Applying for Social Security disability is likely something that few people think about until they are diagnosed with medical impairments that prevent them from working fulltime, but if that time comes it is necessary to understand how work income can impact a claim. This is not just a topic that claimants who are going through the disability process should be aware of, but also those beneficiaries who are already receive disability benefits. Earning too much money from work income may allow Social Security to reduce benefit amounts or even eliminate payments all together.
SGA Income Limits
You can still work while being on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), but there are rules on how much you can earn. You are defined as engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA) if you earn more than $1,350 per month before taxes while on SSDI, or more than $2,260 before taxes if you are statutorily blind. This limit is applied on a per-month basis, meaning that if a claimant or beneficiary earns gross work income more than this amount during a given month, you may not be entitled to your SSDI benefit for that month. Understanding how work impacts your disability claim can mean the difference between ongoing benefits and benefits being cutoff and the threat of an overpayment that needs to be returned to Social Security.
There is an exception to this, which is the trial work period. During a trial work period you can test your ability to work for nine months in a 60-month period. A trial month can be established for any month in which a beneficiary earns more than $970. During those trial months you can earn more than SGA without impacting your benefit payouts. To learn more about how work income can impact your Social Security disability benefits or how it can impact a claim for benefits please contact Greeman Toomey PLLC at (612) 332-3252 or toll-free at (877) 332-3252, or visit our website to request a consultation.
