Disability benefits in Tennessee

SSI (Supplemental Security Income)

• Federal SSI maximum, individual (monthly): $994 ^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Federal SSI maximum, couple (monthly): $1,491 ^[2] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Who pays the state SSI supplement: No state supplement ^[3] Last verified 2026-11-12
• State-administered supplement amounts: No state supplement ^[4] Last verified 2026-11-12
• SSI recipients: 158,235 ^[5] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Average monthly SSI payment: $689.39 ^[6] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Recipients of SSA-paid state supplement: Not verified ^[7] Last verified 2026-11-12
• SSI recipients who are blind or disabled: 147,710 ^[8] Last verified 2026-11-12
• SSI recipients under age 18: 23,754 ^[9] Last verified 2026-11-12
• SSI recipients also receiving Social Security: 53,957 ^[10] Last verified 2026-11-12

SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance)

• SSDI disabled-worker beneficiaries: 201,124 ^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Total monthly SSDI benefits to disabled workers: $321,354,000 ^[2] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Average monthly SSDI benefit (disabled workers): $1,597.79 Estimate ssdi.totalMonthlyBenefits / ssdi.disabledWorkerBeneficiaries^[3] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Spouses and children receiving SSDI family benefits: 28,967 Estimate Table 2 Disability Spouses + Disability Children^[4] Last verified 2026-11-12

Disability decisions, last 12 months

• Initial disability claims received (12 months): 56,925 Estimate Sum of monthly Receipts (All Initial), FY2026^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Initial disability decisions (12 months): 50,411 Estimate Sum of monthly Determinations (All Initial), FY2026^[2] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Initial claims approved (12 months): 17,396 Estimate Sum of monthly Allowances (All Initial), FY2026^[3] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Initial approval rate (12 months): 34.5% Estimate dds.favorableDeterminations / dds.determinations x 100 (initial claims, FY2026)^[4] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Reconsideration approval rate (12 months): 13.7% Estimate Sum of Allowances (All Recon) / Sum of Determinations (All Recon) x 100, FY2026^[5] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Initial claims pending: 31,786 ^[6] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Backlog estimate (months of work): 7.6 months Estimate dds.pending / (dds.determinations / 12): months of backlog at the FY2026 pace. Not an official processing time.^[7] Last verified 2026-11-12

State short-term disability / paid medical leave

• State short-term disability or paid medical leave program: No ^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12

Medicaid buy-in

• Medicaid buy-in for working people with disabilities: No ^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12

Population

• Disability prevalence (Census ACS): Not verified ^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12

Disability decisions, fiscal year 2024

• FY2024 favorable determination rate, all claims: 33.71% ^[1] Last verified 2026-11-12
• FY2024 adult favorable determination rate: 30.91% ^[2] Last verified 2026-11-12
• FY2024 SSI child allowance rate: 47.82% ^[3] Last verified 2026-11-12
• Share of adults 18-64 receiving SSA disability benefits (FY2024): 6.52% ^[4] Last verified 2026-11-12

How much is SSI in Tennessee in 2026?

The federal SSI maximum is $994 per month for one person and $1,491 for a couple. Tennessee does not pay a state supplement. From January of next year the federal maximum rises to $1,029.

What is the average SSI payment in Tennessee?

In December of last year, 158,235 people in Tennessee received SSI, and the average federally administered payment was $689.39 per month.

What is the SSDI approval rate in Tennessee?

In federal fiscal year ending this September, Tennessee's disability determination agency approved 34.5% of the initial disability claims it decided and 13.7% of reconsiderations. These rates cover SSDI and SSI disability claims together.

How long does a disability decision take in Tennessee?

Social Security does not publish an average initial decision time by state. Tennessee had 31,786 initial claims pending, which at the recent pace is roughly 7.6 months months of work. Treat this as an estimate.

What is the average SSDI payment in Tennessee?

201,124 disabled workers in Tennessee received Social Security disability benefits, averaging about $1,597.79 per month in December of last year.

Does Tennessee have state short-term disability?

No. Tennessee does not run a state short-term disability or paid medical leave insurance program that pays benefits today. Workers there rely on employer or private disability insurance.

Can I keep Medicaid while working with a disability in Tennessee?

Tennessee does not have a Medicaid buy-in pathway for working people with disabilities, according to KFF. Ask the state Medicaid agency about other options.