Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Work Incentives
Work Incentives help people with SSDI work and still have important benefits. After you start work there will be a Trial Work Period (TWP). During the nine months of TWP you can work with no change in your benefits.
After you have worked for nine months, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will look at your earnings and determine whether you worked at substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA means you earned over a specific monthly amount. SSA decides whether you worked at SGA based on earnings, hours worked, productivity and other factors related to value of the work performed. If you have been employed or self-employed since you started receiving benefits, it is important to work with a benefits planner to determine if you have used TWP months.
- For blind individuals, the monthly amount is $2,590.
- For all other individuals, the monthly amount is $1,550.
If you are earning above SGA your SSDI benefits will stop after a three-month grace period. There are Work Incentives that can help you continue to receive benefits.
Some SSDI Work Incentives include:
- Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE): You might buy work-related items or services that help you work. These can include medication co-pays, equipment, or transportation. SSA will consider those when calculating your SSDI monthly benefits.
- Subsidies and Special Conditions: Your employer may provide financial support or other help so you can return to work. If this support is included in your paycheck, SSA does not count it against you.
- Unsuccessful Work Attempt: You may have to stop working because of your medical condition. Or your earnings may drop below Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level. SSA will not count income from your attempt to work when deciding eligibility for SSDI.
- Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS): PASS lets you save money and resources to pay for items or services needed to achieve a specific work goal. SSA will not count income or resources saved under a PASS when calculating your SSDI benefit amount.
- Extended Medicare coverage: If your SSDI ends because of work, you can stay on Medicare for up to 93 months (7 years and 9 months) after the end of the trial work period (TWP).
- Expedited Reinstatement: If you stop receiving benefits due to your work, SSA may restart them. You can be reinstated if you lose work within 5 years of your benefits ending.
Rhode Island has a Medicaid Buy-In program for people with disabilities who work called the Sherlock Plan. The Sherlock Plan allows people with disabilities to keep their Medicaid coverage.
How do I qualify for the Sherlock Plan?
The Department of Human Services (DHS) will look at your income and resources to decide if you qualify. They will also decide if you have a monthly charge for coverage. All working adults with disabilities can apply. There is no minimum number of hours you need to work.
For more information or help finding your local DHS office, go to www.dhs.ri.gov, or call (855) 697-4347.
If you are worried about how working will affect your benefits, contact the Work incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program. WIPA can help you understand work incentives and plan for the effect of employment on your benefits. Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1- 866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY). You can also use the Find Help tool on the Choose Work website.
If you have questions about work incentives, you can contact Disability Rights Rhode Island (DRRI) at info@drri.org or (401) 831-3150.
Social Security funded the creation of this document under a grant. Although Social Security reviewed this document for accuracy, it does not constitute an official Social Security communication. This communication is printed, published, or produced and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense.
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