Can You Work on Disability?

Qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits means being unable to work. So continuing to work can get your benefits denied. There are limited ways you can work and still get benefits if you do it carefully.

Can I Work While Seeking Social Security Disability Benefits?

When your working life is disrupted by a health crisis—illness, injury or debilitating condition—you feel like your back is up against a wall. You can’t earn the living you knew. The bills begin to pile up.

Social Security Disability Benefits Insurance (SSDI) is a lifeline for folks facing just such situations. The monthly benefit checks bring welcome financial relief.

But applying for Social Security Disability is complicated and takes a long time. You may face a major gap in income while you’re waiting on your application. Can you take a job to hold you over in the meantime?

Be careful. Social Security will deny your benefits if you end up proving to them that you’re able to work and earn beyond a certain amount. Seeking help from nonprofits or other government assistance sources may be necessary to keep you afloat while you wait for your disability application results.

An experienced disability lawyer can help you understand how much you can work without endangering your benefits.

With offices in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Social Security Disability attorneys at Morgan Weisbrod are dedicated to helping Texans receive the support they need.

We’ve helped thousands of people win disability benefits.

How Much Can I Make and Still Get Social Security Disability Benefits?

Social Security Disability benefits can bring financial stability to your life, but they aren’t meant to replace all of the wages you would earn if your health problems hadn’t disrupted your ability to work. They’re there to cover the necessities.

To receive disability benefits, the bottom line is that your health issues must keep you from working. But we understand how important working at least a little could be, and in a small way so does Social Security.

The government allows you to work and still receive disability benefits as long as you don’t earn more than a certain amount.

Anything above that is considered “substantial gainful activity (SGA)” and will put your benefits in jeopardy.

Social Security sets the limit of what it considers substantial gainful activity every year. As of 2024, it said an individual needed to earn less than $1,550 per month to qualify for or keep disability benefits.

But working while applying for or receiving Social Security Disability benefits can be more complicated than just keeping your earnings below the SGA line.

Any evidence that you have some ability to work could cause Social Security examiners to question how much you really need benefits.

Getting advice from a skilled disability lawyer can give you the guidance you need to approach the process correctly and deal with Social Security.

Morgan Weisbrod has highly trained, board-certified Social Security Disability lawyers. And we’ll take a look at your case for no initial charge.

Working Again Without Losing Social Security Disability Benefits: Two Ways

Once you’re receiving disability benefits, Social Security does allow you to try working again without threatening your benefits. In fact, trying to work but having to stop again can help build an even stronger case that you deserve those benefits.

It shows you wanted to work, and really tried, but couldn’t.

Social Security has two levels of allowed, attempted work:

No. 1: Trial Work Period

Social Security allows for a “trial work period,” during which you can attempt to return to work and keep your benefits. If you enter “trial work,” any time you make more than $1,110 a month counts toward nine months’ worth of trial work time that you get over a five-year period.

No. 2: Extended Period of Eligibility

Once you’ve used up your nine months, you can still be eligible for benefits and participate in gainful activity for up to three additional years. During that “extended period of eligibility,” you don’t receive benefits when you earn more than the threshold, but you do in the months when you don’t.

This way, your disability claim is still active and you don’t have to start over if you once again have to stop working altogether for medical reasons.

It’s important to be open and honest with Social Security.

Be clear about what you’re earning and when. Trying to “play” the system and get away with working more that the program allows could cost you your benefits—and it’s illegal.

If you have concerns about working and getting Social Security Disability benefits, give the skilled Texas disability lawyers at Morgan Weisbrod a call today.

Let us help you get on a healthier, steadier more secure path.