Working Part Time on SSDI in New Mexico

Working Part Time on SSDI in New Mexico

Many New Mexico residents receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) wonder whether they can work part time without losing their benefits. The answer is yes — but only under strict federal rules that require careful navigation. Working even a few hours per week can trigger serious consequences if you exceed specific income thresholds or fail to report earnings to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Understanding how these rules apply to your situation is essential before accepting any employment.

What Is Substantial Gainful Activity?

The SSA uses a standard called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) to determine whether your work is significant enough to affect your disability benefits. For 2025, the SGA limit for non-blind SSDI recipients is $1,620 per month in gross earnings. For blind recipients, that limit rises to $2,700 per month.

If your monthly earnings from work consistently exceed the SGA threshold, the SSA may determine that you are no longer disabled — regardless of your medical condition. This does not mean you must earn less than that amount every single month without exception, but sustained earnings above SGA will put your benefits at risk.

Part-time work in New Mexico that keeps you well below the SGA limit generally does not jeopardize your SSDI payments. However, the key word is generally. The SSA looks at your gross wages before taxes, not your take-home pay, and may also evaluate the nature of the work itself to determine whether it constitutes substantial activity.

The Trial Work Period: A Protected Window

Federal law gives SSDI recipients an important safety net called the Trial Work Period (TWP). During the TWP, you can test your ability to work for up to nine months within a rolling 60-month period without losing your benefits — regardless of how much you earn, as long as you continue to have a disabling condition.

For 2025, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a TWP service month. Once you have used all nine TWP months, the SSA begins evaluating whether your work constitutes SGA. At that point, the standard $1,620 monthly SGA limit applies.

The Trial Work Period is a powerful tool for New Mexico workers who want to explore employment while maintaining a financial safety net. Use it wisely — and track every service month carefully, because the SSA may not always notify you in real time when TWP months are being used.

Extended Period of Eligibility and the 36-Month Safety Net

After your Trial Work Period ends, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During these three years, your SSDI benefits are not automatically terminated. Instead, the SSA monitors your monthly earnings. For any month during the EPE in which your earnings fall below the SGA level, you remain entitled to receive your SSDI payment — no new application required.

This structure is particularly relevant for New Mexico workers in seasonal industries such as agriculture, construction, or tourism, where income fluctuates month to month. If you earn above SGA in some months but not others, the EPE allows your benefits to turn on and off as your earnings change.

• Months below SGA during the EPE: benefits are paid
• Months above SGA during the EPE: benefits are suspended
• After the EPE ends: benefits terminate if SGA is exceeded, and reinstatement requires a new application or expedited reinstatement request

Once the 36-month EPE window closes, a single month of earnings above SGA can result in benefit termination. At that stage, you may qualify for Expedited Reinstatement within five years if your earnings drop again due to your disabling condition.

Reporting Requirements in New Mexico

One of the most common — and costly — mistakes SSDI recipients make is failing to report work activity promptly. The SSA requires you to report any work and earnings as soon as you start working, not at year-end or tax time. Failure to report can result in overpayments that the SSA will demand you repay, sometimes years after the fact.

New Mexico residents can report work activity through several channels:

• Online via your my Social Security account at ssa.gov
• By calling the SSA national line at 1-800-772-1213
• In person at a local SSA field office, including offices in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Roswell
• Through the SSA mobile wage reporting app

Keep documentation of all reported wages — including confirmation numbers, dates, and the names of SSA representatives you speak with. If an overpayment dispute arises, this paper trail can be the difference between a waived debt and a significant financial obligation.

Work Incentives and the Ticket to Work Program

The SSA offers additional work incentives that can help New Mexico SSDI recipients transition into part-time or full-time employment without immediately losing benefits or Medicare coverage.

The Ticket to Work program is a free and voluntary program available to SSDI recipients between the ages of 18 and 64. Through Ticket to Work, you can connect with Employment Networks or State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies — including New Mexico's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) — to receive job training, career counseling, and job placement assistance. Participating in the program also provides protection from continuing disability reviews while you are making timely progress toward employment goals.

Another important incentive is Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs). If you pay out of pocket for items or services that you need because of your disability in order to work — such as prescription medications, medical devices, or transportation assistance — the SSA may deduct those costs from your gross earnings when calculating whether you have exceeded SGA. In New Mexico, where rural transportation is often limited, documented transportation costs can be a meaningful deduction.

Additionally, Medicare continuation remains in place for at least 93 months after your Trial Work Period begins — even if your cash SSDI payments stop due to SGA. For New Mexico residents managing chronic conditions, maintaining Medicare coverage while testing the workforce is a significant financial protection.

Practical Guidance for New Mexico Workers

Before accepting any part-time job, take these concrete steps to protect your benefits:

• Calculate your gross monthly wages and compare them to the current SGA threshold before you start.
• Check your TWP status by contacting the SSA or reviewing your Social Security statement online — you may have already used some service months without realizing it.
• Notify the SSA in writing when you start work and keep a copy of every communication.
• Document all impairment-related work expenses with receipts and medical documentation.
• Consult a disability attorney before returning to work if you have any questions about how employment will affect your specific claim.

New Mexico's economy includes a significant number of part-time, gig, and agricultural positions where income can be irregular. Irregular earnings do not automatically disqualify you from SSDI, but they require careful tracking and consistent reporting to avoid SSA penalties or overpayment demands.

The rules governing work and SSDI are detailed and unforgiving when misapplied. A single unreported month of high earnings can create a ripple effect that takes years to resolve. Proactive, informed management of your work activity is the most effective way to protect the benefits you earned through years of work contributions.

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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