The earnings limit depends on which disability program you're on
If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you can earn up to $1,550 per month in 2024 without affecting your benefits — but this amount changes each year. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the limit is $65 per month, plus half of anything you earn above that. The programs work differently because SSDI is based on your work history and SSI is based on financial need.
The key difference: SSDI has a trial work period that lets you test your ability to work without losing benefits. SSI has no trial period — your benefits reduce dollar-for-dollar as you earn more. Knowing which program you're on matters, because the rules that protect your income are completely different.
Key Takeaways
- SSDI allows you to earn up to $1,550 per month in 2024 without losing benefits, but this threshold increases each year with inflation.
- SSI recipients can earn $65 per month before benefits are reduced, and benefits drop by 50 cents for every dollar earned above that.
- SSDI includes a nine-month trial work period during which you can earn any amount without losing benefits, as long as you report your work.
- After the trial work period ends, you enter an extended may be able to access period where benefits pause but don't stop if your earnings stay below the monthly limit.
- Both programs count only your net earnings (after work expenses), not gross income, and certain types of income don't count at all.
How SSDI's trial work period protects your early earnings
The trial work period is a nine-month window during which you can earn any amount and keep your full SSDI benefit. You don't have to use these nine months all at once — they can be spread across a rolling 60-month period. The Social Security Administration counts a month as a trial work month only if you earn more than $970 in that month (in 2024), so low-earning months don't count against your nine.
You must report your work to Social Security, even during the trial period. Call your local Social Security office or log into your my Social Security account to report your earnings each month. If you don't report, Social Security may stop your benefits incorrectly, and you'll have to fix it later.
Once your nine trial work months are used up, you move into the extended may be able to access period, which lasts 36 more months. During this time, your benefits pause (not stop) in any month you earn more than $1,550. If your earnings drop back below the limit, your benefits restart automatically — you don't have to reapply. This is the safety net that makes it possible to try part-time or seasonal work without losing your entire benefit.
What counts as earnings and what doesn't
Social Security counts only your net earnings — what you actually take home after taxes and work expenses. If you're self-employed, you subtract legitimate business costs (supplies, equipment, rent for a workspace) before calculating what you owe. If you work for an employer, Social Security counts your gross pay minus taxes, not the net amount in your bank account.
These types of income do not count toward the earnings limit and won't affect your benefits: investment income, rental income, pensions, interest, dividends, royalties, and money from selling an asset. Gifts and loans don't count either. If you receive workers' compensation or unemployment benefits, those don't count as earnings for SSDI purposes (though they may affect SSI in some states).
Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) are costs you pay specifically because of your disability — a wheelchair ramp, special transportation to work, medication needed to work, or a personal assistant. You can subtract these from your gross earnings before Social Security counts them, which can lower your reported income and protect more of your benefits.
SSI earnings rules are stricter and have no trial period
If you receive SSI, the first $65 you earn in a month doesn't count. After that, Social Security counts 50 cents of every dollar you earn. So if you earn $200 in a month, you report $200, subtract $65, and Social Security counts $67.50 as income ($135 ÷ 2). Your SSI benefit then reduces by that amount.
SSI has no trial work period, which means there's no protected window to test your work capacity. Every dollar you earn above $65 when ready reduces your benefit. For this reason, many SSI recipients work very little or not at all, because the benefit reduction makes it hard to come out ahead financially.
If you receive both SSDI and SSI (called "concurrent benefits"), the SSDI rules explore to your SSDI benefit and the SSI rules explore to your SSI benefit. Your SSDI can continue through the trial work period and extended may be able to access period, while your SSI benefit reduces based on the $65 threshold. This is complicated, so ask your local Social Security office to explain how your specific benefits will be affected if you start working.
How to report your earnings to Social Security
You can report earnings by phone, mail, or online through your my Social Security account. The fastest way is online: log in, select "Manage your benefits," and report your monthly earnings. You can also call your local Social Security office or 1-800-772-1213 to report by phone. If you prefer mail, ask your Social Security office for a form to send in each month.
Report your earnings by the 15th of the month after you earn them. If you're self-employed, report your net earnings (after business expenses). If you work for an employer, report your gross pay before taxes. Social Security will use this information to calculate whether your benefit should continue, pause, or reduce in the following month.
Keep records of your pay stubs or business income and expenses. If Social Security questions your earnings later, you'll need proof of what you actually earned and what you spent. This is especially important for self-employed people, who should keep receipts for all business expenses they claim.
What happens when you earn above the limit
If you're on SSDI and earn more than $1,550 in a month (outside the trial work period), your benefit pauses for that month — it doesn't disappear. You don't receive a check, but your benefit record stays active. The next month, if your earnings drop below $1,550, your benefit starts again automatically. You don't have to call or reapply.
If you're on SSI and earn above $65, your benefit reduces by 50 cents for every dollar over that amount. If you earn enough, your SSI benefit can drop to zero, but you remain on the SSI rolls. Once your earnings drop, your benefit comes back.
Neither program will penalize you for earning too much in a single month. Social Security looks at each month separately. If you have a high-earning month followed by a low-earning month, the high month affects only that month's benefit.
Work incentives that can protect more of your income
Beyond the trial work period, Social Security offers other work incentives designed to help you keep more of your earnings. Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — starting a business, going to school, or buying equipment you need for work. Money in a PASS plan doesn't count toward your SSI limit, which can free up hundreds of dollars per month.
The Ticket to Work program extends your extended may be able to access period from 36 months to 60 months, giving you longer to test your work capacity. You assign your "ticket" to an approved employment network or vocational rehabilitation agency, and they help you find work. If you don't earn enough to lose benefits during the ticket period, you can return to full benefits without reapplying.
These programs require paperwork and planning, but they're designed specifically to help people on disability work without losing benefits. Ask your Social Security office whether PASS or Ticket to Work might help your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will working part-time cause me to lose my Medicare or Medicaid?
No. If you're on SSDI, you keep Medicare even if your benefits pause because you're earning too much. If you're on SSI, you keep Medicaid as long as your resources stay below the SSI limit (usually $2,000 for an individual). Working doesn't change your resource limit, so part-time earnings alone won't cause you to lose health coverage.
What if I'm self-employed — how do I report my earnings?
Report your net earnings (income minus business expenses). Keep receipts for all costs: supplies, equipment, rent, utilities for a workspace, and professional services. Social Security will ask for proof if they question your expenses, so organize your records by category. If you're unsure what counts as a business expense, ask your accountant or call Social Security before you report.
Can I work during my trial work period without telling Social Security?
No. You must report your earnings each month, even during the trial work period. If you don't report and Social Security finds out later, they may stop your benefits and ask you to repay money. Reporting is how Social Security knows you're using your trial work months correctly.
What happens to my benefits after the extended may be able to access period ends?
After 36 months in extended may be able to access (or 60 months if you're on Ticket to Work), your SSDI benefit ends if you're still earning above the monthly limit. You can reapply later if your earnings drop and your disability hasn't improved. If you're on SSI, your benefit continues but reduces based on your earnings, with no time limit.
Do I have to work if I'm on disability?
No. There is no requirement to work while receiving SSDI or SSI. The earnings limits exist to let you work if you want to, not to force you to. If working isn't possible or isn't right for you, you can stay on benefits without working.