Will I Lose My Disability If I Work Part-Time?
December 8, 2025 |
Many people worry about what will happen to their disability benefits when they start considering part-time work. The question “Will I lose my disability if I work part-time?” comes up constantly, and understandably so. You might want to test your ability to work again, earn a little more income, or simply explore a job that fits your limitations.
The rules can feel complicated, and the wrong move can affect your disability benefits. The good news is that both major Social Security programs allow some work activity as long as you stay within the guidelines and understand how the Social Security Administration handles earnings.
How Disability Benefits Work When You Try Part-Time Work
Before you can think about how working affects disability benefits, you need to know which program you receive support from. Some people get Social Security Disability Insurance, while others qualify for Supplemental Security Income. The rules overlap in some areas but differ in others, especially around money and income limits.
If you receive Social Security Disability benefits, the program includes built-in work incentives that help you gradually test your ability to work without immediately losing your benefits. The idea is to let you try working without fear of losing important support the first time you earn a paycheck.
The Trial Work Period
One of the most important protections is called the trial work period. This is a time when you can work for nine months and still keep your full disability payment, no matter how much you earn during those months. It gives you space to see whether a job is doable over time.
During this time, the Social Security Administration monitors each trial work period month to track how many of the nine months you use. You only get the nine months once, but they do not have to be consecutive. The goal is to let you gradually test work and to help you avoid rushing back into employment before you are ready.
How the Extended Period of Eligibility Works
Once those nine months end, you move into an extended period of eligibility. People sometimes call this the extended period. It lasts for several years, and it gives you ongoing protection so that your monthly benefits continue in any month when your earnings fall below the substantial gainful activity level. This way, if your job becomes too difficult or your income drops, your benefits can return without a new application.
This protection matters because many people have months when their earnings exceed the limit, followed by months when they cannot maintain the same level of work. Knowing that benefits can be reinstated if needed takes away some of the fear.
The Role of Substantial Gainful Activity
Another major factor is substantial gainful activity. The Social Security Administration sets an earnings threshold each year to decide when work counts as SGA. If your earnings exceed that amount after the trial work period, your SSDI benefits can stop. However, the agency looks at your actual monthly income and not just the fact that you worked part time.
Some people confuse SGA with an earnings limit, but it is really about whether you can sustain work in a way that shows the disability has improved. Whether you work ten hours or twenty does not matter as much as the amount you earn.
What About SSI?
If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income, the rules work differently. SSI counts most income but allows certain deductions before deciding how much of your payment to reduce. This is why many people who receive SSI can work part time and still receive SSI. The agency looks at your countable income rather than every dollar.
One important piece of this is impairment-related work expenses. If you pay out of pocket for equipment or transportation costs that are needed because of your medical condition, the Social Security Administration SSA may subtract those expenses when it calculates countable income.
While SSI benefits will usually go down as your income goes up, you do not lose disability simply because you are earning a small amount. The key is to report every change in your income promptly so the payment amount stays correct.
Situations Where You Might Lose Benefits
Even with work incentives, there are still situations where working could lead to losing Social Security Disability Insurance SSDI or SSI benefits. Some examples include:
- You complete the trial work period and your monthly income continues above the SGA limit
- Your work activity shows you can maintain a job at a level that contradicts being found disabled
- You fail to report your income, which can lead to overpayments and a loss of benefits
People sometimes panic that they might lose monthly disability benefits after just one small job, but the system does not work that way. The Social Security Administration tries to support work attempts, not punish them.
How Other Factors Influence Your Case
A lot of people also wonder whether work hours matter. Work hours do play a role, but they are not the main factor. A person with limited ability might work very few hours but earn more than the SGA limit. Someone else might work more hours but earn less. The rules focus on earnings, not just hours.
People who are receiving SSDI benefits also have lifetime earnings tied to how the agency calculates their benefits, but this does not change how work incentives apply. The SSDI program still follows the usual structure for disability benefits eligibility.
If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income, your specific transportation needs, work expenses, and other income can impact how much SSI you receive each month. This is why reporting requirements are so important. When you report changes quickly, you avoid overpayments and confusion about benefits while working.
Work Incentives to Make the Transition
Social Security has two programs that allow people to work. Both provide some form of work incentives to make the transition less stressful. These are valuable to many individuals who want to try working again with as little risk as possible. Here are a few protections that help people who want to work part time:
- Work incentives that exclude certain work expenses
- Rules that let you test your ability without immediately losing benefits
- A safety net if your work hours change and you can no longer maintain employment
Programs like these exist because the agency knows that disability does not always stay the same from month to month.
Legal Help is Here from Our Dedicated Social Security Disability Lawyers
When you are receiving benefits and want to explore work opportunities, it helps to have guidance from a proven lawyer for Social Security Disability. At Pisegna and Zimmerman, LLC, we have decades of experience in Social Security and disability law, and we have helped many people work part-time without putting their benefits at risk.
Our attorneys know how the rules apply to real situations, and we make sure clients know how earnings, work activity, and reporting work so they can make informed decisions. Our firm offers one-on-one attention and accessible communication at every stage. We speak English, Spanish, Farsi, Armenian, and Cambodian, which helps us support clients from many different backgrounds.
Our law firm works on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no upfront attorney fees or retainer fees. If you want clarity about working while receiving disability benefits, we can help you understand the best available options and protect the support you rely on. To schedule your no-obligation, free consultation, call us at (818) 377-2200 or contact us online.