How many hours can I work and still receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI)?
In the U.S., disabled workers can claim monthly payments from the SSA to top up their household income, as long as their earnings do not exceed a certain limit.
In the U.S., Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides financial assistance for people with disabilities, who are unable to work or to earn a sufficient amount. The scheme pays benefits to the claimant and in some cases family members, provided they are ‘insured’.
The ‘insured’ status is calculated based on the individual’s earnings history, requiring that people have contributed a certain amount to the Social Security Administration (SSA) during the course of their life.
To be eligible for the support, recipients must not have earnings over a certain level. However, that threshold is a monthly rate of pay, not a number of hours. In 2022, that limit is $1,690 per month for non-blind individuals, and $2,830 for blind individuals. This figure is known as the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit.
What is an SGA?
Disability benefits from the SSA are designed to provide support for individuals and their families who would otherwise be unable to support themselves. Anyone with an income that is deemed to be sufficient without the support, will not be able to receive it.
Each year, the SGA figure is updated to reflect the economic situation, with different entitlements for blind and non-blind recipients, due to the extra expenses the former group is likely to face.
When first introduced in 1975, the figure was $200, both for blind and non-blind recipients. The differentiation came in three years later in 1978, when blind disabled people were given an SGA of $334, as opposed to $260.
Can I do a trial work period while still receiving disability benefits?
Although SSDI has no maximum length, it is hoped that the recipient could be well enough to return to the workplace in the future. If an individual wants to attempt a return to the workplace, the SSA will allow a trial work period in which the beneficiary can earn an income from their job while still receiving the SSDI benefits.
The SSA explains: “During a trial work period, a beneficiary receiving Social Security disability benefits on the basis of his or her own earnings history may test his or her ability to work and still be considered disabled.”
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