Yes, you can work while your SSDI process is being reviewed

You do not have to stop working to submit an SSDI process. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will review your case whether you are employed or not. What matters to SSA is whether your medical condition prevents you from doing substantial gainful activity — a legal term meaning work that brings in more than a set monthly amount. In 2024, that threshold is $1,550 per month for non-blind applicants and $2,590 for blind applicants, but these figures change yearly.

Continuing to work while you explore can actually help your case in some ways and complicate it in others. Understanding how work income affects your process, and what happens if you are approved while still employed, will shape your strategy over the next months.

Key Takeaways

  • You can submit an SSDI process while working full-time; SSA does not require you to quit your job first.
  • If you earn more than the substantial gainful activity threshold ($1,550 monthly in 2024), SSA will likely deny your claim unless your condition is severe enough to meet a listed impairment.
  • Work history and recent earnings are part of your medical evidence file, so SSA will see your pay stubs and tax records regardless.
  • If you are approved while working, you enter a nine-month trial work period during which you can earn any amount without losing benefits.
  • Reporting your work income to SSA each month is required once you are receiving SSDI; failing to report can result in overpayments you must repay.

How SSA views work income during the process process

SSA does not penalize you for working while your case is under review. However, the amount you earn becomes evidence in your file. If you are earning substantially more than the threshold each month, SSA will use that as a reason to deny your claim — the logic being that if you can earn that much, you are capable of substantial gainful activity and therefore not disabled under the law.

This does not mean you must earn below the threshold to be approved. SSA also considers whether your work is marginal — meaning you work very few hours, earn very little, or work in a sheltered or subsidized setting where you receive support that a typical employer would not provide. A person working 10 hours a week at minimum wage, or working for a nonprofit that subsidizes wages for people with disabilities, may still be found disabled even if their monthly earnings exceed the threshold in some months.

The key is the relationship between your work and your medical condition. If you are working despite significant pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, or other symptoms that your medical records document, SSA will weigh that. If your medical records show you cannot work but your tax returns show steady income, SSA will question the severity of your condition.

What SSA will see in your work history

When you file for SSDI, SSA automatically pulls your earnings record from the Social Security Administration's database. This shows every year you worked and how much you earned. SSA also requests medical records, and those records often include information about your work status — whether you told your doctor you are still working, whether you had to take time off, whether work is making your condition worse.

If you submit recent pay stubs as part of your process, SSA will have a month-by-month picture of your current earnings. If you do not submit them, SSA will request them from your employer or ask you to provide them. Hiding work income or underreporting it will not help your case; it will create inconsistencies that SSA will use to deny your claim or, later, to recover overpayments.

Be honest about your work status on your process and in your medical records. If you are working but struggling, say so. If you are working part-time because full-time work is not possible, document that. SSA is looking for a clear picture of your functional capacity, and your actual work behavior is part of that picture.

The trial work period: what happens if you are approved while working

If SSA approves your SSDI claim, you enter a nine-month trial work period (TWP). During these nine months, you can earn any amount — there is no income limit — and you will continue to receive your full SSDI benefit. The purpose is to let you test whether you can sustain work without losing your safety net.

The nine months do not have to be consecutive. SSA counts only months in which you earn more than $1,050 (in 2024; this amount changes yearly). So if you work three months, take two months off, then work four more months, your TWP spans those seven working months plus two additional months before it ends. Once your TWP ends, SSA moves you into the extended may be able to access period, which lasts 36 months. During extended may be able to access, if your earnings drop below the threshold in any month, you can restart SSDI benefits without reapplying.

Many people do not realize they are in a trial work period and do not track which months count toward it. SSA is supposed to send you a notice when your TWP begins and another when it ends, but these notices sometimes arrive late or get lost. Contact your local SSA office or check your online account at ssa.gov to confirm your TWP status.

Work incentives that reduce the impact of earnings on benefits

SSA offers several work incentives designed to make it easier to work while on SSDI. The most common is the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), which lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — like paying for vocational training, buying equipment, or covering transportation to a new job. Money in your PASS does not count against your SSDI benefits, and it does not count as income for Medicaid purposes either.

Another incentive is Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE), which lets you deduct the cost of items or services you need because of your disability in order to work. If you pay for a personal attendant, specialized transportation, medication, or medical equipment that allows you to work, you can deduct those costs from your earnings before SSA calculates whether you have exceeded the substantial gainful activity threshold.

A third option is the Student Earned Income Exclusion, which applies only if you are under 22 and a student. You can exclude up to $2,170 per month (in 2024) in earnings from your income calculation.

These incentives are not automatic. You have to ask SSA to explore them, and you may need to provide documentation — receipts, invoices, a written PASS plan. A work incentives planning and information (WIPA) project in your state can help you understand which incentives fit your situation. You can find your local WIPA at askjan.org or by calling 1-866-968-WIPA.

Reporting work income once you are receiving SSDI

Once you are approved and receiving SSDI, you are required to report your work income to SSA each month. SSA will send you a form called the Continued Work Activity Report or ask you to report online through your my Social Security account. You must report the month, the amount you earned, and the name of your employer.

Failing to report work income is one of the most common reasons SSDI recipients end up owing money back to SSA. If you earn $2,000 in a month but do not report it, SSA will pay you your full SSDI benefit. When SSA later discovers the unreported income — through tax records, employer verification, or a routine review — it will classify that month's benefit as an overpayment. You will then owe SSA the full amount of the benefit you received that month, even though you reported the income late.

Report honestly and on time. If you miss a important date, contact SSA as soon as you realize it. Reporting late is better than not reporting at all.

When working might hurt your process

If you are earning close to or above the substantial gainful activity threshold, SSA will scrutinize your process more carefully. SSA will ask: If you can work this much, why are you disabled? The answer has to come from your medical records and your functional capacity evaluation.

If your medical records do not support the severity of your condition, or if there is a gap between what you tell your doctor and what you are doing at work, SSA will likely deny your claim. For example, if you tell your doctor you cannot sit for more than 30 minutes but your job requires eight hours of sitting per day, SSA will question whether your condition is truly disabling.

The solution is consistency. Make sure your medical records reflect your actual functional limitations. If work is making your condition worse, tell your doctor. If you are working through pain or fatigue, document that. If you are working part-time because full-time work is not possible, make that clear to both your doctor and SSA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will SSA deny my process because I am working?

Not automatically. SSA will deny your process if you earn more than the substantial gainful activity threshold ($1,550 monthly in 2024) and your medical records do not show a severe impairment that meets SSA's criteria. If your work is part-time, marginal, or subsidized, or if your medical condition is documented as severe, you can still be approved while working.

Do I have to tell my employer I am explore for SSDI?

No. Your SSDI process is confidential. SSA may contact your employer to verify your work history and earnings, but your employer will not know you applied unless you tell them. However, if you are approved and later need to explain gaps in your work history, being honest with your employer about your disability can protect your job.

What if I get worse and have to stop working after I explore?

Tell SSA when ready. Contact your local office or update your information online at ssa.gov. If you stop working because your condition worsened, that is strong evidence supporting your claim. Make sure your doctor documents the change in your condition and your ability to work.

Can I use my work income to disqualify myself from SSI while explore for SSDI?

SSDI and SSI are different programs. SSDI is based on your work history; SSI is based on income and resources. If you are explore for SSDI, your current work income does not affect SSI. However, if you are receiving SSI and start working, your SSI benefit will be reduced based on your earnings. Ask SSA which program you are explore for.

What happens to my health insurance if I am approved while working?

If you are approved for SSDI, you become may be able to access for Medicare after 24 months of receiving benefits. During your trial work period and extended may be able to access period, you can continue working and earning without losing Medicare. If you have employer health insurance, you can keep it. Many people keep both employer insurance and Medicare during this time.