Expect a delay of several months between the request and the actual hearing date. Remote hearings remain common, which can be particularly helpful for individuals with mobility issues, pain, anxiety, or childcare responsibilities.
- Post-decision processing: Even fully favorable decisions can take weeks to convert into payments, especially when offsets or workers’ compensation coordination is involved.
Action plan
- File early and thoroughly. Include complete provider lists, dates of treatment, imaging, specialist reports, and therapy notes.
- Keep a running medical diary. New ER visits, medication changes, mental health episodes, or relapse/flare patterns should be captured as they happen.
- Respond quickly to SSA requests for forms, consultative exams, or updates.
- Appeal on time. You typically have 60 days to appeal; don’t restart a claim unless strategy dictates it.
Overpayments and Change Reporting: Don’t Let Small Mistakes Snowball
Two trouble spots we’re seeing more of:
- Overpayments: These often arise when work income fluctuates, when a dependent’s status changes, or when benefit offsets aren’t properly coordinated. If you receive an overpayment notice, you may have options to appeal, request a waiver, or negotiate a repayment plan, depending on the circumstances and your ability to demonstrate fault and hardship.
- Work activity reporting: If you test work with Trial Work Period or Extended Period of Eligibility protections, document all hours, gross pay, subsidies, special conditions, and sick days. This helps avoid misunderstandings about Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) levels.
We can audit your file to verify whether the overpayment amount is accurate and whether a waiver is feasible.
For Caregivers and Spanish-Speaking Families
If you’re helping a parent, partner, or adult child with disabilities:
- Ask providers to include specific functional observations in the notes, not just diagnoses.
- Keep copies of all appointment summaries and After Visit Summaries (AVS); these are often more detailed and faster to obtain than full chart notes.
- For Spanish-speaking households, request intérprete services when scheduling SSA calls or visits. Many Massachusetts community organizations can help with benefit navigation; don’t hesitate to ask us for a warm referral.
How We Can Help
At Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, we represent Massachusetts claimants from the first application through federal court appeals. Here’s what our SSDI team can do for you:
- Initial filings done right: We build a complete record from day one, flagging missing specialties (such as neurology, rheumatology, and neuropsych) and obtaining targeted forms that directly address SSA’s functional criteria.
- Denials and reconsiderations: We craft concise appeal arguments, close medical gaps, and expedite evidence collection.
- Hearing strategy: We prepare you for testimony, draft pre-hearing briefs, and challenge VE methods when job numbers and duties don’t match your limitations.
- Overpayments and continuing disability reviews: We defend against improper terminations, request waivers when appropriate, and coordinate with long-term disability insurers and workers’ compensation carriers to prevent duplicative offsets.
- Work Incentives Counseling: For clients exploring a return to work, we outline Trial Work Period protections, impairment-related work expenses (IRWEs), and reporting strategies, enabling you to test the waters without unnecessarily risking your eligibility.
Quick September Checklist
- Switch paper checks to direct deposit or Direct Express before September 30.
- Confirm your September SSDI deposit date and understand why SSI didn’t pay this month.
- Watch for COLA news next month and consider the impact on your budget and Medicare premiums.
- If you have a hearing scheduled, focus on presenting functional evidence and be prepared to answer questions about the VE methodology.
- If you have received an overpayment letter, don’t panic. Review your options before making a payment.
If you’re confused by any of this or if you were denied and aren’t sure why, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers at (617) 777-7777. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and fight to secure the benefits you’re entitled to.