Working While on SSDI: What You Need to Know

One of the most common concerns among Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients is whether they can earn any income without losing their benefits. The short answer is yes — but within strict limits set by the Social Security Administration (SSA). For North Dakota residents receiving SSDI, understanding these rules is essential to protecting your benefits while improving your financial situation.

The Substantial Gainful Activity Threshold

The SSA uses a benchmark called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) to determine whether your work activity is significant enough to disqualify you from SSDI benefits. In 2025, the SGA limit for non-blind individuals is $1,550 per month. For individuals who are statutorily blind, the limit is $2,590 per month.

If your gross earnings exceed the SGA threshold in any given month, the SSA may determine that you are no longer disabled and begin the process of terminating your benefits. This is not an automatic cutoff — there are procedural protections — but exceeding SGA consistently will put your benefits at serious risk.

In North Dakota, where many rural communities have part-time seasonal agricultural work, healthcare aide positions, and light office jobs, it is entirely possible to engage in limited work activity without crossing the SGA line. However, you must track your monthly earnings carefully and report them to the SSA on time.

The Trial Work Period

The SSA recognizes that SSDI recipients may want to test their ability to return to full-time employment. To support this, the agency provides a Trial Work Period (TWP) — one of the most valuable and underutilized protections in the SSDI system.

During the TWP, you can work and receive your full SSDI benefit regardless of how much you earn, as long as you continue to have a disabling impairment. The TWP consists of 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) within a rolling 60-month period. In 2025, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a trial work month.

Once you have used all 9 trial work months, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During the EPE, you receive SSDI benefits in any month your earnings fall below SGA. This gives you a critical safety net if your attempt at returning to work is interrupted by your medical condition.

Reporting Requirements in North Dakota

The SSA requires all SSDI recipients to report any work activity promptly. Failing to report earnings — even unintentionally — can result in overpayments that the SSA will seek to recover, sometimes years later. North Dakota residents can report work activity through several channels:

• Online at ssa.gov using your my Social Security account
• By calling the SSA national helpline at 1-800-772-1213
• In person at the SSA field office in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, or Minot
• Through the SSA's mobile wage reporting app

You should report your gross wages — before taxes and deductions — for each month you work. Self-employment income is calculated differently and requires additional documentation including net earnings and business expense records. If you are doing any freelance work, farming, or running a small business in North Dakota, consult with a disability attorney before reporting to ensure you are calculating your earnings correctly.

Work Incentives That Can Protect Your Benefits

Beyond the Trial Work Period, the SSA has established several additional work incentives designed to encourage SSDI recipients to return to employment without the fear of immediately losing benefits.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) allow you to deduct certain disability-related costs from your gross earnings when the SSA calculates your countable income. For example, if you require a wheelchair, special transportation, medication, or assistive technology to perform your job, those costs may be deducted. North Dakota residents working in rural areas who require adapted vehicles for commuting may find IRWEs particularly helpful.

Subsidies and Special Conditions apply when your employer provides you with more support, supervision, or accommodations than a non-disabled employee in the same position would receive. The SSA can exclude the value of this extra support from your SGA calculation, which can make the difference between being considered above or below SGA.

Unsuccessful Work Attempts (UWAs) are periods of work lasting less than 6 months that ended or were significantly reduced due to your disabling condition. The SSA generally does not count UWAs against your SGA determination, which provides some protection if you try to return to work and your condition prevents you from continuing.

What Happens If You Lose Your Benefits

If your SSDI benefits are terminated because your earnings exceeded SGA, you are not necessarily without recourse. The SSA provides an Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) process that allows former beneficiaries whose benefits were terminated due to work to request reinstatement within 5 years — without filing a new application — if they become unable to work again due to the same or related disabling condition.

During the EXR request period, you may receive up to 6 months of provisional benefits while the SSA reviews your case. This protection is especially important for North Dakotans who attempt to return to physically demanding jobs — such as construction, farming, or manufacturing — only to find that their condition prevents sustained employment.

If the SSA denies your reinstatement request or issues an adverse determination regarding your work activity, you have the right to appeal. Appeals must be filed within 60 days of the notice, and you should strongly consider working with a disability attorney during this process. The appeals process includes reconsideration, a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), and further review at the Appeals Council if necessary.

North Dakota claimants facing SSDI appeals should be aware that ALJ hearing wait times can extend many months. Maintaining thorough records of your medical treatment, work activity, and SSA correspondence from the beginning of your case gives you the strongest possible foundation for an appeal.

Need Help? If you have questions about your case, call or text 833-657-4812 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

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