The earnings limit depends on which program you receive and what month it is

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has a trial work period that lets you earn any amount without losing benefits. After that, you hit a monthly earnings threshold called substantial gainful activity (SGA). If you earn more than the SGA amount in a month, Social Security stops your benefit payment for that month — but the work incentive rules that follow can let you keep working and still receive some benefits.

The SGA threshold changes each year. For 2024, the limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $2,590 per month for blind beneficiaries. These amounts are set by federal law and do not vary by state. If you earned above these amounts in 2023, the 2025 thresholds will be higher, but Social Security has not yet announced them.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has a different structure: it allows you to earn $65 per month plus half of anything above that before your cash benefit is reduced. SSI also has stricter rules about assets and living arrangements, so the earnings question is often secondary to those limits.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI lets you earn any amount during a nine-month trial work period without losing your benefit check.
  • After the trial work period ends, you lose your monthly benefit if you earn more than $1,550 per month (non-blind) or $2,590 per month (blind) in 2024.
  • The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) and Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) are work incentives that let you exclude certain earnings or expenses from the SGA calculation.
  • SSI has a $65 monthly earnings exclusion plus a 50 percent reduction on earnings above that, which is much stricter than SSDI.
  • Losing your benefit check does not mean losing Medicare (SSDI) or Medicaid (SSI), and both programs have extended coverage rules.

How the trial work period works

When you start SSDI, you enter a nine-month trial work period. During these nine months, you can earn any amount and still receive your full benefit check every month. The nine months do not have to be consecutive — Social Security counts only months in which you earn $940 or more (in 2024) as trial work months.

This is the window to test whether you can work without losing your financial footing. Many people use it to return to their old job part-time, start a new job, or test self-employment. Because you keep your full benefit check during this time, you have a financial cushion while you see whether the work is sustainable.

Once you have used nine trial work months, the rules change. You move into what Social Security calls the extended may be able to access period, which lasts 36 months. During these 36 months, you lose your benefit check in any month you earn more than the SGA amount, but you keep Medicare coverage even if you are not receiving a check.

What happens when you earn above the SGA threshold

If you earn more than $1,550 per month (non-blind, 2024) after your trial work period ends, Social Security stops paying you for that month. You do not owe the money back, and you are not penalized — the payment straightforward does not go out. If you earn below the threshold the next month, your check resumes.

This is a month-by-month calculation, not an annual one. You could earn $2,000 in January and lose your check, then earn $1,000 in February and receive it again. Social Security looks only at the current month's earnings, not what you earned before or will earn later.

The SGA threshold is the same whether you work for an employer or are self-employed. If you are self-employed, Social Security counts your net profit (revenue minus business expenses) as your earnings. You will need to report this on your tax return and provide documentation to Social Security.

Work incentives that let you earn more

Social Security offers two main work incentives that can raise the amount you can earn before losing benefits: Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS).

IRWE lets you subtract the cost of items or services you need because of your disability in order to work. If you are deaf and need a sign language interpreter at work, the interpreter's cost is an IRWE. If you have mobility limitations and need a personal assistant to help you get ready for work, that cost counts. If you take medication that costs $200 per month and you would not need it if you were not working, that can be an IRWE. You subtract these costs from your gross earnings before Social Security checks whether you hit the SGA threshold.

PASS is a written plan you create with a Social Security work incentives planner. It lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — finishing a degree, buying equipment for self-employment, or saving for a down payment on a business. While you are following the PASS, the money you set aside does not count against your earnings limit or your SSI resource limit. PASS is more complex to set up and requires ongoing reporting, but it can be powerful if you have a concrete vocational goal.

Both IRWE and PASS require documentation and advance approval from Social Security. You cannot retroactively claim them after you have already earned the money. If you think either applies to your situation, contact your local Social Security office or ask for a referral to a work incentives planning and information (WIPA) project, which offers free counseling on these rules.

How Medicare and Medicaid coverage continues

One of the most important rules is that losing your SSDI benefit check does not mean losing Medicare. Once you have been on SSDI for 24 months, you become covered by Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). That coverage continues for at least 93 months after your trial work period ends, even if you earn above the SGA threshold and stop receiving a check.

This extended Medicare coverage is called Medicare continuation, and it is one reason the SGA threshold is less scary than it sounds. You can work full-time, earn well above $1,550 per month, lose your benefit check, and still have hospital and medical insurance. You will pay the standard Medicare premiums (which are usually deducted from any remaining benefit, or you pay them directly), but the coverage itself does not go away.

If you are on SSI instead of SSDI, the rule is different. SSI is tied to Medicaid, and Medicaid rules vary by state. Some states continue Medicaid coverage even when your SSI check stops; others reduce or end it. You need to ask your state Medicaid office what the rule is in your state, because it is not automatic.

Reporting your earnings to Social Security

You are required to report your earnings to Social Security every month. You can do this online through your my Social Security account, by phone, by mail, or in person at your local office. If you do not report, Social Security may overpay you and then demand the money back later, so reporting on time is important even if you think you are below the threshold.

For self-employment, you report your net profit based on your tax records. Social Security will ask for copies of your tax return, profit and loss statement, or business records. Keep these documents organized and available, because Social Security may request them months or even years after you earn the money.

If you miss a reporting important date or report incorrectly, Social Security can suspend your benefits or create an overpayment. If you are unsure how to report or what counts as earnings, call your local office before the important date rather than guessing.

What counts as earnings and what does not

Earnings mean wages from a job or net profit from self-employment. They do not include gifts, inheritances, tax refunds, or money from selling your home. They do not include interest, dividends, or rental income. They do not include food, housing, or other in-kind support.

Unpaid work — volunteering, helping a family member without pay, or doing chores at home — does not count as earnings. If you volunteer at a food bank 20 hours per week, that does not affect your SSDI or SSI, even though you are working.

Work-study income as a student, certain scholarships, and vocational rehabilitation services also have special rules and may not count fully as earnings. If you are in school or receiving vocational services, ask Social Security how those specific payments are treated.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes, during your nine-month trial work period you can earn any amount and keep your full check. After that, you can earn up to $1,550 per month (non-blind, 2024) and keep your check. Above that amount, you lose the check for that month but keep Medicare.

What if I earn $1,600 one month and $1,400 the next?

Social Security looks at each month separately. You lose your check in the month you earn $1,600, but you receive it in the month you earn $1,400. There is no annual average or carryover — it is purely month-by-month.

Do I have to report tips and cash payments?

Yes. All earnings count, whether they are on a pay stub, in cash, or as tips. Social Security expects you to report what you actually earned, not just what appears on official documents. Underreporting can result in an overpayment that you will have to repay.

What happens if I go back to work and my condition gets worse?

You can request that Social Security review your case and consider whether you can still work. If your condition has worsened, you may be able to stop working and return to receiving your full benefit. You do not lose SSDI automatically if you try to work and it does not work out.

Does the SGA amount change every year?

Yes. Social Security adjusts the SGA threshold each January based on national wage trends. The 2024 amount is $1,550 (non-blind) and $2,590 (blind). The 2025 amounts will be announced by Social Security in late 2024. Check your Social Security statement or call your local office to confirm the current year's threshold.