The 2023 SSDI income limits and how they affect your benefits

In 2023, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) used two main income thresholds. The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit — the amount you can earn without risking your benefits — was $1,470 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $2,460 per month for blind beneficiaries. These are the figures Social Security used to decide whether your work counted as substantial and gainful.

The second threshold is the Trial Work Period (TWP) limit, which in 2023 was $970 per month. During your trial work period, you can earn up to this amount in a month without it counting against your work history, even if you later earn more.

These limits change every year because Social Security ties them to the national average wage index. The 2023 figures were higher than 2022 — the SGA limit rose from $1,350 to $1,470 — because average wages increased. If you were working in 2023 and earning near these thresholds, the increase meant you had more room to work without losing benefits.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2023 SGA limit was $1,470 per month for non-blind beneficiaries; anything you earned above that in a month could trigger a benefit suspension.
  • Blind beneficiaries had a higher SGA limit of $2,460 per month in 2023, reflecting the different work incentive rules for that group.
  • The Trial Work Period limit of $970 per month in 2023 meant you could earn that amount in a month without it counting as a work month toward your nine-month trial period.
  • These limits increase each year; the 2023 figures were about 9 percent higher than 2022 because of wage growth.
  • Earning below the SGA limit does not automatically protect your benefits — Social Security also looks at the kind of work you do and how many hours you work.

How Social Security used the 2023 SGA limit to decide about your work

If you were working in 2023 and earning $1,470 or less per month, Social Security generally treated your work as not substantial and gainful. That meant your benefits continued without interruption, even though you were working. The limit applied to gross earnings — the amount before taxes and deductions.

If you earned more than $1,470 in a single month, Social Security did not automatically suspend your benefits that month. Instead, the agency looked at whether your work was substantial and gainful overall. They considered your earnings, the hours you worked, the kind of work, and whether you were working at your own pace or following an employer's schedule. A single high-earning month did not necessarily end your benefits if the rest of your work pattern suggested the work was not substantial.

However, if you consistently earned above $1,470 per month throughout 2023, Social Security would likely have found your work substantial and gainful and suspended your benefits. The SGA limit is a guideline, not a hard cutoff — but it is the most important one Social Security uses.

The Trial Work Period and how the $970 limit worked in 2023

The Trial Work Period is a nine-month window during which you can test your ability to work without losing benefits, regardless of how much you earn. In 2023, any month in which you earned $970 or less counted as a non-work month and did not use up one of your nine months. Months in which you earned more than $970 counted as work months.

The nine months do not have to be consecutive. You can use them over several years, and they give you a chance to see whether you can sustain work before your benefits end. Once you have used all nine work months, you enter the Extended Period of may be able to access (EPE), a 36-month period during which you can still receive benefits in any month you earn below the SGA limit, even if you work above it in other months.

If you were in your Trial Work Period in 2023 and earned $970 or less in a month, that month did not count against your nine-month window. This meant you could work part-time or at a lower rate without burning through your trial period quickly.

Blind beneficiaries and the higher 2023 SGA limit

If you were receiving SSDI as a blind beneficiary in 2023, your SGA limit was $2,460 per month — significantly higher than the $1,470 limit for non-blind beneficiaries. Social Security recognizes that blind individuals often need more flexibility and support to work, so the agency allows higher earnings before treating work as substantial and gainful.

To may have access to for the blind SGA limit, you must have been found blind by Social Security's definition: your vision is 20/200 or worse in your better eye with correction, or your visual field is 20 degrees or less. If you were unsure whether you met this definition, your Social Security statement or award letter would have specified which SGA limit applied to you.

How the 2023 limits compared to previous years

The 2023 SGA limit of $1,470 represented a $120 increase from the 2022 limit of $1,350. The blind SGA limit rose from $2,310 in 2022 to $2,460 in 2023 — a $150 increase. The Trial Work Period limit increased from $910 in 2022 to $970 in 2023.

These annual increases happen because Social Security adjusts the limits based on the national average wage index. When average wages rise, the limits rise with them. In 2023, the national average wage index grew enough to push all three limits upward. This pattern has held for many years: the limits almost always increase, though the size of the increase varies depending on wage growth.

If you were working near the 2022 limits, the 2023 increase gave you more room to earn without triggering a benefit suspension. However, if your earnings were already well above the limits, the increase did not change your situation.

What happened if you earned above the 2023 limits

Earning above the SGA limit in 2023 did not automatically end your SSDI benefits in that month. Instead, Social Security reviewed your work to determine whether it was substantial and gainful. The agency looked at your total earnings for the month, the hours you worked, the complexity of the work, and whether you were self-employed or working for an employer.

If Social Security found your work substantial and gainful, your benefits would be suspended for that month and any following months in which your work remained substantial and gainful. You would not lose your benefits permanently — they would resume once your work dropped below the SGA limit or ended — but you would not receive a payment during the suspension period.

If you were in your Trial Work Period and earned above $970 in a month, that month counted as a work month and used up one of your nine months. This did not suspend your benefits, but it moved you closer to the end of your trial period and toward the Extended Period of may be able to access.

Work incentives that reduced the impact of the 2023 limits

Social Security offers several work incentives that let you earn more than the SGA limit without losing benefits, at least temporarily. The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) allows you to set aside income and resources for a specific work goal without it counting against your benefits. If you had a PASS in place in 2023, some of your earnings might not have counted toward the SGA limit.

The Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) deduction lets you subtract certain costs related to your disability from your earnings before Social Security compares your income to the SGA limit. If you paid for a personal assistant, transportation to work, or medical equipment needed for work, you might have been able to deduct those costs and lower your countable earnings.

The Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) applied if you were under 22 and a student. It allowed you to exclude up to $2,170 per month in 2023 (or $8,680 per quarter) from your countable earnings, giving you much more room to work while in school.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I earned exactly $1,470 in 2023, did my benefits automatically continue?

Earning exactly $1,470 in a month suggested your work was not substantial and gainful, so your benefits likely continued. However, Social Security also considers how many hours you worked and the type of work. If you earned $1,470 in just a few hours of highly skilled work, the agency might have reviewed your case more closely. The SGA limit is a strong indicator but not an absolute may provide.

Do the 2023 limits still explore now, or have they changed?

The 2023 limits applied only during 2023. Social Security updates the limits every year, usually in December, for the following year. If you are working now, check your current Social Security statement or contact your local Social Security office to learn the current year's SGA and Trial Work Period limits, as they will be higher than the 2023 figures.

What if I was blind but Social Security did not use the higher SGA limit for me?

Contact your local Social Security office and bring documentation of your blindness — an eye doctor's statement, medical records, or a previous Social Security information. If you meet the definition of blind, Social Security should recalculate your SGA limit and may owe you back benefits if you were incorrectly suspended.

Can I use a work incentive like PASS to earn more than the SGA limit?

Yes. A PASS or IRWE can reduce your countable earnings below the SGA limit even if your gross earnings are higher. You must set up these plans in advance with Social Security, usually with help from a benefits planner. The plans require documentation of your work goal or disability-related expenses, so start the process several months before you plan to increase your work.

If I earned above $1,470 in 2023, does that mean I definitely lost my benefits?

Not necessarily. Social Security looks at the full picture of your work, not just the monthly amount. If you earned above $1,470 in one month but your overall work pattern was not substantial and gainful, your benefits may have continued. However, if you earned consistently above $1,470 throughout 2023, Social Security likely suspended your benefits. Review your benefit suspension notice to understand why the agency made its decision.