Can I Do Part-Time Work While I Wait for My SSDI Payments to Start?

Waiting for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments to start can be financially difficult for many disabled adults who are relying on benefits to pay bills and to cover medical expenses. And for many people applying for SSDI benefits, the wait time can be longer than they anticipate. There is a five-month waiting period from the date your disability begins before you can start receiving payments (and the first SSDI payment comes the sixth month). In some cases, due to Social Security Administration (SSA) backups and delays, approved recipients can ultimately wait even longer. While the Compassionate Allowances program can allow applicants with especially severe and life-threatening conditions to expedite their applications, it is not especially common for applicants to be eligible for this program.

If you are among the disabled adults waiting for your SSDI application to be approved or for your benefits to start, you may be considering options to earn a small amount of money in the meantime. More specifically, you might be considering limited work, in a part-time capacity. But are you permitted to work while you wait for SSDI payments? It depends, and you should never assume that you can work without impacting your SSDI eligibility. Our national disability benefits lawyers can explain.

Medical Requirement for SSDI and the Inability to Engage in Substantial Gainful Activity

In order to be eligible for SSDI payments and to be approved, you must meet two separate requirements: you must have worked long enough and recently enough in a job that allowed you to earn work credits to qualify, and you must meet the SSA’s definition of a disability. That second requirement — the medical requirement — says that you must have a condition that is expected to last for either a year or longer or to result in your death, and it must prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA).

What is SGA? It concerns your ability to work. According to the SSA, “a person who is earning more than a certain monthly amount . . . is ordinarily considered to be engaging in SGA.” If you want to perform a limited amount of part-time work while you wait for SSDI payments, it will be critical to determine if the amount you would be earning would constitute SGA.

What Counts as SGA? 

Substantial gainful activity is based on both the amount of earnings and the nature of the disability. There is a higher amount of income that constitutes SGA for a statutorily blind person, and a lower amount for a non-blind person (meaning a blind person can earn more than a non-blind person before it is considered SGA).

The monthly amount that constitutes SGA generally increases each year. For 2025, the amount is $2,700 per month for a statutorily blind individual, and it is $1,620 per month for a person who has a disability other than blindness.

Contact a National Social Security Disability Lawyer for Assistance 

If you have not yet applied for SSDI benefits or are waiting on your application to be approved, it is essential to discuss any plans to work with a lawyer before you do so. Depending on whether or not the work you perform is considered SGA, you could disqualify yourself for SSDI benefits. We know how difficult it can be financially to wait for payments to begin, but it is critical to avoid doing anything that might impact your eligibility. One of the experienced national SSDI benefits lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can speak with you today about your situation and answer any questions you have. Contact us for more information.

Source:

ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html