What the 2016 SSDI income limits were

In 2016, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) had two separate income thresholds. The first was the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit, which was $1,130 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $1,820 per month for blind beneficiaries. If you earned more than these amounts in a month, Social Security could find that you were working at a substantial level and suspend your benefits.

The second threshold was the trial work period (TWP) limit, which had no dollar cap. During your nine-month trial work period, you could earn any amount and keep your full SSDI check. The point of the TWP was to let you test your ability to work without when ready losing benefits. After the TWP ended, the SGA limit kicked in.

These 2016 figures were indexed to wage growth each year, so they changed annually. The SGA limit in 2015 had been $1,090 for non-blind workers, meaning the 2016 increase of $40 per month reflected national wage trends that year.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2016 SGA limit was $1,130 monthly for non-blind SSDI beneficiaries; earning more than this could trigger a work-related review of your case.
  • Blind beneficiaries had a higher SGA limit of $1,820 in 2016 to account for the additional costs of blindness-related work supports.
  • During your nine-month trial work period, you could earn unlimited income without affecting your SSDI payment.
  • These limits were recalculated each January based on the previous year's national wage index, so the 2016 figures were higher than 2015.

How the trial work period worked around the SGA limit

The trial work period was a nine-month window (not necessarily consecutive) during which you could work and earn any amount without Social Security counting it toward the SGA limit. The purpose was to give you a genuine chance to test whether you could sustain work without the when ready threat of losing your benefits.

Once you used up your nine trial work months, Social Security moved you into the extended period of may be able to access (EPE). During the EPE, which lasted 36 months, the SGA limit applied. If you earned $1,130 or more in any month during the EPE, Social Security would review your case to determine whether you were still disabled. If you fell below $1,130, your benefits continued without question.

After the EPE ended, you entered what Social Security called the "period of adjustment." This was a two-month window during which you could still earn above SGA without losing benefits. After that, if you earned $1,130 or more in any month, your benefits would stop.

Why the 2016 limits mattered for work incentive planning

Knowing the exact 2016 SGA limit was critical if you were planning to return to work. Many beneficiaries and their work incentive planners used the SGA threshold as a target: you could aim to earn just under $1,130 per month and keep your SSDI check while building work history and income.

However, this strategy only worked during the trial work period and extended period of may be able to access. Once you moved past those phases, earning above SGA could end your benefits permanently, even if you later became unable to work again. For that reason, understanding which phase you were in—and what the current year's SGA limit was—shaped every decision about how much to work.

The 2016 limit also affected how much you could earn under other work incentives, such as the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). A PASS allowed you to set aside income and resources for a work goal, but the income you excluded from the PASS still counted toward the SGA limit in months when you weren't using the PASS.

How 2016 limits compared to prior and later years

The SGA limit had been rising steadily since SSDI began. In 2010, the non-blind SGA limit was $1,000 per month. By 2016, it had reached $1,130—a 13 percent increase over six years. This reflected the overall growth in average wages across the economy.

The blind SGA limit followed the same pattern. In 2010, it was $1,640; by 2016, it was $1,820. Social Security set the blind limit higher because research showed that blind workers often needed to spend more on work-related expenses such as transportation, readers, or adaptive technology.

After 2016, the limits continued to rise. In 2017, the non-blind SGA limit became $1,170, and in 2018 it reached $1,180. These year-to-year changes were small but cumulative, and they meant that a strategy that worked in 2016 might need adjustment the following year.

What happened if you earned above the SGA limit

Earning above the 2016 SGA limit did not automatically stop your benefits. Instead, it triggered a work-related review. Social Security would examine your case to determine whether you were still disabled. The agency looked at the nature of your work, how many hours you worked, and whether your condition had improved.

If Social Security found that you were performing substantial gainful activity, it could conclude that you were no longer disabled and stop your benefits. However, you had the right to request reconsideration and to appeal any decision. Many beneficiaries who earned above SGA continued to receive benefits because they could show that their impairment still prevented them from working full-time or that they had accommodations in place.

The key point was that the SGA limit was a screening tool, not an automatic cutoff. Earning $1,131 in a month did not mean your benefits would end; it meant Social Security would look more closely at your work situation.

How self-employment income counted toward the 2016 limits

If you were self-employed, Social Security counted your net profit (revenue minus business expenses) toward the SGA limit. This created a different calculation than for wage earners. A self-employed person earning $1,130 in net profit in a single month could trigger a work-related review, just as a wage earner would.

However, Social Security also used a separate test for self-employment called the "work effort test." This test looked at whether you were working full-time in your business, regardless of profit. If you were working full-time, Social Security might find SGA even if your net profit was below $1,130. Conversely, if you were working part-time, Social Security might find no SGA even if your profit exceeded $1,130.

For self-employed beneficiaries in 2016, this meant that understanding both the income threshold and the work effort test was essential to planning how much time and effort to invest in your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the 2016 SGA limit explore to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as well as SSDI?

No. SSI had its own income limits, which were much lower and based on the federal poverty level, not on SGA. In 2016, SSI's monthly income limit was $733 for an individual. SSDI's SGA limit of $1,130 applied only to SSDI beneficiaries. Some people received both SSDI and SSI, and each program's rules applied separately.

If I earned $1,129 in one month and $1,131 the next month, would I lose my benefits?

Not automatically. Earning above SGA in one month triggers a review, but Social Security looks at the overall pattern. A single month above the limit might not result in a finding of SGA if the rest of your work history shows you are not consistently working at a substantial level. However, you should report all earnings to Social Security and ask for guidance before assuming you are safe.

Did the 2016 SGA limit change during the year?

No. The SGA limit was set on January 1 each year and remained the same for the entire calendar year. The 2016 limit of $1,130 (non-blind) applied from January 1 through December 31, 2016. The new limit for 2017 took effect on January 1, 2017.

Could I use the trial work period to earn above the SGA limit without losing benefits?

Yes. During your nine-month trial work period, there was no income limit. You could earn $5,000 in a month if you wanted to, and your SSDI check would continue. The trial work period was designed to let you test your work capacity without financial penalty. Once the trial work period ended, the SGA limit applied.