Social Security Disability income limits with irregular art sales - will selling an $8K piece affect my SSDI?

The SSA uses a threshold called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) to determine if your earnings affect your SSDI. In 2025, this amount is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals. What's tricky is how they count irregular income like art sales. For self-employment (which is how they'd classify your art business), they look at both your income AND the time you spend working. Even if you make $8,000 in one month but nothing for several months, they might average it out or they might count it for just that month - it depends on how you report it and whether you're in what's called a Trial Work Period. If you haven't used up your Trial Work Period months yet, you could earn above SGA for 9 months (don't have to be consecutive) without affecting benefits. After that, any month above SGA could affect your benefits.

be careful!!! i lost my disability for 6 months becuz i sold some crafts at a farmers market!!! SSA doesn't care if u make money one month and nothing the next they will CUT YOU OFF!! better to sell ur art for cash if u know what i mean

I'm in almost the same situation! I'm on SSDI and sell pottery occasionally. What my benefits counselor told me is that the money counts when you RECEIVE it, not when you made the art. So if you get $8k from a gallery in March, that's March income even if you made the piece last year. The other thing to consider - are you on SSDI only or do you also get SSI? Because SSI has much stricter income rules than SSDI. With SSDI, you get that 9-month Trial Work Period where you can earn over the limit without losing benefits. With SSI, they reduce your payment right away based on any income.

As someone who worked with many artists on SSDI, here's the most accurate information: 1. The 2025 SGA amount is $1,550/month for non-blind individuals 2. For SSDI (not SSI), you have access to a Trial Work Period (TWP) - during this period, you can earn ANY amount without losing benefits for 9 months (don't need to be consecutive) 3. Any month you earn over $1,040 (2025 figure) counts as a TWP month 4. After your 9 TWP months are used up, you enter your Extended Period of Eligibility for 36 months where any month above SGA ($1,550) could cause benefits to be suspended that month 5. For irregular income like art sales, SSA may average your earnings over the period you worked on the art, but this requires documentation and advocacy I'd recommend speaking with a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) counselor - they offer free benefits counseling specifically for situations like yours.

My brother's on SSDI and he started doing woodworking last year. His case worker told him to keep track of all his expenses for making the art (materials, studio space, marketing, etc) because you can deduct those from your gross sales to figure out your actual earnings that count toward SGA. So if you sell a piece for $8k but spent $2k on canvas, paint, studio rental, and gallery commission, only $6k would count. At least that's what they told him.

Have u tried calling SSA directly to get a straight answer? Good luck with that lol. I spent 4 HOURS on hold last month trying to ask a similar question about my benefits and never got through to an actual person. So frustrating!!!! 😡

Something else to consider is setting up an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account if you qualified for disability before age 26. This lets you save money without affecting resource limits for benefits. If your disability began after 26, unfortunately this won't help. Regarding your artwork: I'd recommend you: 1. Track ALL hours spent on each piece (creation, marketing, sales) 2. Document ALL expenses 3. Keep separate business records 4. Report income correctly on Schedule C for self-employment 5. Consider if incorporating as an LLC might help (complex topic) Irregular income is always tricky with SSDI, but proper documentation is your best protection.

My cousin has MS and sells jewelry sometimes while on disability. She says the TWP isn't your friend!! Once you use those 9 months up (which happens FAST if ur not careful), any month over the SGA limit can mess up your benefits. And disability doesn't care if it was just a one time sale - ur either over or under for the month. It's completely unfair for artists who might sell nothing for months and then have one good sale.

Just wondering - have you looked into the Ticket to Work program? Since you're viewing your art as potential income, it might qualify under their self-employment track. The program gives you some protection while trying to work, and they provide free employment services. My SSDI counselor recommended it to me when I was in a similar situation with my small business.

I'm also an artist on SSDI and went through this exact situation last year! One thing that really helped me was getting my earnings statement from SSA (you can access it online through your my Social Security account) to see exactly how many Trial Work Period months I'd already used. Turns out I had used 3 months from small sales I'd forgotten about. For your $8K piece, definitely consider timing. If you haven't used your TWP months yet, you could take the full payment without losing benefits. But if you have used some TWP months, you might want to negotiate with the gallery to split payments across multiple months to stay under the $1,550 SGA limit. Also, don't forget about the Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) that Liam mentioned - if your disability requires special accommodations for your art (like ergonomic tools, special seating, modified easels), those costs can be deducted from your countable earnings. This could bring that $8K down significantly when calculating what actually counts toward SGA. The art world doesn't always understand disability benefits, so be prepared to educate your gallery about why payment timing might matter to you. Most galleries are willing to work with artists on payment schedules if you explain the situation professionally.

I just want to add that you should also consider documenting the therapeutic value of your art practice when you communicate with SSA. Since you mentioned that making art is part of your therapy, this could potentially qualify some of your art-related expenses as medical expenses under certain circumstances. Also, one thing I learned the hard way - if you do decide to sell the piece, make sure you report the income to SSA proactively rather than waiting for them to discover it. Being upfront about earnings, even if it triggers questions, is always better than having them find out later through a bank audit or gallery reporting. They're much more likely to work with you on income averaging or other accommodations if you're transparent from the start. The WIPA counselor suggestion from Liam is spot on - you can find one through the Social Security Administration's website or by calling 1-866-968-7842. They're specifically trained in these complex work incentive situations and can run scenarios with your specific numbers before you make any decisions. Good luck with your gallery show! It's wonderful that your art is getting recognition.

As someone who's been navigating SSDI and freelance income for several years, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - consider getting everything in writing from SSA about your specific situation. When you do contact a WIPA counselor or speak with SSA directly, ask them to document their guidance in writing (even if it's just an email summary of your conversation). I learned this lesson when I had conflicting information from different SSA representatives about how my consulting income was being calculated. Having written documentation saved me during a later review. Also, since you're 61 and getting closer to full retirement age, it might be worth discussing with a benefits counselor how your current SSDI situation will transition to retirement benefits. Sometimes the strategy for managing income changes as you get closer to that transition point. One last practical tip: if you do proceed with the sale, consider opening a separate business checking account just for your art income and expenses. It makes record-keeping much cleaner and shows SSA that you're treating this as a legitimate business with proper accounting practices. This can be helpful if they ever question whether your art sales constitute "substantial gainful activity" versus hobby income. The fact that you're asking these questions proactively shows you're being responsible about protecting your benefits while pursuing your art career. That's exactly the right approach.

I wanted to add one more resource that might be helpful - many states have Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies that provide free legal assistance to people with disabilities, including help with Social Security issues. They can be incredibly valuable if you ever run into complications with SSA or need someone to advocate on your behalf. Also, since you mentioned your art is part of your therapy, you might want to explore whether any of your art supplies or studio expenses could qualify as medical deductions on your taxes. While this won't directly affect your SSDI calculations, it could help offset some of the financial impact of treating your art practice as a business. One thing I've learned from this community is that everyone's situation is unique, even when it seems similar on the surface. The guidance you're getting here is excellent, but definitely get personalized advice from a WIPA counselor who can look at your complete picture - your specific disability, how long you've been on SSDI, your previous earnings history, and your future goals. Best of luck with your gallery show! It's inspiring to see someone finding ways to pursue their passion while navigating the complexities of disability benefits.

What about SSI? I am on that and have thought about selling my old art pieces because I can't insure and fill up my car on what I get, and in my rural area there are no busses. My neighbours are tired of driving me around, I've gone 8 months without seeing my doctor because I have no way to get there. If I can sell my old pieces or make some new ones I could at least make enough to drive. If doing so makes me lose what little I get from SSI, it won't be worth doing. I don't know how to get a business license in order to get my supplies at wholesale so I can try without SSA thinking I can do gainful work, which I can't do. I would probably only make about 200 every month if I could try, that's all I need for my car.

I've been following this thread as someone who went through a similar situation with my photography business while on SSDI. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the importance of understanding how SSA treats different types of art income. If you're selling original artwork that you created, SSA generally treats this as self-employment income subject to the SGA rules everyone has discussed. But if you're also selling prints, licensing images, or teaching art classes, each of these might be evaluated differently for work activity. For your $8K piece specifically, I'd recommend asking the gallery about their payment terms before the show. Many galleries will hold artwork for 30-60 days after a show before payment, which could give you time to plan. Some also offer installment payment options for higher-priced pieces. Another consideration: document the time you spend on business activities (marketing, gallery meetings, show preparation) separately from pure creative time. SSA looks at both income AND work activity when determining SGA, so having clear records of your business hours can be crucial. The WIPA counselor suggestion is spot-on - they helped me create a sustainable plan for my photography work that protected my benefits while allowing me to pursue my passion. Don't let fear of the unknown stop you from exploring your options properly.

As someone who's been on SSDI for 5 years and recently started selling my woodworking pieces, I wanted to share what I've learned about managing irregular art income. The key thing that saved me was discovering that you can request an "Unsuccessful Work Attempt" designation if your earnings don't work out sustainably due to your disability. For your $8K piece, here's what I'd recommend: First, calculate your net earnings after all legitimate business expenses (materials, studio costs, gallery commission, etc.). Then check your TWP status through your online Social Security account. If you haven't used all 9 TWP months, you could potentially take the full payment without benefit suspension. One strategy that worked for me was creating a detailed "disability impact statement" documenting how my condition affects my ability to work consistently. This helped when SSA questioned whether my sporadic sales constituted substantial gainful activity. Include things like how many days per month your condition prevents you from working, any accommodations you need, and the unpredictable nature of your income due to disability-related limitations. Also consider joining your local Artists with Disabilities Coalition if there is one - they often have resources and advocacy support specifically for navigating these benefits issues. The art community needs to support each other through these complex systems. Your gallery show sounds amazing - don't let fear of the unknown keep you from pursuing opportunities that could improve both your financial situation and mental health!

I'm also an artist on SSDI and have been wrestling with similar questions about selling my work. Reading through all this advice has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add that might be useful for you and others - if you're working with a gallery, make sure to get clear documentation about any expenses they deduct from your sale price (commission, framing, insurance, etc.). I learned this the hard way when SSA questioned one of my sales. Having the gallery's written breakdown of costs helped prove that my actual net earnings were much lower than the gross sale price. Also, if the gallery provides any materials or services (like professional photography of your work, promotional materials, opening reception costs), those can potentially be considered business expenses too. Another tip: document your disability-related work limitations in real time. I started keeping a simple daily log of my pain levels and how they affected my ability to work on art. When SSA reviewed my case, this contemporaneous documentation was much more credible than trying to recreate the information after the fact. Best of luck with your show - it's inspiring to see artists finding ways to share their work while protecting their benefits. The fact that you're researching this thoroughly before proceeding shows you're taking exactly the right approach!

I've been following this conversation as someone who's been on SSDI for 7 years and recently started selling my ceramics. The advice here is excellent, and I wanted to add one more resource that's been invaluable for me - the Red Book from SSA. It's their official guide to work incentives and you can download it for free from their website. It's pretty dense reading, but Chapter 2 covers all the SSDI work incentives in detail. One specific thing about your $8K sale - if you do decide to proceed, make sure you understand the difference between "countable income" and gross sales. As others mentioned, you can deduct legitimate business expenses, but you can also potentially deduct Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) if your disability requires special equipment or accommodations for your art practice. Things like ergonomic brushes, special lighting, modified seating, or even transportation to medical appointments related to your condition can potentially be deducted. Also, since you mentioned this sale could help your financial situation but you're worried about losing healthcare - remember that even if your SSDI cash benefits are suspended due to earnings, your Medicare coverage continues during the Extended Period of Eligibility (36 months after your Trial Work Period ends). This safety net might give you more flexibility than you realize. The community here is giving you great advice - definitely get that WIPA counseling before making any decisions. They can run actual numbers for your situation instead of general scenarios. Good luck with your gallery show!

I've been reading through this entire thread as someone who's also navigating SSDI and creative work, and I wanted to add something that might be helpful - the importance of timing your communication with SSA. If you do decide to proceed with the $8K sale, consider reporting it to SSA BEFORE you receive the payment rather than after. I learned this from my benefits counselor when I had a similar situation with freelance writing. By reporting expected income proactively, you give SSA a chance to review how it will be counted and potentially avoid any surprises or overpayment issues later. Also, one practical tip that saved me a lot of stress: when you call SSA or meet with representatives, always get their name and the date/time of your conversation. Write down exactly what they tell you about how your income will be handled. If there are ever discrepancies later, having specific details about who told you what can be incredibly valuable. The fact that your art is therapeutic adds another layer that's worth documenting with your healthcare providers. If your doctor can note in your medical records how art practice helps manage your condition, it strengthens the case that this isn't just "work" in the traditional sense - it's part of your treatment plan that happens to generate some income. This thread has been so educational - thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences. It really shows how complex these situations can be but also that there are legitimate paths forward with proper guidance!