South Texas Disability Services

10/20/2026

Are you receiving SSI or SSDI?

Here are important changes coming in 2027 that you should know about.

Social Security announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment.

The maximum federal SSI payment increases to $1,029 per month for an individual and $1,544 for an eligible couple. Your actual SSI payment may be lower, depending on your income and living arrangements.

But remember: SSI’s countable-resource limits remain $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Some assets are excluded.

Working while receiving benefits? The 2027 substantial gainful activity amount is $1,770 monthly for someone who is not blind, and $2,950 for someone who is blind. The SSDI Trial Work Period amount rises to $1,270 monthly.

These figures serve different purposes. SSI and SSDI have different work rules, so get guidance for your situation.

Review your benefit notice for your exact payment and deductions.

I’m Mary Alice Rodriguez Alvarado with South Texas Disability Services. Call 956-578-4937 for a free consultation. Bilingual assistance is available.

10/12/2026

Disabled Adult Child on Disability: Does the SSA owe you money?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) made mistakes on over half of the disabled-child benefit claims it reviewed, according to a recent audit by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released on October 6, 2026.

The investigators looked at a sample of 100 cases where a disabled child's benefits (Title II) were originally denied but later approved. They found that the SSA processed only 49 out of 100 claims correctly.

Based on this sample, the OIG estimates that across the country:
• 600 families were wrongly denied because SSA staff didn't follow their own rules.
• 450 families were denied simply because the SSA failed to get the right paperwork or evidence before closing the case.
• 1,100 approved claimants got the wrong start dates or wrong payment amounts, leading to about $1.2 million in underpayments that the SSA owes these families.

10/06/2026

10/04/2026

Can you work while applying for SSDI or while receiving SSDI?

10/02/2026

Whether a woman is studying late into the night for her education, managing the chaotic hours of a job, growing a side hustle, or scaling a business, her effort is noticed, valuable, and deeply impactful. It takes an immense amount of grace and grit to carry those responsibilities while remaining a pillar of support for those she loves.

As the saying goes, nothing worth having comes easy. May every woman reading this find renewed strength, divine favor over her daily labor, and open doors she never expected. Here is to all the hardworking women turning small beginnings into mighty harvests—may they always reap the joyful fruits of their labor.

10/02/2026

Ya sea que una mujer esté estudiando hasta altas horas de la noche para su educación, manejando las horas caóticas de un trabajo, haciendo crecer un ajetreo secundario o escalando un negocio, su esfuerzo es notado, valioso y profundamente impactante. Se necesita una inmensa cantidad de gracia y determinación para llevar esas responsabilidades sin dejar de ser un pilar de apoyo para aquellos que ama.

Como dice el refrán, nada que valga la pena tener es fácil. Que cada mujer que lea esto encuentre una fuerza renovada, un favor divino sobre su trabajo diario y unas puertas abiertas que nunca esperó. Esto es para todas las mujeres trabajadoras que convierten pequeños comienzos en poderosas cosechas, que siempre cosechen los alegres frutos de su trabajo.