Will I Lose My Disability If I Work Part-Time? SSDI Limits for 2026 and 2027

Will you lose your disability if you work part-time? Not automatically. On SSDI, you can earn up to $1,690 a month in 2026 ($1,770 in 2027) without it counting as substantial work, and you get nine trial work months to test going back before earnings above that limit can stop your checks. SSI works differently: it lowers your check as you earn, but it doesn't cut it off at one number.

SSA amount	2026	2027
Substantial gainful activity (SGA), not blind	$1,690 a month	$1,770 a month
SGA, statutorily blind	$2,830 a month	$2,950 a month
A month counts as a trial work month above	$1,210	$1,270

These are gross earnings before taxes. Self-employment is judged on the value of the work, not only the net profit. We checked SSA's tables on November 7, 2026.

Check your monthly earnings

Put in your gross monthly pay. If you pay for things you need to work because of your impairment, such as a special device or transportation, SSA may subtract those costs.

At the default $1,300 a month in 2026, you're $390 under SGA, but the month still counts as a trial work month because it's over $1,210. Switch the year to 2027 to see the new limits.

How the SSDI work rules fit together

1. Trial work period. Nine months, not necessarily in a row, within a rolling 60-month window. You keep your full check no matter how much you earn in those months.
2. Reentitlement period. For the 36 months after the trial work period, you get a check for any month your earnings are under SGA (20 CFR § 404.1592a).
3. The first months over SGA. After the trial period, the first month of substantial work and the two after it are still paid. Then checks stop for months over SGA.
4. Expedited reinstatement. If your benefits end because of work and you have to stop working because of the same condition, you can ask to restart them within 60 months without a new application (20 CFR § 404.1592b).

You must report work and earnings to SSA. Overpayments from unreported months can be large, and SSA asks for them back.

SSI counts income differently

SSI is need-based and has no trial work period. For earned income, SSA ignores the first $65 a month and half of the rest, and there's also a $20 general exclusion for any income (42 U.S.C. § 1382a(b), written in the law as $780 and $240 a year). Then the rest reduces your check. So $1,000 in monthly wages doesn't cost you $1,000 in SSI; it costs $457.50 if you have no other income: $1,000 minus $20 minus $65 leaves $915, and half of that is counted.

Can you go to jail for working while on disability?

Not for working. Working while on SSDI or SSI is legal, and the rules above exist to encourage it. The crime is hiding work or earnings to keep getting checks: knowingly concealing an event that affects your benefits, with intent to get payments you aren't owed, is a federal felony punishable by up to five years in prison (42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(4)). Reporting your work every month is what protects you. Honest mistakes usually lead to an overpayment you have to repay, not a criminal case.

Before you take a job

1. Find out whether you get SSDI, SSI or both. The rules are different.
2. Count how many trial work months you've already used.
3. Ask about a free benefits counselor through SSA's Ticket to Work program.
4. Keep pay stubs and report earnings every month.
5. Remember that working can also be read as evidence about your medical condition at your next review.