Yes, you can work and receive SSDI, but there are strict income limits and rules about how much you earn

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) does not automatically stop when you work. However, Social Security has two separate thresholds that determine whether your benefits continue, reduce, or stop entirely. The first is the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit, which is the monthly income level Social Security uses to decide if you are working "too much" to be considered disabled. The second is the Trial Work Period, a nine-month window where you can test your ability to work without losing benefits, even if you earn above the SGA limit.

The SGA limit changes each year. For 2024, it is $1,550 per month for most people and $2,590 per month for people who are blind. If you earn more than this amount in a single month, Social Security may decide you are no longer disabled and stop your benefits. However, there are work incentives built into the system specifically to let you try working without immediate loss of benefits.

Key Takeaways

  • You can work and keep SSDI during a nine-month Trial Work Period, regardless of how much you earn, as long as you report your work to Social Security.
  • After the Trial Work Period ends, your benefits stop if you earn more than the Substantial Gainful Activity limit ($1,550 per month in 2024, adjusted yearly).
  • If your benefits stop because you earned too much, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of may be able to access where you can still receive benefits in months you earn below the SGA limit.
  • You must report all work and earnings to Social Security within one month of starting a job or changing your income.
  • Other work incentives exist, including Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), which can reduce your countable income.

The Trial Work Period: Nine months to test your work capacity

The Trial Work Period is a nine-month window that begins the first month you work and report earnings to Social Security. During these nine months, you can earn any amount and keep your full SSDI benefit. The months do not have to be consecutive — if you work three months, then stop, then work again, the clock continues counting toward nine months total.

To use the Trial Work Period, you must report your work to Social Security. Call your local Social Security office or contact the Ticket to Work program (a free work support service) to report that you have started working. Social Security will send you a form to report your monthly earnings. You must return this form each month you work, even if you earn nothing in a particular month.

After the nine months end, you enter the Extended Period of may be able to access. This is a 36-month period where you can still receive SSDI in any month your earnings fall below the SGA limit. If you earn above the SGA limit in a month, you do not receive a benefit that month, but your benefits do not stop permanently — they resume the next month if your earnings drop below the limit again.

What happens after the Extended Period of may be able to access ends

Once the 36-month Extended Period of may be able to access ends, the rules change. If you are still working and earning above the SGA limit, your SSDI benefits stop. However, you enter a 60-month period called the Expedited Reinstatement window. During this time, if you stop working or your earnings drop below the SGA limit, you can request that your benefits restart without filing a new application or undergoing a new medical review.

If you continue working above the SGA limit beyond the 60-month Expedited Reinstatement window, you lose the right to restart benefits without a new application. At that point, if you want SSDI again, you would need to file a new claim and go through the full medical review process.

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and other deductions

Social Security allows you to subtract certain work-related costs from your gross earnings before comparing your income to the SGA limit. These are called Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE). Examples include the cost of a personal attendant, transportation to work, medical devices needed for work, or medications required to work.

To use IRWE, you must document the expense and show that it is directly related to your disability and necessary for you to work. You submit this information to Social Security, and they recalculate your countable earnings. If your countable earnings (after IRWE deduction) fall below the SGA limit, your benefits continue even if your gross earnings are above the limit.

Another work incentive is a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). A PASS is a written plan you create with a Social Security work incentive specialist that sets a work goal and allows you to set aside income and resources toward that goal without it counting against your SSDI. For example, if your goal is to become a bookkeeper and you need to save money for training, a PASS lets you exclude that savings from your countable income.

How to report work and earnings to Social Security

You must report work within one month of starting a job. Contact your local Social Security office by phone, in person, or through your online my Social Security account. Tell them the name of your employer, your job title, your start date, and your expected monthly earnings.

Social Security will send you a form called the Earnings Report (Form SSA-777). You must complete this form each month you work and return it to Social Security. The form asks for your gross earnings, the dates you worked, and whether you received any other income. Failure to report earnings can result in overpayment — you may have to repay benefits you received in months you should not have.

If your earnings change significantly, report the change immediately. For example, if you get a raise, lose hours, or change jobs, contact Social Security within one month. Accurate reporting protects you from overpayment and ensures you receive the correct benefit amount.

The Ticket to Work program: Free support for working beneficiaries

The Ticket to Work is a free, voluntary program run by Social Security that provides work support services to SSDI and SSI beneficiaries who want to work. When you use a Ticket, you assign it to an approved service provider — usually a vocational rehabilitation agency or employment network — who helps you find a job, develop job skills, or start a business.

The key benefit of using a Ticket is that it extends your work incentive protections. While you are using a Ticket, your benefits are protected even if you work above the SGA limit. This protection lasts for the duration of your work with the service provider, plus an additional 60 months after you stop using the Ticket. This gives you a longer runway to build work capacity and income without losing benefits.

To request a Ticket, contact Social Security or visit the Ticket to Work website (choosework.ssa.gov). There is no cost, and using a Ticket does not affect your medical review or your right to benefits. You can return the Ticket at any time if you decide you no longer want to work with a service provider.

Income limits and benefit reduction

The SGA limit is the primary income threshold for SSDI work rules. For 2024, the limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind workers and $2,590 per month for blind workers. These amounts increase each year based on the national average wage index. Social Security publishes the new limits in November for the following year.

If you earn above the SGA limit during your Trial Work Period or Extended Period of may be able to access, your benefits do not reduce gradually — they either continue (during Trial Work Period and Extended Period) or stop (after Extended Period ends). There is no partial benefit reduction based on how much over the limit you earn. This means you can earn $1 over the limit and lose the entire month's benefit, or earn $5,000 over the limit and lose the same month's benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work part-time and keep my full SSDI benefit?

Yes, during your nine-month Trial Work Period. After that, you can work part-time and keep your benefit only if your monthly earnings stay below the SGA limit ($1,550 in 2024). If you earn above the limit in any month, you do not receive a benefit that month, but your benefits resume the next month if your earnings drop below the limit again.

What if I earn money from self-employment instead of a job?

Self-employment income counts toward the SGA limit the same way wages do. Social Security looks at your net profit (income minus business expenses). You must report self-employment income to Social Security each month, just as you would report wages. If you are self-employed, contact Social Security to discuss how to report your earnings accurately.

Do I lose my Medicare if I work and my benefits stop?

No. If your SSDI benefits stop because you earned too much, your Medicare coverage continues for at least 93 months (about 7.5 years) after your benefits end. This is called Extended Medicare Coverage. After 93 months, you can purchase Medicare coverage on your own. This protection gives you time to build work capacity without losing health insurance.

What if I made a mistake reporting my earnings?

Contact Social Security immediately and report the error. Social Security can correct the record and adjust your benefits if needed. If you received benefits you were not may have access to to because of the error, Social Security may ask you to repay the overpayment, but reporting the error yourself usually results in a more favorable outcome than waiting for Social Security to discover it.

Can I use the Trial Work Period more than once?

No. You get one nine-month Trial Work Period per SSDI claim. Once those nine months are used, they do not reset. However, if your benefits stop and you later request Expedited Reinstatement (within 60 months), you do not get a new Trial Work Period — you go directly into the Extended Period of may be able to access rules.