How your earnings affect your Social Security benefits — During the trial work period, there are no limits on your earnings. During the 36-month extended period of eligibility, you usually can make no more than $1,470 ($2,460 if you are blind) a month in 2023 or your benefits will stop. These amounts are known as Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). However, we deduct the work expenses you have because of your disability when we count your earnings. If you have extra work expenses, your earnings could be substantially higher than $1,470 in 2023 before they affect your benefits. This substantial earnings amount usually increases each year.
Some of your work expenses may include the costs of items or services you need to work, but that are also useful in your daily living. Examples include copayments for prescriptions, counseling services, transportation to and from work (under certain conditions), a personal attendant or job coach, a wheelchair, or any specialized work equipment. If you are working and have substantial earnings, you may have the option to request that we withhold your cash benefits to avoid being overpaid while we review your earnings. Please contact us at 1-800-772-1213 or your local office to learn more about how to request we withhold your benefits.
What to report if you work and receive Social Security disability — If you receive Social Security because of a disability, you or your representative must tell us right away if any of the following occur:
• You start or stop work.
• You reported your work, but your duties, hours, or pay change.
• You start paying expenses for work because of your disability.
You can report changes in your work by phone, mail, or in person. You can find your local office on our website at
www.ssa.gov/locator. You may use a personal my Social Security account to report your monthly wages online at
www.ssa.gov/myaccount. We’ll give you a receipt to confirm your report. Keep this receipt with all of your other important papers from Social Security
