{"event":"disability-benefits-tracker","title":"Disability benefits tracker 2025-26: SSDI, SSI, COLA and UK PIP","state":"developing","updated":"2026-10-11T00:00:00.000Z","entries":[{"id":"1wszoog","at":"2026-10-11T00:00:00.000Z","title":"2027 COLA not yet announced","status":"confirmed","body":"The announcement is expected on 14 October 2026.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-cola-2027-date","n":2,"url":"https://www.bls.gov/schedule/news_release/cpi.htm","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics","short":"U.S. Bureau of Labor…"}]},{"id":"f8cgnd","at":"2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Forecasters expect a 2027 COLA of about 3.4% to 3.6%","status":"reported","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-cola-2027-estimates","n":9,"url":"https://www.aarp.org/social-security/cola-2027-increase-estimate/","publisher":"AARP","short":"AARP"}]},{"id":"11na2u3","at":"2026-09-15T00:00:00.000Z","title":"PIP caseload reaches 4.1 million","status":"confirmed","body":"New claims take a median of 18 weeks, up from 15 a year earlier.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-pip-caseload-jul-2026","n":13,"url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-july-2026/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-july-2026","publisher":"GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)","short":"GOV.UK"},{"id":"sw-care-pip-clearance-jul-2026","n":14,"url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-july-2026/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-july-2026","publisher":"GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)","short":"GOV.UK"}]},{"id":"n1a5zl","at":"2026-09-11T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Timms Review publishes emerging recommendations","status":"confirmed","body":"Proposals include fewer award reviews for lifelong conditions and an easier PIP2 form.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-timms-emerging-recommendations","n":5,"url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-timms-review-co-chair-update-september-2026/the-timms-review-co-chair-update-september-2026","publisher":"GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)","short":"GOV.UK"},{"id":"sw-care-timms-workshops","n":21,"url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-timms-review-co-chair-update-september-2026/the-timms-review-co-chair-update-september-2026","publisher":"GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)","short":"GOV.UK"}]},{"id":"rwwhia","at":"2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Timms Review interim report","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-timms-interim","n":20,"url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-interim-report","publisher":"GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)","short":"GOV.UK"}]},{"id":"8bah06","at":"2026-07-02T00:00:00.000Z","title":"SSA publishes revised cardiovascular listings","status":"confirmed","body":"The new criteria take effect on 30 October 2026.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-cardio-listings-2026","n":12,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/02/2026-13420/revised-medical-criteria-for-evaluating-cardiovascular-disorders","publisher":"Social Security Administration (Federal Register)","short":"Social Security…"}]},{"id":"f0fw8a","at":"2026-03-13T00:00:00.000Z","title":"CRS reports 8.1 million SSDI beneficiaries","status":"confirmed","body":"January 2026 data show an average disabled-worker benefit of about $1,633.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-ssdi-beneficiaries-jan-2026","n":7,"url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/IF10506.html","publisher":"Congressional Research Service","short":"Congressional Research…"}]},{"id":"m0vevx","at":"2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","title":"2026 benefit increase takes effect","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-cola-2026","n":1,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026","publisher":"Social Security Administration (Federal Register)","short":"Social Security…"}]},{"id":"10u0t81","at":"2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z","title":"SSA drops planned age-rule change","status":"reported","body":"Advocates say the commissioner told them a rule that could have cut eligibility for at least 830,000 older workers would not proceed.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-age-rule-plan-2025","n":10,"url":"https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-administration-social-security-disability-cuts","publisher":"ProPublica","short":"ProPublica"},{"id":"sw-care-age-rule-dropped","n":3,"url":"https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-drops-disability-insurance-changes/","publisher":"AARP","short":"AARP"}]},{"id":"yqlmas","at":"2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z","title":"2026 COLA of 2.8% published","status":"confirmed","body":"The SSI maximum rises to $994 a month and the SGA limit to $1,690.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-cola-2026","n":1,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026","publisher":"Social Security Administration (Federal Register)","short":"Social Security…"},{"id":"sw-care-ssi-fbr-2026","n":6,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026","publisher":"Social Security Administration (Federal Register)","short":"Social Security…"},{"id":"sw-care-sga-2026","n":19,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026","publisher":"Social Security Administration (Federal Register)","short":"Social Security…"}]},{"id":"u5yfsq","at":"2025-10-30T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Timms Review terms of reference updated","status":"confirmed","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-uc-act-2025","n":17,"url":"https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/22/contents","publisher":"legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)","short":"legislation.gov.uk"},{"id":"sw-care-timms-review-scope","n":18,"url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-pip-terms-of-reference/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-terms-of-reference","publisher":"GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)","short":"GOV.UK"}]},{"id":"ffkzeh","at":"2025-09-03T00:00:00.000Z","title":"Universal Credit Act 2025 enacted","status":"confirmed","body":"The act covers Universal Credit rates and the health element, not PIP.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-uc-act-2025","n":17,"url":"https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/22/contents","publisher":"legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)","short":"legislation.gov.uk"}]},{"id":"xqlreh","at":"2025-07-01T00:00:00.000Z","title":"PIP changes dropped from UK welfare bill","status":"confirmed","body":"Sir Stephen Timms says eligibility changes will wait for his review; the bill passes by 335 to 260.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-pip-climbdown","n":15,"url":"https://www.politics.co.uk/news/2025/07/01/how-every-mp-voted-on-labours-welfare-bill-after-major-eleventh-hour-u-turn/","publisher":"Politics.co.uk","short":"Politics.co.uk"}]},{"id":"9qqh0","at":"2025-06-25T00:00:00.000Z","title":"SSA sets a 190-day target for initial disability decisions","status":"confirmed","body":"Commissioner Frank Bisignano tells House Ways and Means that the backlog had fallen for 51 consecutive weeks.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-ssa-backlog-target","n":4,"url":"https://democrats-waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-waysandmeans.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/coss-hearing-testimony.pdf","publisher":"Social Security Administration (testimony, House Committee on Ways and Means)","short":"Social Security…"}]},{"id":"1pj4mp3","at":"2025-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","title":"UK government proposes tighter PIP eligibility","status":"confirmed","body":"The Pathways to Work plan would require at least four points on one daily living activity from November 2026.","cites":[{"id":"sw-care-pip-four-point-plan","n":16,"url":"https://theconversation.com/welfare-reform-bill-what-changes-did-the-government-make-to-get-it-over-the-line-260121","publisher":"The Conversation","short":"The Conversation"}]}]}