You can work while receiving SSDI, but your earnings affect your benefits in specific ways

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) does not stop you from working. You can earn money and keep your benefits — but only up to a certain amount each month. Once your earnings cross that threshold, called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), Social Security will reduce or stop your payments. The exact rules depend on which work incentive program you use, and some let you earn significantly more than others before your benefits change.

The key is understanding the difference between the basic SGA limit (which applies to most people) and the work incentive programs that let you earn more. Most people who want to work while on SSDI should explore these programs first, because they can protect your benefits while you build income.

Key Takeaways

  • The standard SGA limit is $1,550 per month in 2024, but this amount changes each year — once you cross it, Social Security will stop your benefits.
  • Plan to Work and Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) let you subtract certain costs from your earnings, which can lower the amount Social Security counts toward SGA.
  • The Trial Work Period lets you earn any amount for nine months without losing benefits, but you must report your work to Social Security.
  • After your Trial Work Period ends, you enter the Extended may be able to access Period, where benefits stop only if you earn over SGA for nine months in a rolling 60-month window.
  • You must report all work and earnings to Social Security within 30 days — failing to report can result in overpayments you will have to repay.

The Trial Work Period: Nine months to test your work capacity

The Trial Work Period (TWP) is a nine-month window where you can earn any amount without losing your SSDI benefits. This is the most generous work incentive Social Security offers. The nine months do not have to be consecutive — Social Security counts any month in which you earn $1,000 or more (in 2024) as a trial work month, and you can spread these months across several years if you need to.

During your Trial Work Period, you keep your full SSDI payment no matter how much you earn. The only requirement is that you report your work to Social Security. Many people use this period to test whether they can handle a job, build work history, or increase their income gradually. Once you have used all nine months, your benefits do not stop when ready — you move into the Extended may be able to access Period instead.

You can only use the Trial Work Period once in your lifetime on SSDI. Once those nine months are exhausted, they are gone, so it is worth thinking carefully about when to use them. Some people use them all at once when they start a new job; others spread them out over years while they work part-time.

Extended may be able to access Period: Continued protection after trial work ends

After your nine Trial Work Period months end, you enter the Extended may be able to access Period (EEP), which lasts 36 months. During this time, your benefits continue as long as your average earnings over any nine months in a rolling 60-month window stay below SGA. This is more flexible than the standard SGA rule because it looks at your average earnings over time, not just a single month.

Here is how it works in practice: if you earn $2,000 one month and $500 the next, Social Security averages those nine months together. As long as the average stays below SGA, you keep your full benefit. This gives you room to have higher-earning months without losing benefits when ready. Once your Extended may be able to access Period ends, you move to the Expedited Reinstatement period, where you can return to SSDI quickly if your work does not last.

The Extended may be able to access Period is valuable because it lets you build stable work without the pressure of losing benefits the moment you cross the SGA line in a single month. Many people use this time to increase their hours or take on more responsibility at work.

Plan to Work and Impairment Related Work Expenses

Plan to Work (also called a Plan to Achieve Self-Support, or PASS) and Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) are two ways to reduce the earnings Social Security counts toward SGA. They work differently, but both let you keep more of your income.

Impairment Related Work Expenses are costs you pay because of your disability — things like medication, medical equipment, therapy, transportation to work, or a personal assistant. If your disability requires you to spend money on these things in order to work, you can subtract those costs from your gross earnings. Social Security then counts only what remains toward SGA. For example, if you earn $2,000 a month but spend $600 on disability-related work costs, Social Security counts only $1,400 toward the SGA limit.

Plan to Work is a more formal agreement with Social Security. You write out a specific plan to reach a work goal — like getting a degree, starting a business, or reaching a certain income level — and Social Security excludes money you set aside for that plan from your earnings count. You can set aside up to several thousand dollars per month depending on your goal and timeline. Plan to Work requires more paperwork and planning, but it can protect significantly more income than IRWE alone.

Both programs require you to document your expenses or savings and report them to Social Security. You will need receipts, invoices, or bank statements to prove what you spent or saved.

How earnings are counted and when benefits stop

Social Security counts your gross earnings — the money you receive before taxes, not what you take home. If you are self-employed, they count your net profit after business expenses. They do not count certain types of income, like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, housing information, or money from family members.

Once you are past your Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access Period, the standard rule is straightforward: if you earn over SGA in any month, your benefits stop for that month. The SGA limit changes every year — it was $1,550 per month in 2024, but Social Security announces the new amount each October for the following year. If you are blind, the SGA limit is higher (it was $2,590 in 2024).

The key is that this is a monthly count, not an annual one. You could earn $3,000 in January and $500 in February and still keep your benefits in February, as long as you are not in a period where Social Security averages your earnings over time. This is why reporting matters — Social Security needs to know your actual monthly earnings to make the right decision about your benefits.

Reporting your work to Social Security

You must report all work and earnings to Social Security within 30 days of starting a job or when your earnings change. You can report by phone, mail, or online through your Social Security account. Failing to report is one of the most common reasons people end up owing money back to Social Security.

When you report, tell Social Security the name of your employer, your job title, how many hours you work per week, and how much you earn. If your hours or pay change, report that too. Social Security uses this information to calculate whether you have crossed the SGA threshold and whether your benefits should continue, reduce, or stop.

If you do not report and Social Security finds out you earned money you did not tell them about, they will count it as an overpayment — money you received that you were not supposed to get. You will have to repay it, usually through reduced benefits over time. Reporting protects you from this situation.

Work incentives beyond earnings limits

Social Security offers other work incentives beyond the earnings rules. Medicaid continuation (called Medicaid Buy-In in some states) lets you keep Medicaid health coverage even after your SSDI benefits stop due to earnings. This is crucial because many people on SSDI rely on Medicaid for prescriptions and medical care, and losing it could make work impossible.

Expedited Reinstatement lets you return to SSDI quickly if you try working and it does not work out. If your benefits stop because you earned too much, and then you stop working or your earnings drop below SGA within five years, you can get benefits reinstated without going through the full process process again. You have 60 months from when your benefits stopped to use this option.

Some states also offer additional work incentives through their Medicaid programs. Your local Social Security office or a work incentive planning organization (WIPO) can tell you what is available in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I earn over SGA for one month?

If you are past your Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access Period, your benefits stop for that month only. You do not lose SSDI permanently. If your earnings drop below SGA the next month, your benefits restart. During Trial Work Period or Extended may be able to access, the rules are different — you can earn over SGA in a single month without losing benefits, as long as you meet the requirements of that period.

Do I have to tell my employer I am on SSDI?

No. Your SSDI status is private information. You do not have to disclose it to your employer. However, you do have to report your work and earnings to Social Security. Some employers offer disability-friendly accommodations or flexible schedules if they know, but that is your choice to share.

Can I work part-time and keep all my benefits?

Yes, if your earnings stay below SGA and you are using your Trial Work Period or Extended may be able to access Period correctly. During Trial Work Period, you can earn any amount. After that, as long as your average earnings (over nine months in a rolling window) stay below SGA, you keep your full benefit. Part-time work often makes this easier to manage.

What if my work expenses are very high because of my disability?

Impairment Related Work Expenses can help. If you spend money on medication, equipment, transportation, or personal care because of your disability, you can subtract those costs from your earnings before Social Security counts them toward SGA. You will need to document these expenses with receipts or invoices.

Can I use my Trial Work Period months years apart?

Yes. The nine months do not have to be consecutive. Any month in which you earn $1,000 or more counts as a trial work month. You could use three months now, stop working for two years, then use six more months later. Once all nine are used, they are gone, so plan accordingly.