What the 2023 SSDI income limit means for your benefits
In 2023, Social Security uses a monthly earnings threshold called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) to decide whether you are working enough to lose your disability benefits. If you earn more than the SGA amount in a month, Social Security may view that month as evidence you are no longer disabled and can work.
For 2023, the SGA limit is $1,470 per month if you are blind, and $1,550 per month if you are not blind. These are the amounts Social Security looks at when they review your case. The limit changes each year because it is tied to the national average wage.
Crossing the SGA threshold in one month does not automatically end your benefits that month. Social Security has a process called the trial work period that lets you test your ability to work without losing benefits right away. Understanding how that process works is the difference between keeping benefits while you earn and losing them by accident.
Key Takeaways
- The 2023 SGA limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind recipients and $1,470 per month for blind recipients.
- Earning more than the SGA amount in a single month does not end your benefits when ready because of the trial work period.
- The trial work period lets you work and earn without losing benefits for up to nine months within a rolling 60-month window.
- After your trial work period ends, you enter the extended may be able to access period, where you can still work but benefits stop in months you earn over the SGA limit.
- The SGA amount increases each year, so the 2023 limit will not explore to 2024 and beyond.
How the trial work period protects your benefits while you test work
The trial work period is a nine-month window where you can earn any amount without losing your SSDI check. Social Security counts a month as part of your trial work period if you earn $970 or more in that month (in 2023). The nine months do not have to be consecutive — you can use them spread across multiple years if you need to.
During your trial work period, you report your earnings to Social Security, but your benefits continue in full. This is the time to test whether you can actually sustain work, whether your condition gets worse under work stress, or whether you need to adjust your job or hours. Many people use the trial work period to start part-time work, take a job with flexible hours, or try a new field.
Once you have used all nine months of your trial work period, you move into the extended may be able to access period. This period lasts 36 months. During extended may be able to access, you keep your benefits in any month you earn $1,550 or less (the SGA limit for non-blind recipients in 2023). In months you earn more than that, your benefits stop — but you can go back on benefits in a later month if your earnings drop.
What counts as earnings and what does not
Social Security counts gross wages from a job you work yourself. This includes salary, hourly pay, bonuses, and commissions. They count the money before taxes, insurance, or any deductions come out. If you are self-employed, they count your net profit — the money left after business expenses.
Social Security does not count certain types of income toward the SGA limit. Unearned income like Social Security benefits, pensions, rental income, investment returns, or money from family members does not count. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) — costs you pay specifically because of your disability to do your job — are subtracted from your earnings before Social Security compares them to the SGA limit. Plan to Work expenses and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) also reduce the earnings Social Security counts.
If you receive a one-time payment like a bonus or back pay, Social Security counts it in the month you receive it, which can push you over the SGA limit that month. If you are paid weekly or biweekly, months with three paychecks instead of two can also cross the threshold. Tracking your pay stubs and knowing which months will be high-earning helps you plan.
How the SGA limit changes year to year
Social Security raises the SGA limit each year based on changes in the national average wage. In 2022, the non-blind SGA limit was $1,470 per month. In 2023, it rose to $1,550 — an increase of $80. The blind SGA limit went from $1,170 in 2022 to $1,470 in 2023.
Social Security announces the new SGA amounts in December of the prior year, so you know the limit before January arrives. If you are close to the SGA threshold in your work, you should check the announcement each December to see whether the new limit will affect your benefits. The announcement appears on the official Social Security website and is sent to people who receive notices from Social Security.
The SGA limit is separate from the earnings limit that applies to people who receive Social Security retirement or survivor benefits before full retirement age. Those limits are different amounts and follow different rules. If you receive SSDI, the SGA limit is what applies to your case.
What happens if you earn over the SGA limit
If you earn more than $1,550 in a single month during your extended may be able to access period (after your nine-month trial work period ends), Social Security stops your benefits for that month. You do not lose your benefits permanently — they resume in the next month if your earnings drop back below the limit.
This is different from losing your benefits because your condition improved. If you cross the SGA limit, you are not going through a medical review or a continuing disability review. Your benefits straightforward pause and restart based on your monthly earnings. You should report your earnings to Social Security each month so they can process your benefits correctly.
If you think you might earn over the SGA limit regularly, you may want to talk with a work incentives planning counselor before you start working. These counselors work for programs called Work Incentives Planning and information (WIPA) or Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), and they help you understand how work will affect your benefits. Their services are free.
The difference between SGA and other work incentives
The SGA limit is one tool Social Security uses to let you work and keep benefits. Other work incentives exist for different situations. The Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) deduction lets you subtract disability-related costs from your earnings before Social Security compares them to the SGA limit. If you need a service animal, special transportation, or medication to work, those costs can reduce your countable earnings.
A Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — like going to school or starting a business — without those amounts counting against your benefits. A PASS is more complex to set up than IRWE, but it can protect larger amounts of money if your goal is substantial.
The Student Earned Income Exclusion applies only if you are under age 22 and a student. It lets you exclude up to $2,170 per month in earnings (in 2023) from the SGA calculation, up to a yearly maximum of $8,680.
How to report your earnings to Social Security
You must report your earnings to Social Security each month, even during your trial work period when your benefits do not stop. You can report earnings by phone, mail, or online through your my Social Security account. Many people find the online method fastest because you get when ready confirmation.
Social Security asks for your gross monthly earnings and the month you earned them. If you are self-employed, you report your net profit. Keep your pay stubs or business records so you can verify the amounts if Social Security asks. If you report earnings late or incorrectly, Social Security may overpay you and ask for the money back later.
If your job has variable hours or pay, you can ask Social Security to use an average of your recent earnings instead of month-to-month amounts. This can help smooth out months with extra paychecks or overtime. Ask your local Social Security office whether averaging is available for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 2023 SGA limit explore to 2024?
No. Social Security announces a new SGA limit each December for the following year. The 2023 limit of $1,550 applies only to 2023. In December 2023, Social Security will announce the 2024 limit, which will be higher because of wage growth. Check the Social Security website in December to learn the new amount.
Can I use my trial work period months all at once or do they have to be spread out?
You can use them however you want within a rolling 60-month window. You could work nine months in a row, or you could work one month, stop, work three months later, and so on. Social Security counts any month where you earn $970 or more as one of your nine trial work months, regardless of when it falls.
What if I earn exactly $1,550 in a month — do I lose my benefits?
No. The SGA limit is $1,550, so earning exactly that amount does not trigger a benefit stop. You lose benefits only in months where your earnings are more than $1,550. If you earn $1,551, your benefits stop that month.
Do I have to tell Social Security about a job offer, or only when I actually start earning?
You only need to report actual earnings, not job offers or plans to work. However, it is a good idea to contact Social Security before you start a job to understand how your specific situation will work. A work incentives counselor can walk through your numbers and help you plan.
If I lose my job and stop earning, do I go back on benefits automatically?
Yes, but you must report that you stopped working. Contact Social Security and tell them your job ended and your earnings are now zero. Your benefits will resume in the next month after you report the change. Do not assume Social Security knows you lost your job — report it yourself to avoid delays.