The earnings limit on SSDI is $1,550 per month in 2024, but the rule is more complicated than a simple cutoff

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) allows you to work and earn money, but only up to a point. If you earn more than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit — $1,550 per month in 2024 — Social Security will assume you are no longer disabled and may stop your benefits. The limit changes each year, and it applies to your gross income before taxes.

The catch is that you do not lose benefits the moment you cross $1,550. Social Security has a trial work period and other rules that let you test your ability to work without immediate penalty. Understanding how these work can mean the difference between keeping your benefits while you earn, or losing them unexpectedly.

Key Takeaways

  • You can earn up to $1,550 per month in 2024 without automatically losing SSDI, but earnings above that trigger a medical review of your disability status.
  • The trial work period lets you work and earn any amount for nine months without losing benefits, as long as you report your work to Social Security.
  • After the trial work period ends, you enter the extended may be able to access period, where you can work one month and receive benefits the next, giving you a buffer to test employment.
  • The SGA limit changes every year, so you need to check the current figure before taking a job or increasing your hours.
  • Failing to report work income to Social Security can result in overpayments you will have to repay, even if you did not realize you were required to report it.

What the $1,550 limit actually means

The $1,550 figure is the 2024 SGA limit for non-blind disabled workers. If you earn more than this in a month, Social Security does not automatically cut off your check that month. Instead, it flags your case for a medical review. A doctor or disability examiner will look at your work history, your medical condition, and whether the work you are doing proves you can work at a substantial level. This review can take weeks or months.

The limit applies to gross income — the money before taxes, deductions, or expenses. If you are self-employed, it is your net profit after business expenses. Certain types of income do not count toward the limit: Social Security benefits themselves, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, housing assistance, and some other government benefits do not trigger the SGA review.

If you are blind, the SGA limit is higher — $2,590 per month in 2024. If you are working toward a plan to become self-sufficient (called a Plan to Achieve Self-Support, or PASS), you may be able to set aside income and resources without it affecting your benefits, but this requires a written agreement with Social Security before you start.

The trial work period: nine months to test employment

Social Security gives you a nine-month trial work period during which you can earn any amount and keep your full SSDI benefit. The months do not have to be consecutive. You can work three months, stop, work two more months later, and those five months count toward your nine. The only requirement is that you report your work to Social Security — you must tell them you are working, how much you earn, and when you started.

During the trial work period, Social Security does not care whether you earn $100 or $5,000 in a month. You keep your full benefit check. This period is designed to let you see whether you can actually work without losing your safety net immediately. Many people use it to test a job, build confidence, or see how their disability affects their ability to work consistently.

Once you have used all nine trial work months, you move into the extended may be able to access period. This lasts 36 months. During this time, you can work one month and receive your full benefit, then work the next month and lose that month's benefit (because you earned above SGA). You alternate, or you can work multiple months in a row and lose multiple months of benefits. The point is that you have a longer runway to figure out whether work is sustainable for you.

What happens after extended may be able to access ends

Once your 36-month extended may be able to access period is over, the rules tighten. If you earn above the SGA limit in any month, you lose that month's benefit. If you earn below it, you get your full check. There is no more alternating or buffer — it is a straightforward monthly test.

If your earnings stay above SGA for nine consecutive months, Social Security will stop your benefits entirely and send you a notice. At that point, you can request a continuing disability review to prove that your condition has worsened, or you can appeal. If you later drop back below SGA, you can ask to have your benefits restarted, but there is usually a waiting period.

The good news is that if you lose benefits because of work, you can get them back relatively quickly if your employment ends or your hours drop. You do not have to go through the entire application process again — Social Security calls this a "reinstatement" and it is faster than a new claim.

The SGA limit changes every year

Social Security adjusts the SGA limit each year based on changes in the national average wage. In 2023 it was $1,470; in 2024 it is $1,550. You can expect it to rise again in 2025. The exact figure is announced in November for the following year, so you can plan ahead if you are thinking about taking a job or increasing your hours.

If you are close to the limit, it is worth checking the current year's figure before you commit to a job or ask for more hours. A job that keeps you under the limit one year might push you over the next year if the limit drops (which is rare but has happened) or if you get a raise.

How to report your work income

You must report work to Social Security, even during the trial work period when it will not affect your benefits. You can report online through your my Social Security account, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at your local Social Security office. You will need to tell them:

  • The date you started working
  • Your job title and what you do
  • How much you earn per month (or per week, if that is easier)
  • Your employer's name and phone number
  • How many hours per week you work

Social Security will send you a form called the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) form or a simpler earnings report. You fill it out and return it. If you do not report, and Social Security finds out you were working (through tax records or other means), they can overpay you and demand the money back. This can happen even if you did not realize you were supposed to report.

Work incentives that can help you keep more money

Beyond the trial work period and extended may be able to access, Social Security has other programs that let you work and keep benefits. The Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) program lets you deduct certain costs related to your disability — medical equipment, transportation to work, medications you need to work — from your earnings before they count toward the SGA limit. If you spend $300 a month on disability-related work costs, that $300 does not count as income.

The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal without it affecting your benefits. For example, if you want to go back to school to retrain for a different job, you can set aside money for tuition and books. You need to write a plan with Social Security and stick to it, but it can significantly extend how much you can earn while keeping benefits.

A work incentives planning service (often called WIPA or Work Incentives Planning and Assistance) is free and available in every state. A counselor can help you understand how a specific job will affect your benefits, calculate whether you will stay under SGA, and help you report your work correctly. You can find your local WIPA office through the Ticket to Work website or by calling 1-866-968-7842.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work part-time and keep my SSDI?

Yes, as long as you stay under the SGA limit or are still in your trial work period. Many people work part-time jobs that pay $800 to $1,400 per month and keep their full benefit. You must report the work to Social Security, and the income counts toward your monthly total, but part-time work is one of the most common ways people test employment while on SSDI.

What if I get a raise that pushes me over the SGA limit?

If you are still in your trial work period or extended may be able to access period, a raise will not immediately stop your benefits. If you are past extended may be able to access, a raise that puts you over SGA will trigger a medical review. Social Security will look at whether your work proves you are no longer disabled. You can request a WIPA counselor to help you understand the impact before you accept the raise.

Do I lose benefits the month I earn over $1,550?

Not automatically. The month you earn over SGA, you keep your benefit check. Social Security then reviews your case to determine whether your work proves you are no longer disabled. This review can take weeks or months. If they decide you can work, they will stop your benefits going forward, not retroactively.

What if I work for only part of a month?

Social Security counts the full month's earnings, even if you worked only one week. If you earn $1,600 in your first week and then stop, that $1,600 counts as your monthly income for SGA purposes. This is why it is important to plan ahead if you are close to the limit.

Can I get my benefits back if I stop working?

Yes. If you lose benefits because you earned over SGA, you can request reinstatement if you later drop back below the limit. Reinstatement is faster than a new application and does not require you to prove your disability again. However, there is usually a waiting period before benefits restart, so contact Social Security as soon as your earnings drop.