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Work can affect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments. Can SSDI stop because of work? Yes, if you are able to earn enough to support yourself.
You get to test working again during the Trial Work Period without risking your benefits though. This article explains the SSDI work rules, how work incentives protect your benefits while you try to work again, and the earnings thresholds during work incentive periods. It also covers when work activity causes SSDI to end.
You get your full SSDI benefits and keep your earnings during your TWP. You’re allowed nine TWP months in a rolling 60-month time. Read more about TWP here.
If you are self-employed, hours and activities can trigger a TWP month too. Any month that you work 80 hours or more, regardless of earnings, is a TWP month.
Scenario: You start a part-time job and earn above TWP threshold the third month. That month counts as trial work month and starts the rolling five-year time period.
If you make more than SGA during your Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), you don’t get disability benefits for the month. If you make less than SGA, you get your SSDI payment and your earnings.
Example: One month, your income stays under SGA, so you get benefits. The next month, your income goes over SGA, so you don’t get benefits for that month. The third month, your income is below SGA again, so you get an SSDI check.
If you are earning at or above substantial gainful activity (SGA) after your EPE, your benefits will end because you no longer meet the SSA’s eligibility rules.
The SSA evaluates your gross income when you work. Expenses for your work-related needs, items, and job help can reduce your countable earnings before the SSA compares your income to the limit.
Impairment-related work expenses (IRWE) are expenses for things you need to work with your condition. Approved IRWEs are subtracted from your gross income before the SSA compares it to earnings limits.
Common IRWE examples include:
Submit proof of payment and a brief note about why you need the item to work. Ticket to Work personnel can help you understand and submit IRWEs.
A subsidy or special condition is extra help at work that lowers the value of your work. For example, an employer might provide more supervision, extra breaks, or reduced productivity expectations. A special condition is when you get on-the-job assistance from an organization outside your employer like a vocational rehab agency.
The SSA typically reduces your countable earnings when your output is not as high as other workers’. Your employer must provide proof of the subsidy or special condition like a short letter describing the extra help or reduced expectations.
When you’re self-employed, the SSA reviews more than your earnings to determine SGA. It looks at your profit (earnings minus expenses) plus your hours, role in the business, work activities, and how your work compares to similar work in the community.
Profit may not reflect the amount of work you’re able to do or the responsibility you have. This is especially true in a new business because start-up expenses may lower the net profit significantly.
When you get disability benefits and work, you must report all job starts, stops, and changes to the SSA. You also want to report work expenses and subsidies to lower your countable earnings.
For self-employment including gig jobs, report your net income and hours. Keep a log of your weekly activities in case the SSA sends follow-up questions. Keep track of volunteer help too.
Reporting checklist:
You must report monthly income by the 10th of the following month. It’s best to report earlier in case the SSA has questions. If you are an EPE, reporting early helps reduce overpayments. Keep a copy of what you submit and when you send it.
Even when you report early, SSA processing can be delayed because of the agency’s workload. If the SSA sends a letter that doesn’t match your records, gather your documents and talk to the SSA.
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Get EvaluationIf your payment did not arrive, your next action depends on what work incentive phase you’re in and how you get paid. If you get a direct deposit, talk to the bank about processing delays first. If you get a paper check, wait a couple of business days before asking the SSA for a replacement.
During your TWP, your payment is consistent despite earnings. Contact the SSA if it didn’t arrive.
When you don’t get a payment during EPE, it’s likely because a work review found that you made too much money in that month. Check your work records and gross income. If you made less than SGA limits but didn’t get paid, contact the SSA.
Have your records on hand during the conversation. Ask what you need to submit to correct your work record. Keep notes of who you talk to and what you submit.
An SSDI overpayment notice can be upsetting, especially if you feel like you reported income on time. An SSDI overpayment can stem from SSA processing delays or a mistake in what the SSA counted for income.
As soon as you get the notice, take these steps:
Follow the deadlines in the notice and keep copies of everything you send.
Learn more about why overpayments happen and what you can do.
Termination is different from not receiving one month’s benefits. A termination notice means the SSA believes you are no longer entitled to disability benefits.
If your SSDI benefits end but then you have to stop working again because your condition worsens or reoccurs within five years, you can apply for an expedited reinstatement. You may also ask to receive temporary benefits while your case is reviewed. You can get up to six months of temporary benefits.
Expedited reinstatement only applies for the same condition that got you approved for disability benefits or a closely related condition. If another health condition prevents you from working again, you must reapply for SSDI.
You get Medicare, federal health insurance, 24 months after SSDI entitlement begins (except in cases of Lou Gehrig’s Disease and end-stage renal disease which get Medicare earlier). Working doesn’t affect your Medicare while you get disability benefits. If your SSDI ends because you can work again, you can continue to get Medicare for at least 93 months. This is a major protection if you want to try working. If you turn 65 during this time, you are eligible for Medicare under Social Security retirement.
You can get Supplemental Security Income when you meet the SSA’s disability rules but don’t qualify for SSDI. SSI is a needs-based program for people with limited income and resources. Earnings, living arrangements, and gifts affect SSI payments because they affect your income.
When you want to start working again, you can get help through the Ticket to Work program. The program aims to reduce your reliance on disability benefits. You can get job coaching, help finding work, connecting to vocational rehab, and help understanding work incentives.
The Ticket to Work website offers tutorials, webinars, and contacts for work counselors. Counselors can help you with reporting, IRWEs, and connecting with vocational rehab programs. They can also help you interpret SSA notices.
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Get EvaluationYes, you can work part time on SSDI. Whether you get monthly SSDI benefits depends on how much you earn and which work incentive phase you’re in.
For employees, the SSA reviews gross earnings before subtracting approved work expenses or subsidies. For self-employment, the SSA also reviews hours, work activities, and your role in the business.
When you are self-employed, the SSA reviews your net profit (income minus expenses), hours, work activities, and business role. See how self-employment may affect your benefits.
Depending on your work phase, reporting late may lead to an overpayment. Send the missing pay stubs to the SSA as soon as possible and keep proof of what you sent.
No. Working can trigger a work review, which is different from a medical review. See how a work review differs from a medical review and when you might expect either.
Maybe. If your payments stop because you no longer meet disability rules, you have to reapply when a new condition prevents you from working. If it’s been less than five years since your SSDI ended and the same condition stopped you from working again, you may ask for expedited reinstatement.
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