Working Part Time on SSDI in Texas: What to Know

Working Part Time on SSDI in Texas: What to Know

Many Texans receiving Social Security Disability Insurance wonder whether they can work part time without losing their benefits. The short answer is yes — but only within strict limits set by the Social Security Administration. Crossing those limits, even unintentionally, can trigger an overpayment demand, a cessation of benefits, or worse. Understanding exactly how the rules work can protect your income while you explore your capacity to return to work.

The Substantial Gainful Activity Threshold

The SSA's primary test for whether work disqualifies you from SSDI is called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). In 2025, the SGA limit for non-blind individuals is $1,550 per month in gross earnings. If you consistently earn more than this amount, the SSA will consider you capable of substantial work and may terminate your benefits.

For Texas residents working part time, this means carefully tracking every paycheck. Gross wages — not take-home pay after taxes — count toward the SGA limit. Tips, commissions, and bonuses are also included. If your employer provides accommodations that allow you to perform work you otherwise could not, the SSA may deduct the value of those accommodations from your countable earnings, but you must report and document this proactively.

Working under the SGA limit does not automatically protect your benefits forever. The SSA also examines whether your work activity demonstrates an ability to perform work on a sustained basis. Sporadic part-time work is treated differently than steady, consistent employment — a distinction that frequently matters in Texas disability cases.

The Trial Work Period: A Built-In Buffer

Federal law gives SSDI recipients a Trial Work Period (TWP) — nine months within a rolling 60-month window during which you can test your ability to work without losing benefits, regardless of how much you earn. In 2025, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a trial work month.

During your TWP, the SSA continues paying full SSDI benefits even if you exceed the SGA limit. This is designed to encourage recipients to attempt a return to work without fear of immediate financial loss. However, once you exhaust all nine trial work months, the SSA will review your earnings. If you are earning above SGA at that point, your benefits will be terminated after a three-month grace period.

Texans who do not track their trial work months risk an unpleasant surprise. The SSA sends notices, but delays in processing can leave recipients believing they are compliant when they are not. Keep your own records from day one.

Reporting Requirements for Texas SSDI Recipients

Texas SSDI recipients have a legal obligation to report all work activity to the SSA promptly. This includes:

• Starting any job, including part-time or gig work
• Changes in hours worked or pay rate
• Self-employment income, including freelance or contract work
• Stopping work for any reason
• Receiving bonuses, back pay, or workers' compensation

Failure to report is one of the most common causes of SSDI overpayments. The SSA can — and regularly does — demand repayment of benefits paid during months you should not have received them. In Texas, overpayment recovery can include withholding a portion of future benefits, tax refund intercepts, and in cases of intentional fraud, criminal referrals. Reporting early and in writing protects you and creates a paper trail if disputes arise later.

You can report work activity by calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213, visiting your local Texas SSA field office, or using your My Social Security online account. Always follow up a phone report with written confirmation.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses and Plan to Achieve Self-Support

Two often-overlooked programs can significantly expand your ability to work part time in Texas without jeopardizing your benefits.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) allow the SSA to deduct certain disability-related costs from your countable earnings before comparing them to the SGA limit. If you pay out of pocket for a wheelchair, prescription medications, specialized transportation, or assistive technology necessary for your job, those amounts may reduce your countable income. For example, if you earn $1,700 per month but spend $200 on IRWEs, your countable earnings drop to $1,500 — below the 2025 SGA threshold.

A Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) is a formal SSA-approved plan that allows you to set aside income or resources to pursue a specific employment goal. Money set aside under an approved PASS does not count toward your SGA calculation or your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limits. Texas residents working with a vocational rehabilitation counselor or Benefits Counselor through the Ticket to Work program can use PASS to fund education, training, or business startup costs.

What Happens to Medicare While You Work

One of the biggest concerns Texas SSDI recipients have about part-time work is losing Medicare coverage. The good news is that Medicare continuation protections are substantial. After your Trial Work Period ends and your cash benefits stop due to work, you enter an Extended Period of Medicare Coverage that lasts at least 93 months (nearly eight years) beyond the end of the TWP.

During this extended period, your Part A hospital coverage remains premium-free. Part B premiums continue, but you retain full Medicare access. This protection is critically important for Texans managing serious medical conditions, as losing health coverage is often the real barrier to attempting work — not the cash benefit limits themselves.

If your income rises enough that you no longer qualify for Medicare eventually, you may be eligible to purchase Medicare as a Medicare Buy-In at a subsidized premium. Texas participates in federal programs that assist low-income working individuals with Medicare costs.

Practical Steps Before You Start Working

Before accepting any part-time job, Texas SSDI recipients should take the following steps:

• Contact a Benefits Counselor through the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program — this service is free and available statewide in Texas
• Request a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from the SSA to understand exactly where you stand in your Trial Work Period and Extended Period of Eligibility
• Discuss your planned work with your treating physician and document that the work is consistent with your medical restrictions
• Set up a dedicated account or ledger to track all earnings and disability-related work expenses from day one
• Never rely solely on verbal SSA guidance — request written determinations on questions about your specific situation

Texas has a network of Disability Rights Texas offices and legal aid organizations that provide free consultations on SSDI work issues. Utilizing these resources before you start working — rather than after a problem arises — is always the better approach.

Working part time while on SSDI in Texas is entirely possible, but the rules are precise and unforgiving of mistakes. Careful planning, consistent reporting, and proactive use of work incentive programs give you the best chance of earning additional income without compromising the benefits your disability entitles you to receive.

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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