Can I work while receiving Social Security Disability and SSI benefits from Social Security?
Not everyone who gets disability benefits from Social Security is disabled forever. Social Security has work incentive programs for people who want to try to work again while keeping their benefit payments and medical coverage. The programs are helpful, but they can also cause problems if the rules are not followed carefully. Social Security Disability benefits have different work incentives than Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Some people receive Social Security Disability and SSI benefits at the same time. It is important to know which rules apply based upon the type of benefits you receive.
Social Security Disability
Are there any Social Security programs to help me find work?
The “Ticket to Work” program is for anyone receiving disability benefits. It is a program designed by Social Security to provide vocational, rehabilitation, training and job referral. It can also be used for employment support services when you get a job or if you already are working. All of the services are free. On top of other program work incentives, if you are in the “Ticket to Work” program and making progress, Social Security will not review your case to see if you are still disabled. You can find out more about the Ticket to Work Program here: https://www.ssa.gov/work/
What happens when I start working while on Social Security Disability?
The Social Security Disability program has incentives so that you can try to return to work without affecting your benefits. It all begins with the “Trial Work Period.” The trial work period lets you try to work for at least nine months (not necessarily all in a row). In 2024, any month your total earnings were more than $1,110 counts as a trial work month. That amount goes up every year. You can keep track of the monthly amount here: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/twp.html.
You can work up to nine trial work months within a sixty-month period. During a trial work period, you get your full disability benefit no matter how much your income is as long as you report the work to Social Security and still have a disabling impairment. If you have nine trial work months in a sixty-month period, Social Security may check to see if you are disabled, or whether you can go back to work.
It is very important to remember that the monthly amount that counts for a trial work month is a lot less than the Substantial Gainful Activity monthly amount. Under their rules, if you earn over the monthly Substantial Gainful Activity amount, Social Security will assume you are not disabled. For 2024, the Substantial Gainful Activity amount is $2,590 if you are blind and $1,550 if you are not blind. This amount changes every year too, and you can keep track of the changes here: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html.
Many people confuse these two amounts, assuming you can work up to $1,550 every month without affecting your Social Security Disability benefits. This is not correct. If you earn too many months over the Trial Work Period amount, you can wind up with a very large benefit overpayment. Under Social Security rules, it is up to you to keep track of your trial work months, so it is important to be very careful and keep track of them.
How does Social Security decide if my benefits should end?
If you earn too much for too many months, Social Security may decide you are not disabled. After you complete your Trial Work Period, you will begin your 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During this time Social Security will evaluate your work and earnings to decide if you should still get benefits. If you earn over the Substantial Gainful Activity amount during the Extended Period of Eligibility, Social Security can decide you are not disabled and stop paying you benefits. You can learn more about how the Trial Work Period and the Extended Period of Eligibility work here: https://choosework.ssa.gov/library/fact-sheet-trial-work-period-twp. These rules are confusing, but if you are working, Social Security will assume that you understand them.
Are there any exceptions if my earnings are over the allowed amount?
Social Security only uses earnings that represent the real value of the work you perform when deciding if your work is at Substantial Gainful Activity level. Some people with disabilities get special supports at work. These are called subsidies. A subsidy may apply to you if, for example, you have a job coach who helps you perform some of your work, or you have fewer tasks to complete than other workers doing the same job for the same pay. If you get these types of support, Social Security may not consider your entire pay check as earnings. Also, if you pay for things so that you can work, such as medications, treatment, adaptive equipment, these are “impairment related work expenses” that can also lower your earnings for Social Security purposes. Be sure to keep receipts for everything, including what you spend on co-pays and for over the counter medications. It is important to discuss these options with Social Security before assuming you qualify for these exceptions.
What if my benefits terminate, but after a while I find out I cannot keep working?
If your benefits end because Social Security finds that you can work, and you become unable to work again within 5 years, you can ask Social Security to start your benefits again. You do not have to file a new disability application and Social Security should start your benefits right away while they decide if you are still disabled. This is called “Expedited Reinstatement.” You always have the right to file a new application for benefits, too. Social Security can help you choose the best option for you.
What about medical benefits?
If you don’t get a benefit check because you make more than Substantial Gainful Activity, but you are also still disabled, you are still eligible for Medicare Part A (hospital) coverage for free. You would be responsible for paying the Medicare Part B (medical) premiums each quarter. That lasts for 93 months after your Trial Work Period ends. After that, if you are still disabled, you can buy in to the Medicare program and continue receiving health care. Remember that the state may be able to help you pay your Medicare premiums under the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) and Specified Low-income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) programs. Your local Iowa Department of Health and Human Services office can tell you if you qualify.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
What happens when I start working while on SSI?
Some of the work programs like the “Ticket to Work” are the same for both Social Security and SSI. But most SSI work programs are different. You can learn more about all the SSI work programs here: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-work-ussi.htm.
Because SSI benefits are need-based, they can be reduced if you receive money or other in-kind assistance (like free rent) for working. The more money you earn, the more it reduces your SSI. SSI does not count the first $20/month you receive for any reason. SSI also does not count the first $65.00 of earned income each month. So you can earn up to $85/month before it affects your SSI. After this, you can keep one half of any monthly earned income over $65.00. For every two dollars you earn over $85/month, your SSI is reduced by one dollar. Here is how it works:
Mary receives $943.00 in SSI per month (the maximum monthly amount for 2024). She earns $317.00 in gross wages (wages before taxes) this month. SSA will determine her SSI benefit by calculating her earned income and then deducting this from her benefit amount:
| Earned Income | $ 317.00 |
| General Income Exclusion | – 20.00 |
| = $ 297.00 | |
| Earned Income Exclusion | – 65.00 |
| = $ 232.00 | |
| Divide by 2 | / 2 |
| Countable Earned Income | = $ 116.00 |
| SSI Benefit | $ 943.00 |
| Countable Earned Income | – 116.00 |
| SSI Benefit Paid | = $ 827.00 |
As you can see, although Mary’s SSI benefit amount drops by $116.00, her actual gross income has increased by over $200.00.
You can find this and more examples online at https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-income-ussi.htm
It is important to report income to Social Security right away so they can adjust your SSI amount. If you do not report, you will have a benefit overpayment.
How do I report my income to Social Security?
It is your responsibility to immediately report any changes in work activity that could affect your benefits. This means you must inform Social Security right away if:
- you start or stop work,
- you already reported your work, but your duties, hours, or pay have changed; or
- you start paying for expenses that you need in order to work because of your disability.
It is important that you report all changes in your work activity to Social Security promptly to avoid an overpayment.
You can report wages by visiting, calling, or writing your local Social Security Office. You can also Social Security’s automated toll-free SSI Telephone Wage Reporting Service, the free SSI Mobile Wage Reporting Smartphone app, or the my Social Security online wage reporting tool. Regardless of which method you choose to report wages, you can sign up online to receive a monthly e-mail or text message wage reporting reminder from Social Security.
If you have problems with work incentive programs or benefit overpayments, Iowa Legal Aid may be able to help.