How many hours can i work on disability

Can I still work when I am receiving social security disability benefits? How many hours can I work and still receive Social Security Disability benefits? Read on to learn more about your rights!

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How Many Hours Can You Work if You Are on Disability?
Vocational Training Could Benefit You And Your Family
Contact Our Disability Benefits Lawyers Today

You can work and still receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but it is wise to consult an experienced attorney who can advise you on the best way to make your work comply with your benefit payments. Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal insurance program that provides benefits to the disabled. At Krasno, Krasno & Onwudinjo, we encourage our clients every day to seek job opportunities. We will also help them to do so if it is plausible considering their disability, injury or illness.

How Many Hours Can You Work if You Are on Disability?

Generally, the number of hours you can work will vary depending on your salary. You can earn no more than $1,350 gross each month for disability income payments in your name. Overall Household income levels affect only Social Security Insurance payments.

Disability benefits are not a gold mine. Living high on the hog is not possible on Social Security Disability benefits. Supplementing your benefit payments with earned income from a part-time job is a good option for many clients. If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security

Email us or call us at 877-794-2396 to find out more about how you can supplement your Social Security Disability benefit payments with part-time work income. Schedule a free initial consultation with one of our knowledgeable, helpful, and highly skilled attorneys in your area.

Krasno, Krasno, & Onwudinjo is headquartered in Philadelphia. We advise, counsel and represent clients from 11 different offices throughout Pennsylvania.

Vocational Training Could Benefit You And Your Family

There is no need to give up your Social Security Disability benefits to work. We can even help you acquire the skills you need to become qualified for a job you might be able to perform given your disability, injury or illness. Vocational training can even be beneficial if your injury is only temporary.

Vocational training could help you acquire skills such as:

Computer skills
Managerial skills
Accounting skills
Advanced organizational skills
Writing skills
Several other job skills that might allow you to take a new role at the company you already work for

We can work with your employer to negotiate terms for vocational training that can benefit you and the company. These skills will be useful for you in any supplemental position you decide to take on. Having vocational skills in your pocket is important because it will teach you a new learning style, job readiness, and communication skills.

Contact Our Disability Benefits Lawyers Today

Krasno, Krasno, & Onwudinjo is a law firm that comes from three different generations. Our highly qualified team of lawyers will do anything in their power to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free initial consultation, email us or call us at 215-310-0001 or toll-free at 877-794-2396. We handle all cases on a contingency basis, meaning that we collect attorney’s fees only if you receive compensation in your case to obtain benefits.

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Question

Can I work 10 hours or less and still collect Social Security disability benefits?

Answer

For most individuals who are applying for disability, or actively receiving disability benefits, the number of hours worked isn't necessarily what counts. Yes, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does examine whether an individual is working and whether this work counts as "substantial gainful activity" (SGA). If the SSA considers an applicant or disability recipient's work to be SGA, the agency might deny or terminate benefits. But the SSA generally judges whether a person is working too much (in other words, doing substantial gainful activity) by considering how much money the person makes each month. The SGA level in 2022 is $1,350 per month. (Each year, Social Security decides what amount of monthly earnings it considers to be enough to support oneself. That number becomes the SGA monthly earnings limit.)

Social Security usually counts hours against disability eligibility if the person in question is self-employed or is the head of a corporation, LLC, or other business. Why? Because a self-employed person or corporate owner can potentially work many hours while receiving no pay (perhaps because they are reinvesting money in their business or perhaps because they haven't yet made a profit). So, in these cases, Social Security looks at the number of hours worked (as well as pay/income received).

Generally, self-employed individuals can currently work up to 45 hours per month (about 10 hours per week) and still be eligible for disability benefits—if they aren't the only person working for the business and they aren't making substantial income. But it's actually quite a bit more complicated than this. The SSA will apply different tests, depending on how long the individual has been receiving benefits, to determine if a business owner is doing work above the SGA level. If you've been collecting disability benefits for more than two years, you can actually make a substantial amount of income as long as you don't work more than 45 hours. For detailed information about the various tests, see our article on working for yourself while collecting disability.

Updated April 20, 2022