Social Security Disability income limits: How many hours can I work without losing SSDI benefits?

For 2025, the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals on SSDI. There's no specific hour limit - it's all about how much you earn. Stay under that monthly amount and your benefits continue. Just be aware that SSA has a Trial Work Period (TWP) system too - any month you earn over $1,110 counts as a TWP month. After 9 TWP months, different rules kick in.

I tried working part time last yr and it was SUCH A HEADACHE!!! SSA kept sending me confusing letters asking for paystubs and I never knew if I was gonna suddenly lose my Medicare. Be super careful and DOCUMENT EVERYTHING

To answer your second question - working while on SSDI generally won't increase your benefit amount. SSDI is calculated based on your lifetime earnings before becoming disabled. However, if your new work represents substantial earnings over time, it *could* potentially increase your benefit slightly, but it's usually minimal and not worth the risk of exceeding limits.

my cousin works like 20 hrs a week and still gets ssdi no problem. he said as long as you stay under some $ amount your fine. just dont make too much or they cut you off completely

Working while receiving SSDI can be incredibly complicated. After your Trial Work Period (9 months earning above $1,110), you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility. During this time, any month you earn over SGA ($1,550), you won't receive benefits for that month - but your benefits can restart if earnings drop below SGA. The rules are complex and many SSA representatives give conflicting information. When I was struggling with these exact questions, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach an SSA agent who specialized in work incentives. Their service connected me to a live person in under 5 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU You might want to specifically ask about the Ticket to Work program too - it provides additional protections if you're trying to return to work.

im on ssdi 2 and worried about this exact same thing!!! does anyone know if they count gross pay or what u actually take home after taxes?? makes a huge difference!

I've been a benefits counselor for 15 years. Here's what you need to know: 1. For SSDI, the monthly limit is $1,550 in 2025 for non-blind individuals (higher for blind). 2. Hours don't matter at all - only dollars. 3. The Trial Work Period (TWP) allows you to test working. During these 9 months (which don't have to be consecutive), you keep full benefits regardless of earnings. After that, you enter the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) for 36 months. 4. To directly address your second question: Working generally will NOT increase your SSDI payment. SSDI is based on your lifetime earnings record before disability. New work might technically replace a low-earning year in your calculation, but this rarely results in meaningful increases. 5. Report all earnings to SSA promptly - this is critical. Consider meeting with a WIPA (Work Incentives Planning and Assistance) counselor - it's a free service.

I forgot to mention in my earlier comment - you asked about increasing your benefit amount. If you haven't worked many years before becoming disabled, new work COULD potentially increase your benefit slightly. SSDI is calculated based on your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, so if you have years with zero earnings, new work could replace those zeros. But the increase is usually very small.

Make sure you keep EVERY paystub and document EVERYTHING!!! My friend lost her benefits because she couldn't prove she stayed under the limit when they did a review. The SSA lost her documentation she sent them TWICE and she had to start all over with her application. NIGHTMARE!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to: 1) Make sure I stay under $1,550/month, 2) Keep track of my Trial Work Period months when I earn over $1,110, 3) Keep ALL my paystubs and documentation, 4) Look into finding a WIPA counselor, and 5) Try that Claimyr service to actually speak with an SSA rep about my specific situation. I'm still nervous but feel much better informed now.

Good luck Logan! You've got a great plan laid out. Just wanted to add one thing that helped me when I started working again - consider starting with very part-time hours (maybe 10-15 hours/week) to see how your body handles it before ramping up. That way you can stay well under the limits while you figure out your stamina and capabilities. Also, if your employer offers flexible scheduling, that can be a huge help for managing symptoms on bad days. The fact that you're being so careful and asking all the right questions shows you're approaching this smartly!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. The key thing that saved me a lot of stress was setting up automatic tracking - I created a simple monthly calendar where I logged my hours and gross pay each week. This made it super easy when SSA requested documentation during my continuing disability review. Also, don't forget that the $1,110 TWP threshold and $1,550 SGA limit can change annually, so always double-check the current year's amounts on ssa.gov. One last tip: if you're working for an employer, make sure HR understands your situation - some are really accommodating about keeping you just under the limits if you explain your needs. You're being smart to ask these questions upfront!

I went through this transition back to work about 18 months ago and wanted to share a few things that really helped me. First, the SSA has a work incentives hotline (1-800-772-1213) that's specifically for SSDI recipients who want to work - they were much more knowledgeable than the regular customer service line. Second, I'd strongly recommend getting everything in writing when you do speak with SSA. I learned this the hard way when two different representatives gave me conflicting information about my trial work period months. Also, if you're considering self-employment or freelance work, the rules are slightly different - they look at your net earnings after business expenses rather than gross pay like they do for regular employment. The most important thing is don't let fear paralyze you - the work incentive programs are actually designed to help you transition back to work gradually. You've got a great support network here asking the right questions!