Independent guide · not the SSA
Tool · work and SSDI
Working on SSDI: check your monthly pay
In 2027 SSA uses $1,270 a month to count a trial work month and $1,770 as the substantial gainful activity limit ($2,950 if you are blind). Type a monthly amount to see where it falls.
Type a monthly amount to compare it with SSA's limits.
The three limits to know
Trial work month (2027). A month with gross pay over this amount counts as a trial work month ($1,210 in 2026).
Substantial gainful activity (2027). Pay that averages more than this a month can end SSDI after the trial period ($1,690 in 2026).
SGA if you are blind (2027). The higher limit for blind beneficiaries ($2,830 in 2026).
How working on SSDI works
- Trial work period: 9 monthsYou keep full SSDI for 9 trial months, which do not have to be in a row, within a 60-month window, as long as you report your work.
- Extended period: 36 monthsAfter the trial months, for 36 months SSDI is paid for any month your pay is below SGA, without a new application.
- Medicare continuesMost people who work keep Medicare for at least 93 months after the trial period ends.
The Ticket to Work program is free and voluntary for people ages 18 through 64 who get Social Security disability benefits. Its help line is 1-866-968-7842 (TTY 1-866-833-2967), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
SSI uses different work rules: SSI does not have a trial work period. Your SSI amount goes down as income goes up. Try the SSI calculator.
This is an estimate only; only SSA decides. Work rules have exceptions, such as impairment-related work expenses and subsidies. Report your work to SSA.
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Questions people ask
How much can I earn on SSDI in 2027?
There is no single cap. A month with gross pay over $1,270 uses a trial work month. After 9 trial months, pay that averages over $1,770 a month ($2,950 if blind) can end cash benefits.
Do the 9 trial months have to be in a row?
No. They count within a rolling 60-month period.
Will I lose Medicare if I work?
Most people keep Medicare for at least 93 months after the trial work period, as long as they still have a disabling condition.
Independent guide · not the SSA. Green Tips 1 US is a private guide. We are not the Social Security Administration, we are not part of it, and we do not take applications.
Sources: SSA, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (Web Archive copy of Oct 25, 2026); SSA POMS DI 10501.015 (SGA tables); SSA, Trial Work Period (oact/cola/twp.html); SSA Red Book: SSDI-only employment supports; SSA, Ticket to Work (ssa.gov/work); 20 CFR 404.1592 and 404.1592a. Official site, typed by hand: ssa.gov. Read in October 2026; data dates as noted.