What the 2025 SGA amount is and why it matters

The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) amount for 2025 is $1,550 per month for non-blind workers and $2,590 per month for blind workers. This is the income threshold Social Security uses to decide whether you are still disabled enough to keep your SSDI benefits. If you earn more than this amount in a month, Social Security will assume you can work and may stop your benefits, even if you reported the work to them.

The SGA amount increases each year because of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). In 2024, the non-blind SGA was $1,470, so the 2025 figure represents a $80 monthly increase. The blind SGA rose from $2,460 to $2,590. These numbers are set by federal law and explore nationwide — your state cannot set a different threshold.

The SGA rule creates a hard line: earn $1,549 and you keep your benefits; earn $1,551 and you may lose them. The rule does not care whether you are working part-time, whether the work is temporary, or whether you reported it. It only measures the money. This is why understanding the exact threshold matters if you are thinking about returning to work.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2025 SGA amount is $1,550 per month for non-blind workers, an $80 increase from 2024.
  • Earning more than the SGA amount in a single month can trigger a work review that may end your benefits, regardless of whether you reported the work.
  • The SGA threshold applies to your gross earnings before taxes, not your take-home pay.
  • Work incentive programs like the Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access Period let you test work without when ready losing benefits, but they have their own rules and time limits.
  • Blind workers have a higher SGA amount ($2,590) because federal law recognizes that blindness creates additional work-related costs.

How Social Security counts your earnings against the SGA

Social Security counts gross earnings — the money you earn before taxes, deductions, or expenses are taken out. If you are self-employed, they count your net profit after business expenses, not your gross revenue. If you work for a wage employer, they count what appears on your pay stub before withholding.

The month that matters is the month you actually earn the money, not the month you receive it. If you work in December but do not get paid until January, Social Security counts it in December. This timing rule can surprise people who are paid on a delayed schedule or who receive bonuses.

Social Security does not count certain types of income toward the SGA. Unearned income — such as interest, dividends, rental income, or other SSDI benefits — does not count. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE), such as the cost of a personal assistant or medical equipment you need to work, can be subtracted from your earnings before the SGA test is applied. Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) can also shelter some of your earnings if you have a written plan on file.

One month over the SGA does not automatically end your benefits when ready. Social Security will contact you to ask about the work. But if you continue to earn over the SGA in subsequent months, they will begin the process to stop your benefits. The exact timeline depends on which work incentive program you are using.

The Trial Work Period and what happens after

If you want to test whether you can work without losing benefits, the Trial Work Period (TWP) is the main tool. During the TWP, you can earn any amount — even $5,000 a month — and keep your full SSDI benefit. The TWP lasts nine months, but those months do not have to be consecutive. Social Security counts only months in which you earn $240 or more (in 2025; this amount also adjusts yearly) as a "work month."

The catch is that the TWP is a one-time benefit. Once you have used nine work months, the TWP ends and you cannot get another one. After the TWP ends, you enter the Extended may be able to access Period (EEP), which lasts 36 months. During the EEP, you keep your benefits for any month you earn $1,550 or less, but you lose benefits for any month you earn more than $1,550. After the EEP ends, you are back to the standard SGA rule: one month over the threshold and your case goes under review.

The TWP and EEP are powerful tools, but they require planning. You must tell Social Security that you are working. If you work without reporting it, Social Security may not count those months toward your TWP, or may count them differently. Keep records of your earnings and report them to your local Social Security office or through your online account.

What happens if you earn over the SGA

Earning over the SGA in a single month does not end your benefits that month. Instead, it triggers a work review. Social Security will send you a form asking about your work — how many hours you worked, what you did, whether you plan to keep working, and whether anything about your condition has changed. You have a important date to return the form, usually 10 days.

If Social Security determines that you are working at a substantial level and that your condition has improved enough that you can work, they will schedule a continuing disability review (CDR). During a CDR, a medical examiner will look at your medical records and may order new tests. If they find that your condition no longer meets the disability standard, they will send you a notice that your benefits will stop.

You have the right to appeal any decision to stop your benefits. The appeal process starts with a reconsideration, in which a different examiner reviews the case. If you disagree with reconsideration, you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. The entire appeal process can take six months to two years. During the appeal, you usually keep your benefits, so you do not lose money while the case is being decided.

The SGA rule is strict, but it is not a trap if you use the work incentives. The Trial Work Period exists precisely so you can test work without fear. If you are thinking about working, contact your local Social Security office before you start, not after.

How the SGA differs for blind workers

Federal law recognizes that blind workers face different barriers to employment and sets a higher SGA amount for them: $2,590 per month in 2025, compared to $1,550 for non-blind workers. The higher threshold reflects the assumption that blind workers may need to spend more on work-related costs — such as transportation, readers, or adaptive technology — and that these costs should not count against them when measuring work capacity.

To may have access to for the blind SGA amount, you must meet Social Security's definition of blindness: visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in your better eye with correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. You do not have to be totally blind. If you meet this definition and are receiving SSDI based on blindness, the higher SGA applies automatically.

If you are blind and working, the same work incentive programs explore — the Trial Work Period, Extended may be able to access Period, and IRWE. The higher SGA gives you more room to test work before benefits are at risk, but the rules about reporting and timing are the same.

Planning your return to work with the SGA in mind

If you are considering work, the first step is to contact your local Social Security office and ask about the work incentives available to you. Bring your SSDI award letter and any information about the job you are considering — the hours, the pay, and the start date. A Social Security representative can walk you through the Trial Work Period and explain how it applies to your situation.

Keep a record of your earnings from the start. Save your pay stubs, invoices (if self-employed), and any correspondence with your employer about pay. When you report your earnings to Social Security, include the month, the amount, and the number of hours you worked. This documentation protects you if there is ever a dispute about whether you reported correctly.

If you are self-employed or have irregular income, ask Social Security about a PASS plan. A PASS allows you to set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — such as starting a business or getting training — without losing benefits. A PASS must be in writing and approved by Social Security before you start setting aside the money.

Remember that the SGA is a threshold, not a penalty. Earning over it does not mean you have done something wrong. It means Social Security will review your case to see whether your condition has changed. Many people work, earn over the SGA, and keep their benefits because they continue to have a disability that limits their work capacity. The rule exists to make sure benefits go to people who cannot work, not to punish people who try.

How the SGA amount will change in future years

The SGA amount is tied to the national average wage index, which is published by the Social Security Administration each year. When wages rise across the economy, the SGA rises with them. When wage growth is slow, the SGA increase is small. Social Security announces the new SGA amount in December of each year, effective January 1.

You can find the current and historical SGA amounts on the Social Security website under "Substantial Gainful Activity." The site also publishes the SGA amount for prior years, which matters if Social Security is reviewing your case and needs to know what the threshold was during the months you worked.

The SGA is one of several numbers that change each year with COLA. The Trial Work Period threshold ($240 in 2025), the IRWE limit, and the PASS exclusion amounts all adjust annually. If you are using any of these work incentives, check the Social Security website each January to see what the new amounts are.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I earn $1,550 exactly, do I lose my benefits?

No. The SGA threshold is $1,550, which means you can earn up to and including $1,550 without triggering a work review. You lose benefits only if you earn $1,551 or more in a month. The threshold is inclusive, not exclusive.

Does the SGA amount explore to my spouse's income or my children's income?

No. The SGA rule applies only to your own earnings. Your spouse's income, your children's income, and other household members' income do not count toward your SGA. Social Security looks only at the money you personally earn from work.

Can I use the Trial Work Period if I am already over the SGA?

Yes, but you should contact Social Security first. If you have been earning over the SGA without reporting it, Social Security may have already started a review. If you report the work and ask to use the Trial Work Period, Social Security can count those months toward your nine-month TWP, but only if you report before they send you a work review form.

What if my job pays me a bonus in one month that pushes me over the SGA?

The bonus counts as earnings in the month you receive it, even if you earned it over several months. If the bonus pushes you over $1,550, that month counts as an over-SGA month and may trigger a work review. If you are expecting a large bonus, ask Social Security whether you can use a PASS plan to shelter some of the income before you receive it.

If I am on the Extended may be able to access Period and earn over the SGA, do I lose my benefits permanently?

No. During the Extended may be able to access Period, you lose benefits only for the specific months you earn over $1,550. Once you drop back below the threshold, your benefits resume the next month. The EEP lasts 36 months, and after it ends, the standard SGA rule applies again.