The 2025 earnings limit for SSDI is $1,550 per month
In 2025, if you earn more than $1,550 in a single month, Social Security counts that month as a month in which you performed substantial gainful activity (SGA). Once you have nine months of SGA in a rolling 60-month period, your SSDI payments stop. This $1,550 figure is set by Social Security each January and changes yearly based on national wage trends.
The earnings limit applies to gross income—the amount before taxes or deductions. It includes wages from a job, net income from self-employment, and certain other forms of earned income. It does not include unearned income like Social Security retirement benefits, pensions, interest, or gifts.
The threshold exists because SSDI is designed for people who cannot work due to disability. If you consistently earn above the limit, Social Security assumes you are no longer disabled and removes your benefits. However, the system includes a trial work period and other protections that give you time to test your ability to work without when ready losing coverage.
Key Takeaways
- The 2025 SGA limit is $1,550 per month; earning more than this in any month counts toward the nine-month threshold that ends your benefits.
- The limit applies to gross earnings before taxes, and includes wages, self-employment income, and certain other earned income.
- You have a trial work period of nine months in which you can earn any amount without losing benefits, as long as you report your work to Social Security.
- After your trial work period ends, you enter the extended may be able to access period, during which you can still work and receive benefits in months you earn under $1,550.
- The $1,550 figure changes each year; Social Security announces the new limit in December for the following year.
How the nine-month counting rule works
Social Security does not stop your benefits the moment you earn $1,550 in one month. Instead, it counts that month toward a nine-month threshold. You can have up to nine months in which you earn $1,550 or more within any rolling 60-month window. Once you reach nine such months, your benefits end.
The months do not have to be consecutive. If you earn over the limit in January, take three months off, then earn over the limit again in May, both months count. The clock resets as months fall outside the 60-month window, so a month from five years ago no longer counts.
This structure means you have some flexibility to test work without an when ready penalty. However, you must report your earnings to Social Security. If you do not report and Social Security discovers unreported work, your benefits may be suspended or you may owe money back.
The trial work period: nine months of any earnings
Before the nine-month SGA rule applies, you have a trial work period of nine months in which you can earn any amount without affecting your benefits. During this period, you can work full-time, part-time, or earn thousands of dollars in a single month—your SSDI payment continues in full.
The trial work period is a one-time benefit. Once you use it, you cannot get another one unless your benefits stop for a reason other than work (such as a medical improvement) and you later become disabled again. The nine months do not have to be consecutive, and you can spread them across several years if you work part-time or sporadically.
You must still report your work to Social Security during the trial work period. Social Security uses these reports to track which nine months count as trial work months. If you do not report, Social Security may not credit those months toward your trial work period, and you could lose benefits sooner than expected.
Extended may be able to access: working after your trial work period ends
After your nine trial work months are used, you enter the extended may be able to access period, which lasts 36 months. During this time, you can continue to receive SSDI in any month you earn under $1,550, even if you earned over the limit in other months.
This period acts as a safety net. If you try to work full-time and earn $2,000 one month but then drop to $1,200 the next month, you receive your full SSDI payment in the second month. You do not lose benefits when ready; instead, you lose them only in the months you actually earn over the limit, up to the nine-month threshold.
After the 36-month extended may be able to access period ends, the nine-month SGA rule applies without the safety net. Any month you earn $1,550 or more counts toward your nine-month limit, and once you reach nine months, your benefits stop.
What counts as earnings and what does not
Social Security counts gross wages from employment, including tips, bonuses, and commissions. If you are self-employed, it counts your net profit (income minus business expenses), not your gross revenue. It also counts certain royalties, honorariums, and payments for work you performed in the past but received in the current month.
Social Security does not count unearned income: Social Security retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), pensions, annuities, interest, dividends, rental income, gifts, or loans. It also does not count impairment-related work expenses (costs you pay to work because of your disability, such as a personal assistant or specialized equipment) or plans to achieve self-support (PASS plans, which set aside income for a specific work goal).
If you receive a lump-sum payment for work performed over several months—such as a settlement or back pay—Social Security may spread it across the months in which you actually performed the work, rather than counting it all in the month you received it. Report any unusual payments to Social Security to may support they are counted correctly.
How the limit changes year to year
Social Security adjusts the SGA limit each January based on the national average wage index from two years prior. In recent years, the limit has increased by $50 to $100 annually. In 2024, the limit was $1,550; in 2023, it was $1,470; in 2022, it was $1,350.
Social Security announces the new limit in December, giving you a month to plan. If you are working and approaching the limit, you can check the official Social Security website in early December to see what the next year's limit will be. The limit applies to all SSDI beneficiaries nationwide; it does not vary by state or by the amount of your benefit.
What happens when you reach the nine-month threshold
Once you accumulate nine months of earnings at or above $1,550, Social Security sends you a notice that your benefits will end. The notice specifies the month your benefits stop and explains your right to appeal. Your benefits do not stop when ready; they stop at the end of the month in which you reach the ninth month of SGA.
If your benefits end due to work, you enter a grace period of 12 months during which you can request reinstatement if your earnings drop below the limit or if you stop working. During the grace period, you do not have to file a new process; you straightforward report your change in circumstances to Social Security. After the grace period ends, you would need to file a new SSDI process if you become disabled again.
If you believe Social Security miscounted your months of SGA or made an error in calculating your earnings, you can request a detailed earnings record and appeal the decision. Many people find errors in how self-employment income was calculated or in which months were counted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the $1,550 limit include taxes and deductions?
No. Social Security counts gross earnings before taxes, health insurance premiums, or any other deductions. If you earn $1,600 in wages and $150 is withheld for taxes, Social Security counts the full $1,600 toward the limit.
Can I earn over the limit in one month and under it in another without losing benefits?
Yes, as long as you are still in your trial work period or extended may be able to access period. During extended may be able to access (36 months after trial work), you receive your full benefit in months you earn under $1,550, even if you earned over the limit in other months. After extended may be able to access ends, you can still have up to nine months over the limit before benefits stop.
What if I am self-employed—how do I report my income?
Report your net profit (income minus business expenses) to Social Security. You may need to provide tax returns or business records to verify your income. If your business is new or your income varies, report what you actually earned, not what you expect to earn. Social Security can help you understand how to calculate net profit if you are unsure.
If my benefits stop due to work, can I get them back?
Yes, during the 12-month grace period after your benefits end. If your earnings drop below $1,550 or you stop working, contact Social Security and request reinstatement. You do not need to reapply; Social Security can restart your benefits based on your existing case. After the grace period ends, you would need to file a new process.
Does the earnings limit explore to my spouse or family members?
No. The $1,550 limit applies only to your own earnings. If you receive SSDI and your spouse or adult child also receives benefits on your record, they have their own separate earnings limits and trial work periods. Their work does not affect your benefits, and your work does not affect theirs.