SSDI Income Limits in 2015: What You Could Earn and Still Receive Benefits

What the 2015 SSDI income limits were

In 2015, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) used two separate income thresholds. The first was Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), the monthly earnings limit that determined whether you were considered disabled for benefit purposes. For non-blind beneficiaries in 2015, SGA was $1,090 per month. For blind beneficiaries, it was $1,820 per month.

The second threshold was the Trial Work Period (TWP) limit, which allowed you to test your ability to work without losing benefits. During the TWP, you could earn any amount in months you performed substantial work, and those months did not count against your nine-month trial period. Outside the TWP, if you earned over the SGA amount in a month, Social Security would not pay your benefit for that month.

These figures changed every year based on the national average wage index. The 2015 limits applied to work performed between January 1 and December 31, 2015. Work performed in other years was measured against that year's limits.

Key Takeaways

• In 2015, you could earn up to $1,090 per month (or $1,820 if blind) and still receive your full SSDI benefit, as long as you were not in a Trial Work Period month.
• During your nine-month Trial Work Period, you could earn any amount without losing benefits, but only months with substantial work counted toward the nine months.
• The SGA limit applied to work you performed in 2015; work in other years was measured against that year's different limit.
• Earnings included wages, net self-employment income, and certain other forms of compensation, but not all income counted toward the limit.

How 2015 SGA affected your monthly benefit

If you earned more than $1,090 in a single month during 2015 (and were not in a Trial Work Period month), Social Security would not send you a benefit check for that month. This was a complete loss of the month's payment, not a reduction. The month still counted toward your work history and your future benefit amount, but you received no cash benefit.

The rule applied to the month in which you earned the money, not the month you received it. If you were paid in January for work performed in December, the earnings counted in December. This distinction mattered for people paid on irregular schedules or who received bonuses.

If you earned exactly $1,090 or less, you kept your full benefit. There was no partial benefit for earnings just over the limit—it was a threshold, not a sliding scale.

What counted as earnings under the 2015 limit

Wages from an employer counted fully. If you were self-employed, Social Security counted your net profit (income minus business expenses), not gross revenue. Bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay all counted as earnings in the month you received them.

Some forms of income did not count toward the SGA limit. Unearned income—such as interest, dividends, rental income, or other SSDI or SSI benefits—was ignored. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE), such as the cost of a personal attendant or specialized equipment you needed to work, could be subtracted from your earnings before the limit was applied.

Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) plans also allowed you to set aside income for a specific vocational goal without it counting toward the limit. These required advance approval from Social Security and had strict documentation requirements.

Trial Work Period rules in 2015

The Trial Work Period was a nine-month window during which you could work and earn any amount without losing your SSDI benefit. The nine months did not have to be consecutive. A month counted toward your nine months only if you performed substantial work in that month—Social Security's definition of substantial work in 2015 was earning $200 or more, though this figure changed yearly.

Once you used all nine Trial Work Period months, you entered the Extended Period of may be able to access (EPE). During the EPE, which lasted 36 months, you could still receive your benefit in any month you earned $1,090 or less. After the EPE ended, the regular SGA limit applied with no grace period.

The Trial Work Period applied once per disability period. If your benefits were terminated and later reinstated, you received a new Trial Work Period, but this was rare and required specific circumstances.

How 2015 limits compared to other years

The SGA limit changed almost every year. In 2014, it was $1,070 for non-blind beneficiaries; in 2016, it rose to $1,130. The increase reflected changes in the national average wage. Blind beneficiaries' limits also increased yearly, from $1,800 in 2014 to $1,820 in 2015 to $1,900 in 2016.

If you worked across multiple calendar years, each year's earnings were measured against that year's limit. A month in which you earned $1,100 would have caused a benefit loss in 2015 (over the $1,090 limit) but not in 2014 (under the $1,070 limit). This mattered for people whose work patterns spanned year-end.

Reporting your 2015 earnings to Social Security

You were required to report your earnings to Social Security, typically through your local field office or by phone. The timing of your report affected when Social Security adjusted your benefits. If you reported earnings late, Social Security might have paid you benefits you were not may have access to to, and you could be asked to repay the overpayment.

Many beneficiaries reported earnings monthly to avoid surprises. Social Security used your reports to determine which months you were may have access to to a benefit. If you were unsure whether a particular form of income counted, reporting it and asking Social Security to clarify was safer than guessing.

If you worked for an employer, Social Security sometimes received wage reports directly from the employer through the Social Security Administration's wage reporting system, so underreporting was risky and could result in overpayment notices later.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I earned $1,100 in 2015, did I lose my entire benefit for that month?

Yes, if you were not in a Trial Work Period month. Any earnings over $1,090 in a single month meant no benefit payment for that month. The amount over the limit did not matter—$1,091 and $2,000 both resulted in a complete loss of that month's benefit.

Did the 2015 SGA limit explore to work I did in 2014 or 2016?

No. Work performed in 2014 was measured against 2014's limit ($1,070), and work in 2016 was measured against 2016's limit ($1,130). Only work performed during the calendar year 2015 used the $1,090 threshold.

If I was blind in 2015, could I earn more than $1,090?

Yes. Blind beneficiaries had a separate, higher SGA limit of $1,820 per month in 2015. The higher limit recognized that blind individuals often faced greater work-related expenses. You had to be receiving benefits based on blindness to use this higher limit.

Did my Trial Work Period months have to be in 2015?

No. Your nine Trial Work Period months could span multiple years. If you used three months in 2014 and six in 2015, you would have completed your nine-month period. The year did not matter—only the total count of months with substantial work.

What happened if I earned over $1,090 during my Extended Period of may be able to access in 2015?

During the Extended Period of may be able to access, the same $1,090 limit applied. If you earned over it in a month, you did not receive a benefit that month. The EPE straightforward meant you could still receive benefits in months you stayed under the limit, rather than having your case closed entirely.