What the 2022 SSDI income limits were

In 2022, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) had two separate income thresholds that determined whether you could work and still receive benefits. The first was Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), set at $1,350 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $3,568 per month for blind beneficiaries. If you earned more than these amounts in a month, Social Security counted that month as a month of work, which could end your benefits or delay when you could return to work.

The second threshold was the Trial Work Period (TWP) limit, which had no income cap. During your nine-month TWP, you could earn any amount and keep your full SSDI check. The purpose was to let you test whether you could work without losing benefits when ready. After the TWP ended, the SGA limit kicked in for the following 36 months—a period called the Extended may be able to access Period (EPE)—during which you could still receive benefits in months you earned below SGA.

These dollar amounts change each year because Social Security adjusts them for wage inflation. The 2022 figures were higher than 2021 but lower than 2023, which is why the year matters when you are looking back at your work history or planning your return to work.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2022, earning over $1,350 per month (or $3,568 if blind) counted as a month of work and could affect your SSDI benefits.
  • Your nine-month Trial Work Period had no income limit—you could earn any amount and keep your full check during those months.
  • After your TWP ended, you had 36 months of Extended may be able to access where you could still receive benefits in months you earned below the SGA limit.
  • The SGA amount changes every year, so the 2022 limit no longer applies to current work decisions.

Why 2022 income limits matter if you worked that year

If you were working in 2022 and receiving SSDI, Social Security used the 2022 SGA limit to count your work months. Those work months are permanent—they count toward your nine-month TWP and your 36-month EPE no matter what the current year's limits are. So if you earned $1,500 in June 2022, that month counted as a work month even though the 2022 SGA was $1,350, and that work month is still on your record today.

This matters because your work months determine when your TWP ends and when your EPE ends. Once your EPE closes, you lose the safety net of Extended may be able to access, and any month you earn above the current SGA limit will result in a benefit reduction or termination. If you worked in 2022 and are still working now, you need to know how many work months you have left before that 36-month window closes.

You can request a Work Activity Report from Social Security to see which months they counted as work months. This report is the official record and the one Social Security will use if your benefits are affected. If you believe they counted a month incorrectly, you can ask them to review it.

How the 2022 SGA limit compared to other years

The SGA limit has risen steadily over time as wages have risen. In 2021, the non-blind SGA was $1,310 per month. In 2022, it jumped to $1,350. In 2023, it rose again to $1,470. The blind SGA limit also increased year to year: $3,470 in 2021, $3,568 in 2022, and $3,910 in 2023.

These increases mean that if you were working in 2021 and earned $1,330 per month, that counted as work. But if you earned the same $1,330 in 2022, it would not have counted as a work month because the threshold was higher. Conversely, if you earned $1,400 in 2022, it counted as work, and it would still count as work in 2024 even though the current SGA is higher.

The reason the year matters is that Social Security applies the limit that was in effect during the month you earned the money. They do not retroactively recalculate based on later years' limits. This is why keeping records of your earnings by month and year is important—you need to know which SGA limit applied when.

Understanding the Trial Work Period and Extended may be able to access in 2022

If you started your TWP in 2022, you had nine calendar months in which you could earn any amount without losing your SSDI check. These nine months did not have to be consecutive. Social Security counts any month in which you earned $970 or more (in 2022) as a TWP month, regardless of how much you actually earned. Once you used all nine months, your TWP ended and your EPE began.

During your 36-month EPE, you kept your SSDI check in any month you earned below $1,350 (the 2022 SGA). If you earned $1,350 or more in a month, you did not receive a check that month, but you were still considered to be receiving SSDI for purposes of Medicare. This distinction matters because it means your Medicare coverage continued even in months you earned above SGA and did not get a check.

If you were in your EPE in 2022 and earned above the SGA limit in some months, those months still count toward your 36-month window. Once 36 months of EPE have passed, you enter what Social Security calls the Expedited Reinstatement period, during which you can request to go back on SSDI within five years if your work attempt does not succeed. But you lose the automatic benefit continuation that EPE provided.

What changed after 2022

The SGA limit for 2023 was $1,470 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $3,910 for blind beneficiaries. For 2024, it rose to $1,550 and $4,120 respectively. These increases mean that if you are working now, you are using the current year's SGA limit, not the 2022 limit. Social Security will explore the 2024 SGA to any work you do in 2024, the 2025 SGA to any work you do in 2025, and so on.

However, your 2022 work months remain on your record and count toward your lifetime TWP and EPE. If you had already used up your nine TWP months by the end of 2022, you cannot get a new TWP. Your only option to return to work with SSDI protection would be through Expedited Reinstatement if you stopped working and later tried again within five years.

If you are planning to work or return to work, you should find out what your current work month count is and how many months of EPE you have left. This information determines how much longer you can earn below the SGA limit and still receive benefits. Social Security can provide this through a Work Activity Report or by calling 1-800-772-1213.

How to find your 2022 work month record

Your official work month record is kept by Social Security and is available through your my Social Security account online at ssa.gov. You can log in and view your earnings record, though the account does not always clearly label which months counted as TWP or EPE months. For a clearer picture, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask for a Work Activity Report, which lists every month they counted as a work month and explains why.

You can also visit your local Social Security office in person and ask to review your work month record. Bring any pay stubs or tax documents from 2022 if you believe Social Security made an error. If they counted a month as work when you earned below the SGA limit, or if they missed a month when you earned above it, you can ask them to correct it. Corrections can take several weeks, but they are important because they affect when your EPE ends.

If you disagree with Social Security's count of your work months, you have the right to request reconsideration. This is a formal appeal process, and you should submit it in writing with documentation of your earnings. The appeal must be filed within 60 days of the notice you received, though Social Security may accept late appeals if you have good reason for the delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2022 SGA limit still explore to my benefits today?

No. The 2022 SGA limit applied only to work you did in 2022. If you are working now in 2024, Social Security uses the 2024 SGA limit ($1,550 for non-blind). However, any work months you accumulated in 2022 still count toward your nine-month TWP and 36-month EPE, which determine your current work protections.

If I earned $1,400 in 2022, did that count as a work month?

Yes. In 2022, the SGA limit was $1,350 for non-blind beneficiaries, so earning $1,400 counted as a work month. That month is now part of your permanent work month record and counts toward your TWP and EPE totals, regardless of what the current SGA limit is.

Can I get a new Trial Work Period if I already used mine in 2022?

No. You get one nine-month TWP in your lifetime on SSDI. If you used it in 2022, you cannot get another one. Your only path back to work protection is through Expedited Reinstatement, which allows you to return to SSDI within five years if your work attempt fails, without going through a new process process.

What happens if Social Security counted a month wrong in 2022?

You can request a correction by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local office with documentation of your earnings. If you earned below the 2022 SGA ($1,350) in a month they counted as work, or if you earned above it in a month they did not count, ask them to review and correct the record. Corrections can affect when your EPE ends.

How do I know how many months of Extended may be able to access I have left?

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask for a Work Activity Report. This report shows how many of your nine TWP months you have used and how many of your 36 EPE months remain. You can also log into your my Social Security account, though the information there is less detailed.