Can I work part-time while receiving SSDI? Confused about income limits for Social Security Disability at 52

The key thing you need to know about is the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit. For 2025, that amount is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals. As long as you earn less than that, your SSDI benefits shouldn't be affected. There's also something called the Trial Work Period (TWP) that lets you test your ability to work for 9 months while still receiving full SSDI benefits regardless of how much you earn. A TWP month is any month you earn more than $1,110 (for 2025). The type of work doesn't matter - just the amount you earn. So yes, you can definitely do something different from nursing!

My sister tried working while on disability and they cutt her off completly! She had to fight for almost 2 years to get her benefits back and almost lost her house. Be VERY careful about this, the SSA will use ANY excuse to deny benefits!!!!!

I've been on SSDI for 5 years and successfully work part-time. Here's what you need to know: 1. YES, you can work part-time while receiving SSDI. 2. Track your earnings carefully - the SSA looks at GROSS earnings before taxes. 3. You MUST report any work activity to Social Security - don't just rely on tax returns. Call your local office or report through your my Social Security account online. 4. Keep copies of all pay stubs and documentation. 5. The Trial Work Period (TWP) is actually beneficial - it lets you test working without risk for 9 months (they don't have to be consecutive). After your TWP, you'll enter the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) for 36 months where benefits can stop in months you earn over SGA but restart in months you don't. Don't be scared off by horror stories. Most problems happen when people don't report properly or don't understand the rules.

Listen I had the WORST time trying to reach somebody at Social Security to ask about this exact same issue. Kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting for an hour. Finally I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with was super helpful and explained all the SSDI work rules to me. They even noted in my file that I was planning to start part-time work so there wouldn't be any surprises later. Totally worth it instead of stressing for weeks trying to get answers.

i work about 18 hrs a week while on ssdi. as long as you dont make too much $$ your fine. just dont deposit alot of cash or they might think your working under the table

Thanks for asking this question! I'm in almost the exact same situation (except I'm 54 with MS). I've been too afraid to try working because I thought any income would immediately terminate my benefits. Following this thread for more info...

One more important thing to mention - Social Security actually has a program called Ticket to Work that provides free employment support services to disability beneficiaries. They can help with vocational rehabilitation, training, job referrals, and other support services. They also offer work incentives that make it easier to transition back to work. Check out choosework.ssa.gov for more information. This program also provides certain protections during reviews of your medical condition.

My cousin works at walmart while getting disabilty. he said as long as you make under the limit its fine but sometimes SS is slow updating their records so he got a overpayment notice once but they fixed it when he sent in his paystubs.

Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I feel much better about trying to work now. I'm going to: 1. Look into the Ticket to Work program 2. Start with very part-time hours keeping well under the SGA limit 3. Report everything properly to SSA from the start 4. Keep good records of all my earnings and communications This has been so helpful. I was feeling really isolated and uncertain about my future, but knowing I can at least try working without immediately losing everything gives me hope. I appreciate all of you sharing your experiences and knowledge!

Great question Isabella! I'm 48 and have been on SSDI for 3 years due to chronic back issues. I started working part-time about 8 months ago at a local library doing data entry - very low physical demands. Here's what I've learned from experience: - The $1,550 SGA limit for 2025 is key, but remember it's GROSS income before any deductions - I work about 15-20 hours per week and make around $1,200/month, which keeps me safely under the limit - You absolutely MUST report your work to SSA immediately when you start - I called them on my first day and they opened a work case file - Keep meticulous records of everything - pay stubs, hours worked, dates, etc. The mental health benefits of working again have been huge for me. Having structure and purpose back in my life has helped with the depression that came with my disability. Just start slowly and be very transparent with SSA about everything. Good luck!