The Short Answer: You can work part-time while on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), but you must familiarize yourself with the income limits. You do not want to jeopardize your benefits.
Defining Substantial Gainful Activity (“SGA”) Limits For Individuals
You need to know what your SGA limit is to ensure you do not risk having your benefits terminated, unless you are trying to return to work.
- For non-blind individuals receiving SSDI, the SGA limit is $1,550.00 per month for 2024.
- For statutorily blind individuals receiving SSDI, the SGA limit is $2,590.00 per month for 2024.
Depending on your situation, if you participate in substantial gainful activity (SGA), you may risk losing your benefits.
The Trial Work Period
The trial work period allows individuals to test their ability to work up to nine months within a 60-month rolling period. The trial work period (TWP) exists so individuals can test their ability to work, while striving to regain their financial independence. During this period, an individual who receives over $1,110.00 will trigger the rolling period for their TWP. You can work and receive more than $1,110.00, but if you do so for more than nine months within a 60-month (5 year) period, you can lose your benefits. It is important to note that these nine-months within the 60-month period do not have to be consecutive.
TWP Summarized For You:
Purpose: The TWP lets you test your ability to work while still receiving Social Security Disability Insurance.
Duration: You can work for up to nine months within a 60-month (5-year) rolling period to test your ability to work.
Earnings Threshold: Earning over $1,110 for a month in 2024 triggers a Trial Work Month. Please note that this threshold can change year-over-year—you can use the SSA website to calculate if you are working within the TWP.
Non-Consecutive Months: The nine months don’t have to be in a row or back-to-back; they can be spread out over 60 months (5 years).
Risk of Losing Benefits: If you exceed 9 Trial Work Months within the 60-month (5-year) period, you might lose your benefits if you continue to earn above the SGA limit. However, this can be a good thing if you desire to return to work.
Goal of the TWP: The Trial Work Period is designed to help you regain financial independence without immediately losing SSDI benefits. It is a good thing to get you to return productively and safely to work.
After TWP: The Extended Period Of Eligibility (EPE)
After you complete your Trial Work Period to return to work, you can still receive SSDI benefits for 36 months after your TWP ends. However, if your income exceeds the SGA limit (currently $1,550 for non-blind, and $2,590 for statutorily blind individuals) you will not receive your SSDI benefits for that month. If your income falls below the SGA threshold for that month, you will still receive SSDI payments for that month.
If you continue to earn above the SGA limit after the extended period of eligibility, your benefits will stop.
Understand Possible Overpayment Issues
It is critical that you let the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) know when you return to work. This notice will not automatically affect your benefits, but you may need to provide documentation of your work earnings. Failure to report your earnings to the SSA can result in you earning an SSDI payment for a month you are not eligible—this results in overpayment.
The SSA will require you to payback any funds you were not eligible for. [I think we just leave this short and to the point because it gets too involved – a whole other blog article!]
Returning To Work Is A Good Thing If And When You Are Ready
At Michael Armstrong Law, we work tirelessly to ensure our clients get the benefits they deserve. Our team of compassionate legal professionals can help you appeal your claim if it has been denied. We wish to help you maintain you and your family’s financial security. We also strive to empower our clients to understand their SSDI benefits and their purpose, with the possibility of returning to gainful work activity in the future.