Can You Work While on SSDI in 2026?Trial Work Period, SGA Limits, and Hidden Risks Explained

Trial Work Period, SGA Limits, and Hidden Risks Explained

One of the most common questions we receive is whether a person can work while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance. The answer is yes.

However, the rules are technical, and misunderstanding them can lead to termination

of benefits or substantial overpayment liability.

Many beneficiaries do not lose their benefits because they attempt to work. They lose them because they misunderstand how the regulations apply to their specific circumstances.

The Social Security Administration permits work activity, but it does so within a structured and highly regulated framework.

The following principles are essential for anyone

considering a return to work in 2026.

1. The Truth About Working While on Disability

SSDI is not a prohibition against all employment. It is a program designed for individuals who are unable to perform substantial gainful activity due to medically determinable impairments. The distinction is critical. So, while limited work activity may be permitted. Substantial gainful activity is not.

The complexity arises because the evaluation changes over time. The rules that apply at the beginning of a work attempt are not the same rules that apply after several months of earnings. In addition, income reporting requirements are strict, and failure to report timely earnings can result in retroactive overpayment assessments.

Understanding the structure of the work incentive system is therefore essential before accepting employment.

2. What Is the Trial Work Period

The Trial Work Period allows an SSDI beneficiary to test his or her ability to work without immediately losing monthly benefits.

Under current regulations, a beneficiary is entitled to nine Trial Work months within a rolling sixty month period. During a Trial Work month, an individual may earn more than the Substantial Gainful Activity amount and still receive full SSDI benefits.

However, a month counts as a Trial Work month once earnings exceed a lower threshold amount. That threshold is not the same as SGA. Many individuals mistakenly assume that remaining under SGA protects them during this stage.

That assumption is incorrect.

Once the nine Trial Work months are exhausted, the beneficiary enters the Extended Period of Eligibility. At that point, the SGA standard becomes determinative. Earnings above SGA

during that phase may result in suspension and eventual termination of benefits.

3. 2026 SGA Limits Explained

Substantial Gainful Activity, commonly referred to as SGA, is the earnings benchmark used by the Social Security Administration to determine whether an individual is engaging in competitive employment.

For 2026, the monthly SGA amount for non blind individuals is expected to be approximately $1,690 For statutorily blind individuals, the amount is approximately $2,830. These figures are adjusted annually and should always be verified before reliance.

Several additional principles must be understood:

• Social Security evaluates gross earnings, not net take home pay.

• Self employment is evaluated under separate regulatory tests.

• Earnings above SGA after the Trial Work Period may trigger termination.

• Overpayments are frequently assessed retroactively once wage information is processed.

It is not uncommon for beneficiaries to receive overpayment notices in the tens of thousands of dollars after wage reporting delays or misunderstandings regarding work activity.

4. The Gig Economy Trap

In recent years, gig and contract work have become a frequent source of difficulty for

SSDI beneficiaries.

Ride share driving, food delivery services, freelance contracting, online sales, and other forms of self employment are often perceived as flexible or informal. From a regulatory standpoint, they are neither.

For self employed individuals, Social Security

evaluates more than simple income totals.

The Administration may consider the number of hours worked, the value of the services provided, whether the individual renders substantial services to the business, and whether the activity demonstrates the capacity for competitive employment.

Even modest earnings can create exposure if

the work activity itself is deemed substantial.

In addition, digital records and publicly available information may be reviewed in the course of

work activity investigations. Online content that contradicts alleged limitations can become relevant evidence. Gig work is not exempt from scrutiny.

5. Veterans and the VA 100 Percent Rating

Veterans receiving a 100 percent disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs often assume that such a rating protects their SSDI benefits regardless of work activity. That assumption is legally incorrect.

The VA and the Social Security Administration apply different statutory and regulatory standards. The VA disability system may permit certain forms of employment depending on the nature of the rating. SSDI, by contrast, applies a defined earnings test under the SGA framework.

An individual may remain 100 percent disabled under VA regulations and still lose SSDI benefits

if earnings exceed SGA after the applicable work incentive periods. These systems operate independently. Compliance with one does not guarantee compliance with the other.

6. When to Seek Legal Guidance

Professional guidance should be considered

in the following circumstances:

• You are contemplating a return to work after an extended period on SSDI.

• You have received notice of an overpayment related to earnings.

• You are approaching the end of your Trial Work Period.

• You are self employed or participating in gig based work.

• You are receiving both VA disability compensation and SSDI.

• You have received correspondence questioning your work activity.

The objective is not to discourage work. The objective is to ensure that work activity is undertaken with a clear understanding of the regulatory framework.

Conclusion

It is possible to work while receiving SSDI benefits. It is not possible to ignore the rules governing that work.

Before returning to employment in 2026, beneficiaries should understand the structure of the Trial Work Period, the applicable SGA limits, the treatment of self employment, and the interaction between VA disability ratings and

Social Security regulations.

Careful planning at the outset is significantly less costly than attempting to correct a termination or overpayment after the fact.

Christopher Pinger-Borgia

Social Security Disability Firm

David B. Gottesmann

(305) 562-7333