Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Threshold

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) to measure whether you’re capable of working. If your monthly earnings exceed the SGA limit, SSA may conclude you’re no longer disabled.

• In 2025, the SGA limit for most SSDI recipients is $1,550 per month.
• If you are legally blind, the limit increases to $2,590 per month.

Remaining under these income thresholds is vital to maintaining SSDI eligibility.

What Income Counts Toward SGA?

Only earned income counts toward the SGA limit. This includes:

• Wages from jobs
• Net earnings from self‑employment
• Tips, commissions, or bonuses

However, unearned income—such as investments, pensions, or child support—does not count toward SGA for SSDI.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)

Under SSA rules, certain out-of-pocket work expenses can be deducted from your earned income to reduce the countable amount when evaluating SGA. Common IRWEs include:

• Transportation required because of your disability
• Specialized equipment or job-support services
• Certain medications essential for working

Properly documenting and deducting IRWEs can help keep your countable earnings below the SGA threshold.

Trial Work Period (TWP) Explained

The SSA’s Trial Work Period (TWP) allows SSDI recipients to test their ability to work without losing benefits:

• You get up to 9 trial work months within a rolling 60-month period.
• In 2025, any month you earn over $1,110 counts as a trial work month.
• During TWP months, you continue to receive full SSDI payments, regardless of income.

Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)

After your trial period ends, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility:

• You still receive benefits in months where countable earnings remain below the SGA limit.
• If your earnings go above SGA, your benefits are suspended temporarily—not terminated.
• Benefits resume automatically if your income drops below the limit during the EPE.

Special Rules for Self‑Employed Oregon SSDI Recipients

If you run your own business or are self-employed, SSA applies additional evaluations:

• Comparability test: Is your current work similar in skill or effort to your previous jobs?
• Worth-of-work test: Is the economic value of your work—regardless of profits—comparable to substantial employment?

Detailed business records such as ledgers, profit/loss statements, and time logs are important to document limitations in self-employment.

What Doesn’t Count Toward SSDI Income Limits

Certain types of income are excluded from the SGA calculation:

• Retirement or survivor benefits
• Investment or rental income (unless you actively manage it)
• Alimony or support payments
• SSI or other unearned public benefits

While these don’t impact SSDI eligibility, they may affect eligibility for other support programs like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Practical Tips for Oregon SSDI Recipients

• Monitor your income carefully each month.
• Keep detailed documentation of all work activity and IRWEs.
• Report earnings and any change in work pattern promptly to SSA.
• Understand how much of a trial work month you have used.
• Use Ticket to Work services if you plan to return to work long-term.