Can I work and still get Social Security Disability (SSD)?

Yes, you can. Here are the rules for SSD and work:

Trial Work Period (TWP): You can work up to nine (9) months with no earning limit. The nine months do not have to be in a row.

Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE): If you work after your Trial Work Period, you can still get your check while you earn less than $1350 a month. 

Cessation (stop or end) Month: Here's what happens after the first month that you earn more than $1350 from work:

• If it is within 36 months of the Extended Period, EPE will continue and you will still receive your SSD check for each month that you earn less than $1350.
• After the 36 months, any month that you earn over $1350, you will not get your SSD benefit.
• If you have a “cessation month” during your EPE, you will receive your SSD check for that month and the next two months. After that you will not receive any more SSD checks even if you earn less than $1350.*

Expedited Reinstatement: If you are still disabled, you can tell SSA to start checks again. Your SSD will start again and you will receive them until SSA decides if you are still disabled or not.

Pay Back: If Social Security decides that you lost your eligibility in a past month because of work, you will have to pay back the benefits you received after that (even if you reported the income). You can ask Social Security to waive (not enforce) the pay back requirement.

Click below to download a flyer on working with SSD and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).