Quick answer. For 2026, Social Security's substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount is $1,690 a month ($2,830 for people who are blind), and a month counts toward the SSDI trial work period when gross earnings are above $1,210. For 2027 the amounts are $1,770, $2,950 and $1,270. SSI wages are reported by the 10th day of the following month.
Check one month's pay against the SSA amounts
Enter the month's gross earnings to compare them with the SSA amounts for that year.
The two amounts, by year
Social Security's page on substantial gainful activity (SGA) says that a person earning more than the monthly amount, net of impairment-related work expenses, is ordinarily considered to be engaging in SGA. The non-blind amount applies to both Social Security disability (SSDI) and SSI. The amount for people who are blind does not apply to SSI. The trial work period (TWP) amount marks which months count toward the SSDI trial work period.
| Year | SGA, not blind | SGA, blind | Trial work month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,550 | $2,590 | above $1,110 |
| 2025 | $1,620 | $2,700 | above $1,160 |
| 2026 | $1,690 | $2,830 | above $1,210 |
| 2027 | $1,770 | $2,950 | above $1,270 |
Monthly amounts from SSA's SGA page and SSA's trial work period page; the 2027 figures also appear in the 2027 COLA fact sheet.
SSDI: the trial work period and what comes after
- Nine months to test work. The Red Book says the trial work period lets you test your ability to work for at least 9 months, and you receive benefits "regardless of how high your earnings might be."
- Which months count. A month counts when gross earnings are above the year's amount ($1,210 in 2026), or when you work more than 80 hours in self-employment.
- The window. The 9 months don't have to be in a row, but they must fall within a rolling 60-month period. The trial work period can't begin before the first month you are entitled to SSDI.
- Extended period of eligibility. It begins the month after the trial work period ends. The first 36 months are the re-entitlement period: SSA suspends cash benefits for months your earnings are over SGA and pays them for the other months. SSA pays for the month your disability ceased and the following 2 months.
- Expedited reinstatement. If benefits end because of work, SSA may restart them quickly when you request it within 5 years and the other conditions are met.
- Medicare. SSA's summary says Medicare can continue for at least 93 months after the trial work period ends if your disability still meets its rules.
SSI: how work is counted
SSI is based on financial need. The Red Book says SSA does not count the first $65 of earnings in a month plus one-half of the remaining earnings, and applies this in addition to the $20 general income exclusion. For a student under 22, the 2026 student earned income exclusion is $2,410 a month, up to $9,730 for the year. Under section 1619(a), SSI cash payments can continue when earnings reach the SGA level, if you were eligible for an SSI payment for at least one month before working at that level. Under section 1619(b), Medicaid can continue after earnings become too high for an SSI payment.
Ticket to Work
The Red Book calls Ticket to Work "a free and voluntary program" for many SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients aged 18 to 64, with "no penalty for not participating." Services come from state vocational rehabilitation agencies and Employment Networks, which are organizations with an agreement with Social Security. If you assign or use your Ticket before a scheduled medical continuing disability review, you may not be subject to that review. The Ticket to Work help line is 1-866-968-7842 (TTY 1-866-833-2967), weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Providers are listed at choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp.
Reporting earnings to Social Security
- SSI deadline. Report wages by the 10th day of the month after you receive them. SSA encourages reporting by the 6th.
- How. Your my Social Security account, the SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app, the toll-free telephone wage reporting line, by phone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), by mail, or in person with an appointment. Since April 2025, SSA can get wage information from payroll data providers through the Payroll Information Exchange, but only with your permission (Form SSA-8240); you still report any employer that doesn't take part.
- What. Gross wages (before taxes and deductions), starting or stopping a job, a second job, changes in self-employment income, and medical-related work expenses.
- Keep. Every pay stub (overtime, vacation and bonus too) and receipts for work expenses related to your condition.
- SSDI. The Red Book says SSDI beneficiaries must promptly report changes in work activity, such as returning to work, a new employer, more work or higher earnings. Write down the date, the method and any confirmation number every time.
ABLE accounts
An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged savings account for a person whose blindness or disability began before age 46; the IRS says the Secure 2.0 Act raised the age from 26 starting in 2026. The IRS gives the yearly contribution limit as $19,000 for 2025 and $20,000 for 2026. A beneficiary who works may contribute an additional amount, up to the lesser of their compensation for the year or the one-person poverty line amount; check the IRS page for that figure. Anyone may contribute for an eligible beneficiary.
For SSI, SSA disregards the first $100,000 in an ABLE account. Above that, SSA suspends the SSI payment until countable resources are below the limit, and Medicaid eligibility continues. A distribution for housing, or for an expense that isn't a qualified disability expense, counts as a resource if it is kept into the month after it was received.
New Jersey: NJ ABLE is run by the Division of Disability Services with a program manager. The state's page lists $20,000 a year in contributions, a $305,000 lifetime maximum, accounts opened at savewithable.com, and NJ ABLE client service at 1-888-609-8869. It also notes that the state Medicaid agency is a creditor for amounts left in the account at the account holder's death.
This page and the checker don't decide anything about your benefits. Social Security does.
Official sources
- SSA: Substantial Gainful Activity (yearly amounts)
- SSA: Trial Work Period (yearly amounts)
- SSA: 2027 Social Security changes (COLA fact sheet)
- SSA Red Book: What's new in 2026?
- SSA Red Book: SSDI-only employment supports
- SSA Red Book: SSDI at a glance, what happens when you go to work
- SSA Red Book: SSI-only employment supports
- SSA Red Book: Returning to work
- SSA Red Book: Ticket to Work
- SSA: Spotlight on reporting earnings (SSI)
- SSA: Getting SSI and working? What you need to know (August 2026)
- IRS: ABLE accounts, tax benefit for people with disabilities
- SSA: Spotlight on ABLE accounts (2026 edition)
- New Jersey Division of Disability Services: NJ ABLE
Checked November 2026.
General information checked November 2026 against the official sources above. It is an organizer and checklist, not legal, benefits, immigration, tax or financial advice, and it never decides what you qualify for: the agency does. MCC Solutions is not affiliated with SSA, VA, USCIS, the Department of Justice or the State of New Jersey. The tool on this page runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent or saved.
Common questions
Does earning more than $1,210 in a month stop SSDI?
Not by itself. In 2026, a month with gross earnings above $1,210 counts as one of the 9 trial work period months, and during the trial work period SSA pays benefits however high the earnings are. What happens after the trial work period depends on SGA and the extended period of eligibility, which SSA decides.
What is the SGA amount for 2027?
SSA lists $1,770 a month for people who are not blind and $2,950 for people who are blind, up from $1,690 and $2,830 in 2026. The trial work period amount is $1,270 a month in 2027.
When do I report SSI wages?
By the 10th day of the month after you receive them, and SSA encourages the 6th. You can use my Social Security, the SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app, the telephone wage reporting line, or the Payroll Information Exchange if you gave permission.
How much can go into an ABLE account in 2026?
The IRS gives $20,000 for 2026, up from $19,000 in 2025. A beneficiary who works may be able to add more, up to the lesser of their compensation or the one-person poverty line amount.
Will an ABLE account affect SSI?
SSA disregards the first $100,000. Above that, the SSI payment is suspended until countable resources are back under the limit, and Medicaid eligibility continues.
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