You’ve been approved for Social Security Disability Insurance. You’re relieved. You’re receiving benefits. But then you wonder: can I work? How much can I earn before Social Security takes away my benefits?
The answer revolves around something called SGA, or Substantial Gainful Activity. And misunderstanding it can cost you thousands of dollars in lost benefits.
What Is SGA?
SGA is Social Security’s way of measuring whether you’re capable of working. It’s defined as earnings above a certain monthly income threshold. For 2025, the SGA threshold is expected to be around $1,550 per month, though SSA adjusts this figure annually. If you earn more than this amount, Social Security considers you engaged in substantial gainful activity and may determine you’re no longer disabled.
Here’s the critical part: it doesn’t matter whether you feel disabled or whether the work is temporary. If you cross the SGA threshold, your benefits can be suspended or terminated.
How SGA Affects Your Benefits
If you’re working and earning below the SGA limit, you’re safe. Earning below the SGA limit generally allows you to continue receiving SSDI benefits, although Social Security can still review your work activity to determine whether it reflects medical improvement or your ability to work.
If you earn at or above the SGA limit in a single month outside the Trial Work Period, Social Security may suspend your benefits for that month and initiate a review to determine whether your disability has ended.
This creates a real problem for people trying to transition back to work. You might land a job, work for a few weeks, earn more than the SGA limit, and suddenly lose your SSDI benefits entirely.
The Trial Work Period
Here’s where Social Security tries to help. The Trial Work Period (TWP) allows you to test returning to work without immediately losing benefits.
During your Trial Work Period, you can earn unlimited income. Social Security won’t count those earnings against you, and you’ll continue receiving full SSDI benefits. The TWP lasts for nine months during any 60-month rolling period.
The catch? Those nine months don’t need to be consecutive. In 2024, any month in which you earn $1,110 or more (or work over 80 hours in self-employment) counts as a Trial Work Period month. This amount is adjusted annually. Once you’ve used nine trial work months, the program ends.
This is valuable, but many people don’t understand how it works or fail to track their trial work months carefully.
Extended Eligibility Period
After your Trial Work Period ends, you enter the Extended Eligibility Period. For 36 months, you can continue receiving benefits for any month you earn below the SGA limit, even though you’re working. This gives you a crucial transition window.
But here again, earning above SGA in any single month during this period means your benefits for that month are suspended.
Plan Carefully
The key to protecting your SSDI benefits while working is planning. Know your SGA limit. Track your earnings monthly. If you’re approaching the limit, talk to Social Security before crossing it.
Consider working with a benefits planner. Social Security provides free work incentives planning services through organizations called Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects.
Get Expert Help
Navigating work incentives and SGA rules requires careful planning. One wrong move can cost you months of benefits while you seek reinstatement through Social Security’s expedited reinstatement process.
At McKown and Myers, we help disabled individuals and veterans understand work incentives and protect their SSDI benefits. If you’re considering returning to work or have questions about SGA and earnings limits, call 765-668-7531 or fill out our contact form for a free consultation. You can work and keep your benefits. Let us help you do it safely.