Working Part-Time on SSDI in North Dakota

Many Social Security Disability Insurance recipients in North Dakota wonder whether they can supplement their benefits with part-time work. The answer is yes — but only within carefully defined limits. The Social Security Administration has established specific rules governing how much you can earn while receiving SSDI, and exceeding those thresholds can jeopardize your benefits entirely. Understanding these rules before you accept any employment is essential to protecting the benefits you worked hard to earn.

Substantial Gainful Activity and the Earnings Limit

The foundation of SSDI work rules is a concept called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). The SSA uses SGA to determine whether your work is significant enough to suggest you are no longer disabled under federal law. For 2024, the SGA threshold is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,590 per month for those who are blind.

If your gross monthly earnings from part-time work consistently exceed the SGA limit, the SSA may determine that you are no longer eligible for SSDI benefits. This applies equally to North Dakota residents as to those in any other state — SGA thresholds are set federally and do not vary by jurisdiction. However, the SSA does consider certain work-related expenses that may reduce your countable earnings below SGA, which is discussed further below.

It is critical to understand that the SSA looks at gross earnings, not take-home pay, when evaluating SGA. Working 20 hours per week at $18 per hour, for example, produces $1,560 in monthly gross wages — just over the SGA limit — which could trigger a benefit review.

The Trial Work Period: A Protected Window to Test Employment

The SSA recognizes that returning to work is uncertain, and it provides a structured opportunity to test your ability to work without immediately losing benefits. This is called the Trial Work Period (TWP).

During the TWP, you can work and receive your full SSDI payment regardless of how much you earn. In 2024, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a trial work month. You are entitled to nine trial work months within a rolling 60-month window. These months do not need to be consecutive.

Once you exhaust your nine trial work months, you enter a 36-month period called the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During the EPE, you receive benefits in any month your earnings fall below SGA and lose them in any month your earnings exceed SGA. If your earnings drop below SGA during the EPE, benefits can be reinstated without filing a new application — a significant protection for North Dakota workers whose employment may be seasonal or inconsistent.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses Can Help You Stay Under SGA

North Dakota SSDI recipients who work part-time should be aware that the SSA allows certain disability-related costs to be deducted from gross earnings before calculating SGA. These are called Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs).

To qualify as an IRWE, an expense must be:

• Necessary for you to work due to your disability
• Paid by you out-of-pocket (not reimbursed by insurance or another source)
• Reasonable in amount

Common examples of IRWEs include prescription medications required to manage your condition, specialized transportation to and from work if you cannot drive due to your disability, adaptive equipment or assistive technology, and the cost of attendant care services. If your gross monthly earnings are near the SGA limit, documented IRWEs can make the difference between retaining and losing your benefits. Keep meticulous records and receipts, and report your IRWEs to the SSA in writing.

Reporting Requirements and North Dakota Recipients

The SSA requires beneficiaries to report any return to work promptly — typically within 10 days after the month in which work begins. This obligation does not vary by state. However, North Dakota residents should be aware of practical considerations specific to the region.

North Dakota's economy includes significant agricultural, energy, and healthcare sectors, many of which offer seasonal or variable-hour positions. Seasonal agricultural work presents particular complexity: a single month of intense harvest-season earnings could push you over the SGA threshold even if the rest of the year you earn nothing. The SSA evaluates earnings on a month-by-month basis, so one high-income month can count as a trial work month or trigger SGA even if your annual average is low.

If you work for a family farming operation — a common arrangement in rural North Dakota — the SSA applies additional scrutiny to ensure that reported wages reflect your actual productivity, not an artificially inflated or deflated figure. Wages from family-owned businesses must reflect fair market value for the work performed. Understating wages to stay below SGA thresholds constitutes fraud and can result in repayment demands, penalties, and potential criminal charges.

North Dakota's Vocational Rehabilitation program, administered through the Department of Health and Human Services, can connect SSDI recipients with job training and placement resources. Participating in vocational rehabilitation does not automatically affect your SSDI eligibility, and the SSA generally supports efforts to return to sustainable employment.

What Happens If You Exceed the Limits

If the SSA determines that your earnings have exceeded SGA outside the Trial Work Period, it will initiate a cessation of benefits. You will receive a notice explaining the decision and stating the date your benefits will stop. From that date, you typically have 60 days (plus an additional 5 days for mailing) to file an appeal.

During the appeal process, you may be entitled to continue receiving benefits while your case is reviewed — but only if you request continuation of benefits within 10 days of receiving the cessation notice. Failing to meet this deadline means benefits stop while you wait for a decision, which can create serious financial hardship.

If you believe the SSA miscalculated your earnings, failed to account for your IRWEs, or made an error in determining SGA, an administrative law judge hearing gives you the opportunity to present evidence. Many cessation decisions are successfully reversed at the hearing level with proper documentation and legal representation.

North Dakota residents who are overpaid due to unreported earnings may also face overpayment recovery demands. The SSA can withhold future benefits or pursue collection to recover overpaid amounts. However, you have the right to request a waiver of overpayment if you were not at fault and repayment would cause financial hardship — a process that is worth pursuing if the overpayment resulted from confusing rules rather than intentional misreporting.

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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