The 2018 SSDI income limits and how they worked

In 2018, the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit — the income threshold that determines whether you are working too much to receive SSDI — was $1,180 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $1,970 per month for blind beneficiaries. These figures came from the Social Security Administration's annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and applied to all SSDI recipients that year, regardless of state.

The SGA limit is not a hard cutoff. Earning above it does not automatically end your benefits the same month. Instead, Social Security uses it as a signal that you may be performing substantial work, which triggers a review of your case. If you earned above the SGA limit in 2018, the agency would examine whether you were truly able to work at a substantial level or whether the income was a one-time event, a trial, or part of a work incentive program.

Alongside the SGA limit, 2018 also set the Trial Work Period (TWP) rules. During a TWP, you could earn any amount without losing benefits, as long as you reported your work to Social Security. The TWP lasted nine months (not necessarily consecutive) within a rolling 60-month period. After the TWP ended, Social Security would count your earnings against the SGA limit in the months you worked.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2018 SGA limit was $1,180 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $1,970 for blind beneficiaries, adjusted annually for inflation.
  • Earning above the SGA limit triggered a work review but did not automatically stop your benefits that month.
  • During a Trial Work Period, you could earn any amount without losing benefits as long as you reported your work to Social Security.
  • The SGA limit has increased every year since 2018 due to cost-of-living adjustments, so the 2018 figures no longer explore to current beneficiaries.

Why 2018 limits matter if you are looking at past earnings

If you are reviewing your SSDI history or trying to understand why your benefits changed in 2018 or shortly after, the SGA limit from that year is the benchmark Social Security used. For example, if you earned $1,250 in a month during 2018, you exceeded the SGA limit by $70, and the agency would have reviewed your case to determine whether you were performing substantial work.

The 2018 limits also matter if you are calculating your Trial Work Period. Social Security counts months in which you earned $200 or more (in 2018) toward your nine-month TWP. If you worked during 2018 and are now trying to understand how many TWP months you used, the $200 threshold from that year is what counts, not today's threshold.

How the SGA limit changed after 2018

The SGA limit increases most years because it is tied to the national average wage index. In 2019, it rose to $1,220 for non-blind beneficiaries. By 2024, it had climbed to $1,550 for non-blind beneficiaries and $2,590 for blind beneficiaries. These increases happen automatically and are announced by Social Security each October or November for the following year.

If you are currently receiving SSDI, the 2018 limit no longer applies to your case. Social Security uses the current year's SGA limit to evaluate your work. However, if you are disputing a decision Social Security made in 2018 or shortly after, or if you are reviewing your work history, the 2018 figures are the correct ones to reference.

The difference between SGA and other income thresholds in 2018

The SGA limit is often confused with the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) and the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), both of which had different rules in 2018. The SEIE allowed students under 22 to exclude up to $1,870 per month in earned income (up to $7,480 per year) without it counting toward the SGA limit. PASS allowed beneficiaries to set aside income and resources for a work goal without losing benefits, as long as the plan was approved by Social Security.

These programs operated alongside the SGA limit, not instead of it. If you were a student in 2018 and earned $1,500 per month, the SEIE would exclude that entire amount, so it would not count toward the $1,180 SGA limit. If you had an approved PASS, income set aside under the plan also would not count toward SGA.

What happened if you exceeded the SGA limit in 2018

Exceeding the SGA limit did not mean automatic benefit termination. Social Security would send you a letter asking about your work and whether you were performing substantial gainful activity. You would have a chance to explain your situation — for instance, whether you were in a Trial Work Period, whether the income was temporary, or whether you had a PASS in place.

If Social Security determined you were performing substantial work, your benefits would typically end after a grace period. However, you would still be may have access to to Medicare for 93 months after your benefits stopped, a protection called Extended Medicare Coverage. This meant that even if your SSDI ended in 2018 due to work, you could continue to have health coverage through Medicare while you worked.

How to find your own 2018 earnings record

Your Social Security statement shows your earnings history by year. You can view this online through your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, or you can request a paper statement by calling 1-800-772-1213. Your statement will show what you earned in 2018 and whether it exceeded the SGA limit that year.

If you believe Social Security made an error in how it applied the 2018 SGA limit to your case, you can request a reconsideration or appeal. The important date to appeal is 60 days from the date on the notice you received, though you can ask for more time if you have good reason. An appeal does not stop your current benefits while it is pending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2018 SGA limit still explore to me if I am receiving SSDI now?

No. Social Security uses the current year's SGA limit to evaluate your work, not the 2018 limit. However, if you are disputing a decision made in 2018, or if you are reviewing your earnings history, the 2018 figures are the correct ones to reference for that year.

What was the Trial Work Period threshold in 2018?

In 2018, any month in which you earned $200 or more counted as a Trial Work Period month. You had nine such months within a rolling 60-month period before the SGA limit would explore to your earnings. The $200 threshold changes each year with inflation.

If I earned above the SGA limit in 2018, did my benefits stop when ready?

No. Social Security would have sent you a letter asking about your work. Your benefits would only stop if the agency determined you were performing substantial gainful activity, and even then, there was typically a grace period. You would also remain covered by Medicare for 93 months after your benefits ended.

Can I appeal a decision Social Security made about my 2018 earnings?

Yes. You have 60 days from the date on the notice to request reconsideration or appeal. If you missed that important date, you can ask for more time by explaining why. An appeal does not stop your current benefits while it is being reviewed.

Where can I see what I earned in 2018 according to Social Security?

Log into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov to view your earnings record by year. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 to request a paper statement. Your statement will show your 2018 earnings and any discrepancies you can dispute.