Is There Any Way to Make an Income and Still Get Social Security Disability?
Social Security Disability benefits are for people who can’t work because of their health. But you have to wait a long time to get benefits. And when you get benefits, they pay a basic amount that still leaves your finances tight.
You’re looking for more sources of money to stay afloat. It’s completely understandable. But can you work while on disability benefits? Will you lose disability if you work part time?
It’s a difficult line to walk.
If you work, you could put your application for disability benefits at risk, or lose benefits you’re already receiving.
Remember, the whole point of disability benefits is to help you because you can’t work, even if you need the income. Being unable to work is the key qualification.
You have, however, a little room to move. As long as you work under a certain amount, it’s still possible to get benefits.
Every day at Nash Disability Law, our Chicago disability lawyers steer people carefully through the benefits process to avoid bumps and ultimately win benefits.
We’ve handled thousands of cases and can guide you on how working will affect your disability claim.
We’ve helped more people in Chicagoland win benefits than any other law firm.
The Key to Working on Disability Is “Substantial Gainful Activity”
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a concept it uses to decide if you’re able to work too much to get disability benefits. It’s called “substantial gainful activity,” or SGA.
If the SSA decides you’re able to participate in substantial gainful activity, your disability benefits will be denied. If you can’t do SGA, you still have a chance to get benefits.
SGA isn’t entirely about how many hours you work. You can indeed work part time and lose disability benefits. This is how Social Security defines SGA:
- It’s work that you do for pay or profit.
- It involves significant physical or mental tasks.
- It produces income over certain amounts.
The SGA income limits change gradually over time with the cost of living. In 2025, Social Security set the limit as $1,620 gross per month for most people. Over those amounts, things can get tricky.
The disability attorneys at Nash will listen to your story—your health needs, your financial needs, your work situation—and guide you in getting disability income to stabilize your life.
Get FREE consultation with our Chicago disability lawyer team.
Ways You Can Balance Working While Getting Disability Benefits
Working while applying for Social Security Disability takes special care in describing your work, the demands of your job, and how your symptoms limit your work.
Things to keep in mind:
- If you work a lot of hours, even if you still earn under SGA, that could trip up your claim, causing Social Security to think you have the strength, stamina and focus to work substantially.
- Your age and past work make a difference. They affect how much Social Security thinks you could adapt to other work and what your current work indicates about that.
- If you require special accommodations from your employer to work, like fewer hours, more breaks or assistive devices, Social Security may take that as a sign that your ability to work is limited, and it’ll be more likely to approve benefits.
When you’re already receiving disability benefits, Social Security does make some space for you to try working again before you stop benefits.
These are the two main rules for easing back into work while applying for Social Security Disability or after getting Social Security Disability:
- Unsuccessful Work Attempt (UWA). If you return to work, but your health problems cause you to quit or be terminated from employment, this work may not count against you, even if it’s above the SGA limit. In general, there must be a significant break in your work before the work attempt, and the UWA can’t last for more than 6 months.
- Trial Work Period. You can try working for up to nine months without losing disability benefits. If you have to stop again because your health problems are still too much, you can rest easier knowing your benefits are still there. The nine months of work don’t have to be all at once. You have nine months of work time for every five years you’re on disability benefits, spread out in any way.
It’s simple to say that disability benefits are for when you can’t work. But you can see how, when you get into the details of what that means, it gets complicated.
Nash Disability Law is your guide through this process, so you can settle your situation and focus on your well-being.
