Many Colorado residents who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) wonder if they can work and still keep their benefits. The good news is yes – it is possible to work while on SSDI, but you must follow strict rules and income limits. In 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has specific guidelines that determine how much you can earn without jeopardizing your disability benefits. Below we outline the updated income limits and special work incentive programs that allow you to test your ability to work while continuing to receive SSDI benefits.
2025 SSDI Income Limits: Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
SSDI beneficiaries need to be aware of the concept of Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). In simple terms, SGA is the maximum amount you can earn per month before the SSA considers your work to be “substantial.” The monthly earnings limit is $1,620 gross for 2025 (it was $1,550 in 2024). If you exceed $1,620 in any single month, Social Security may determine you’re engaging in substantial gainful activity and stop your benefits for that period.
Importantly, this $1,620 cap is a firm monthly limit – not an annual average. Social Security evaluates your earnings on a month-by-month basis. In other words, even one month of income above the SGA threshold can result in suspension of benefits for that month. (For statutorily blind beneficiaries, the SGA limit is higher: $2,700 per month in 2025.)
Using the SSDI Trial Work Period (TWP)
The SSA provides a helpful work incentive called the Trial Work Period (TWP) that allows you to test your ability to work without immediately losing benefits. You can work for up to 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) within a 60-month period and continue to receive full SSDI benefits regardless of your earnings. This allows you to try working and see if you can sustain employment, all while still getting your disability checks during those trial months.
A month only counts toward your 9-month trial work period if your earnings for that month exceed a certain threshold. In 2025, any month you earn over $1,160 (gross) will count as a trial work month. If you earn below $1,160 for the month, it does not use up one of your TWP months. Remember, the nine trial months do not have to be consecutive – you could use a few TWP months now, and the rest later, within a rolling 5-year window.
After the Trial Work Period: Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)
Once you have used all nine trial work months, you enter what’s known as an Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). The EPE lasts for 36 months (three years) immediately after your TWP. During this time, you remain entitled to disability benefits, but whether you receive an SSDI payment in a given month depends on your earnings that month.
During the 36-month EPE, if your earnings stay below the SGA limit (currently $1,620 per month in 2025 for non-blind individuals), you will continue to receive your SSDI benefit for that month. If your earnings exceed the SGA limit in any month, you will not receive your benefit for that month. This on-off determination of payments can continue throughout the EPE, month by month, depending on your income.
At the end of the EPE, if you are still working and consistently earning above the SGA level, the SSA will likely terminate your SSDI benefits going forward. On the other hand, if by the end of those 36 months your earnings are below SGA (or you’ve stopped working), your benefits can continue normally after the EPE concludes.
Steps to Work While Receiving SSDI
Here’s how to handle it:
- Starting Your Trial Work Period: Simply begin working – the TWP automatically starts when you earn above the trial work threshold in a month (over $1,160 in 2025). You will continue receiving your full SSDI benefits during each of these trial work months, regardless of how high your earnings go in those months.
- Critical Step Before Month 9: As you approach your 9th trial work month, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and send a written letter to alert them that you’re about to complete your trial period and want to continue working. This triggers the Extended Period of Eligibility, giving you 36 additional months during which you can receive benefits in any month your earnings fall below the SGA level (around $1,620 in 2025).
- Documentation: Keep detailed records of all work activity, earnings, and any correspondence with Social Security. Put everything in writing for your records. This will help protect you in case there are any questions about your income or benefit status.
By understanding and following these rules, you can work while receiving SSDI benefits in Colorado. Stay within the allowed income limits and take advantage of the Trial Work Period and Extended Period of Eligibility. With careful planning, you can attempt to rejoin the workforce without fear of immediately losing your disability benefits.
Reach out if you have any questions to 720-515-9012 or schedule a consultation.
9/8/2025