Social Security earnings limits: How much can I earn with SSDI and SSI before benefits get cut?

SSDI and SSI have completely different rules for working. This gets confusing for many people, so let me break it down: For SSDI in 2025: - You can earn up to $1,550/month (this is the Substantial Gainful Activity or SGA amount) without affecting your benefits - You get a 9-month Trial Work Period where you can earn ANY amount and still receive full SSDI - Trial Work months are counted when you earn over $1,110/month (2025 amount) For SSI in 2025: - Different formula entirely - SSI reduces $1 for approximately every $2 you earn after the first $85 - SSI is much more strict and starts reducing almost immediately You absolutely must report ALL income to Social Security when receiving either benefit. Your Medicare (with SSDI) won't be affected by working, but Medicaid (with SSI) might be if your SSI payment drops to zero. The $1,550 SGA limit only applies to SSDI after your Trial Work Period is complete.

When i started working on my ssdi they took EVERYTHING away and didnt tell me until 6 months later then said i owed them $13000!!!!! be super careful they dont explain anything right and the rules are impossible. i would just not work its not worth the risk trust me.

my brother inlaw works at walmart like 15 hours a week with his disability checks and has no problem. he said the key is stay under the earnings limit and ALWAYS report right away. think he makes like $700 a month or something and hasn't had issues for like 3 years now.

A few additional points that might help you: 1. California has state supplements to SSI which can affect your calculations 2. Look into applying for the Ticket to Work program which provides work incentives and protection from medical Continuing Disability Reviews while participating 3. There are special deductions available if you have work expenses related to your disability (IRWE - Impairment-Related Work Expenses) that can help you keep more of your benefits 4. Some types of income don't count or count differently - for example, if you're under 22 and a student, you can exclude more income for SSI I recommend scheduling an appointment with a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) counselor. They provide free benefits counseling specifically for SSDI/SSI recipients who want to work. They'll create a customized plan based on your exact situation.

I tried calling Social Security 3 times about this exact question and got 3 completely different answers!!! The phone system is a nightmare and I just gave up after waiting 2+ hours each time. So frustrating!!!

Be VERY careful with SSI income reporting. They count almost everything as income - even if someone buys you groceries or lets you live with them rent-free (that's called "in-kind support and maintenance"). I lost my SSI because I forgot to report that my mom paid my phone bill for 3 months when I was struggling. They counted it as income and said I was over the resource limit! SSDI is much more forgiving in my experience. Just earnings matter, not gifts or help from family. If you can survive on just your SSDI, it might be simpler to just work under the SSDI limits and not worry about the complex SSI calculations.

Something else important: Keep track of your Trial Work Period months yourself. Don't rely on SSA to notify you when your TWP is done. I recommend creating a simple spreadsheet with: 1. Month/Year 2. Gross earnings before taxes 3. Whether it counts as a TWP month (over $1,110 in 2025) 4. How many TWP months you've used total After your 9th TWP month, you enter your Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) for 36 months, where your benefits can start and stop based on your earnings. This is when things get more complicated. Also: Always keep copies of your pay stubs and any work reports you submit to SSA. Their record-keeping can be inconsistent, and having your own proof is invaluable if there's ever a dispute.

i thought that there was something called Expedited Reinstatement where if you lose benefits from working too much you can get back on quickly if you have to stop working again? like within 5 years or something?

DONT LISTEN TO PPL SAYING ITS OK TO WORK!!! The system is DESIGNED to catch you in a gotcha moment. my friend was on ssdi and ssi worked ONE DAY at amazon warehouse and they terminated everything and said she wasnt disabled anymore!!! took her 2 years fighting to get benefits back.

Thank you all for the advice! I've decided I'm going to: 1. Contact a WIPA counselor first before making any decisions 2. Keep detailed records of everything if I do start working 3. Stay well under the SSDI TWP threshold at first (maybe $800/month max) 4. Report any income immediately both online and by calling 5. Save 30% of anything I earn in case there are any issues later I'm still nervous but feel much better informed now. Will update how it goes when I meet with the WIPA person.