Yes, you can work part-time on SSDI, but your earnings are tracked and may reduce your benefit amount

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) does not prohibit part-time work. You can earn money while receiving benefits, but there are thresholds and rules that determine whether your earnings affect your monthly payment. The key is understanding the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit — the dollar amount Social Security uses to decide whether your work counts as "substantial."

For 2024, the SGA limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind beneficiaries and $2,590 for blind beneficiaries. If you earn less than these amounts in a month, your work typically does not affect your SSDI payment. If you earn more, Social Security may determine you are no longer disabled and stop your benefits. However, there are work incentives built into the system that allow you to test your ability to work without when ready losing all support.

The rules differ depending on whether you are in a trial work period, using a work incentive program, or straightforward working without notifying Social Security. Understanding which situation applies to you determines how much you can earn and what happens to your check.

Key Takeaways

  • You can earn up to $1,550 per month (2024) without Social Security counting it as substantial work that ends your benefits, though you must report all earnings.
  • The Trial Work Period allows nine months of unlimited earnings within a 60-month window without losing benefits, giving you time to test whether you can work.
  • After the Trial Work Period ends, the Extended may be able to access Period lets you keep benefits for three more years while earnings are monitored, though benefits stop if you exceed SGA.
  • Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) are programs that let you deduct certain costs from your earnings, lowering the amount Social Security counts.
  • You must report all work and earnings to Social Security within 30 days; failing to report can result in overpayment and benefit suspension.

The Trial Work Period: Nine months of unlimited earnings

When you first start working while on SSDI, you enter a Trial Work Period (TWP) automatically. During this period, you can earn any amount without losing your SSDI benefit, as long as you report your work to Social Security. The TWP lasts for nine months within a rolling 60-month window — the nine months do not have to be consecutive.

A "month of work" in the TWP counts only if you earn more than $240 (2024) and work 15 or more hours per week, or if you are self-employed and work 15 or more hours per week in your business. Months where you earn less than $240 or work fewer than 15 hours do not count toward the nine-month limit. This means you can have months of low earnings or part-time hours that do not use up your TWP months.

The purpose of the TWP is to let you test your ability to work without the when ready threat of losing your entire benefit. Once you have used all nine months, you move into the Extended may be able to access Period, where the rules change.

Extended may be able to access Period: Three more years of partial protection

After your nine Trial Work Period months end, you enter the Extended may be able to access Period (EEP), which lasts 36 months. During this time, you keep your SSDI benefit for any month you earn less than the SGA limit ($1,550 in 2024). If you earn $1,550 or more in a month, you do not receive a benefit that month, but you do not lose SSDI entirely.

The Extended may be able to access Period acts as a safety net. If your part-time work becomes unstable or you find you cannot sustain it, you can return to receiving your full benefit without reapplying. You do not have to prove your disability again. However, if you earn over SGA for 12 months during the EEP, your SSDI ends permanently, and you would have to file a new process to get it back.

After the Extended may be able to access Period ends, you are no longer protected. If you earn over SGA, your benefits stop, and you would need to reapply and be re-evaluated for disability.

Work incentive programs that reduce your countable earnings

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) allow you to deduct certain costs from your earnings before Social Security counts them toward the SGA limit. If you have a disability-related expense that you need in order to work — such as a personal assistant, medical equipment, transportation, or medication — you can subtract that cost from your gross earnings. Only the remaining amount counts toward SGA.

For example, if you earn $2,000 per month but pay $600 for a personal care attendant you need to work, Social Security counts only $1,400 of your earnings. This can keep you under the SGA limit even if your gross pay exceeds it. IRWE expenses must be directly related to your impairment and necessary for you to work; routine expenses like rent or groceries do not may have access to.

Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) is a more complex program that lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — such as education, training, or starting a business. Money you set aside under a PASS plan does not count as income, which can lower your countable earnings significantly. A PASS plan requires written approval from Social Security and must show how your goal will lead to reduced dependence on benefits.

Both IRWE and PASS require you to submit documentation and get approval from Social Security before the expenses or income are excluded. You cannot retroactively explore these programs to earnings you have already reported.

How to report your part-time work to Social Security

You are required to report all work and earnings to Social Security within 30 days of starting a job or when your earnings change. You can report by phone, mail, or online through your my Social Security account. When you report, provide your employer's name, the type of work you do, your start date, and your expected monthly earnings.

Social Security will ask whether you expect your earnings to change and whether you are using any work incentive programs like IRWE or PASS. Be honest and specific about your earnings; underreporting or failing to report can result in an overpayment, which Social Security will recover by reducing or suspending your future benefits.

After you report, Social Security will send you a written notice explaining how your work affects your benefits. Keep this notice and any follow-up correspondence. If your earnings fluctuate month to month, report the changes as they happen rather than waiting until the end of the year.

What happens if you exceed the SGA limit

If you earn more than $1,550 per month (2024) and you are not in your Trial Work Period, Social Security will not pay you a benefit for that month. Your SSDI does not stop when ready; instead, you receive no payment for months when you exceed SGA. This is called a non-payment month.

If you exceed SGA for 12 consecutive months during your Extended may be able to access Period, your SSDI terminates. You would then have to file a new process and go through the full disability review process to get benefits again. If you exceed SGA after your Extended may be able to access Period ends (meaning you are no longer protected), your benefits stop and you face the same requirement to reapply.

However, if you are still in your Trial Work Period, exceeding SGA does not affect your benefit at all. You can earn $10,000 in a month during TWP and still receive your full SSDI check, as long as you report the earnings and the month counts toward your nine-month limit.

Part-time work and Medicare or Medicaid coverage

Working part-time while on SSDI does not automatically end your Medicare or Medicaid coverage. If you receive Medicare as part of your SSDI, it continues for at least 93 months (approximately 7.5 years) after your Trial Work Period ends, even if your earnings eventually cause your SSDI to stop. This is called Medicare Continuation.

Medicaid rules vary by state. Some states continue Medicaid as long as your earnings stay below a certain threshold; others use different rules. Contact your state Medicaid office or your Social Security representative to understand how your part-time work affects your health coverage in your state.

Keeping health insurance while you work is often one of the biggest reasons people choose part-time work rather than full-time employment. If you lose SSDI but keep Medicare or Medicaid, you maintain access to the medical care you need to stay healthy and potentially continue working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work part-time without telling Social Security?

No. You are required to report all work within 30 days of starting. If you do not report and Social Security discovers unreported earnings, they will count it as an overpayment and recover the money by reducing or suspending your future benefits. Intentional non-reporting can also result in fraud charges.

Does part-time work count toward my Trial Work Period if I only work a few hours a week?

Only if you earn more than $240 in that month and work at least 15 hours per week. Months where you earn less than $240 or work fewer than 15 hours do not count toward your nine-month limit, so you can have months of very light work without using up your TWP.

What if my part-time job ends and I want to go back on full SSDI?

If you are still in your Extended may be able to access Period, you can return to receiving your full benefit when ready for any month you earn less than SGA. You do not have to reapply. If your Extended may be able to access Period has ended, you would need to file a new process and be re-evaluated for disability.

Can I use IRWE or PASS if I am already working?

Yes, but you must get approval from Social Security before the expenses or income are excluded. You cannot retroactively explore these programs to earnings you have already reported. Contact your local Social Security office or your work incentives planning and information (WIPA) project to set up IRWE or PASS.

Does my part-time income affect my spouse's or children's benefits?

No. Your work and earnings affect only your own SSDI benefit. If your spouse or children receive benefits based on your record, their payments are not reduced because of your part-time work.