Work & Disability
Work credits, SGA limits, trial work periods, and transitioning from work to disability benefits.
70 articles in this topic
SSDI Work Credits Calculator: Do You Have Enough?
How to count your work credits by age and what to do if you're short.
How Many Work Credits Do You Need for SSDI?
Work credit requirements by age with a simple table to check your eligibility.
SGA Limits 2026: How Much Can You Earn on SSDI?
Current substantial gainful activity amounts for blind and non-blind individuals.
Trial Work Period Explained: 9 Months to Test Working
How TWP works, what counts as a trial month, and what happens after.
Ticket to Work: Complete Guide for SSDI Recipients
How the program works, benefits, and whether participation makes sense for you.
Working Part-Time While on SSDI: What's Allowed
Earning below SGA, reporting requirements, and avoiding overpayments.
Self-Employment and SSDI: Special Rules and Pitfalls
How the SSA evaluates self-employment income differently from wages.
Returning to Work After SSDI: Everything You Need to Know
Programs, protections, and the financial implications of going back to work.
Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE): Reducing Countable Income
What expenses qualify and how they help you earn more without losing benefits.
Subsidies and Special Conditions: When Your Earnings Don't Count
How employer accommodations reduce your countable SGA.
Unsuccessful Work Attempt: When Working Doesn't Count Against You
How to document a failed return to work to protect your benefits.
FMLA and SSDI: Using Leave Before Filing for Disability
How FMLA interacts with SSDI timing and when to file.
ADA Accommodations vs SSDI: When to Accommodate, When to File
The decision between requesting accommodations and applying for disability.
Can You Apply for SSDI While Still Employed?
Rules for applying while working and how current earnings affect your claim.
Should You Quit Your Job to Apply for SSDI?
The timing question: when to stop working and how it affects your claim.
SSDI and Severance Pay: Does It Affect Your Claim?
How severance and payout agreements interact with SGA rules.
SSDI and Commission Income: How It's Counted
Special rules for commission-based workers applying for disability.
SSDI and Overtime: Does Past Overtime Affect Your Claim?
How earnings history with overtime impacts benefit calculations.
Sheltered Workshops and SSDI: Special Employment Rules
How sheltered employment income is evaluated differently by the SSA.
PASS (Plan for Achieving Self-Support): Detailed Guide
How to use PASS to set aside money for education or business while keeping SSI.
SSDI and Gig Work (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash): What Counts
How the SSA evaluates gig economy earnings for SGA purposes.
SSDI and Remote Work: Can Working from Home Disqualify You?
How the SSA views remote work capability in disability evaluation.
Does Volunteer Work Affect SSDI Benefits?
When volunteering is fine and when it can be used against your claim.
Going Back to School While on SSDI: Rules and Benefits
Educational programs, Ticket to Work, and how school affects benefits.
Extended Period of Eligibility: 36 Months of Protection
How the safety net works after your trial work period ends.
Expedited Reinstatement: Getting Benefits Back After Working
The 5-year window to restart SSDI without a new application.
SSDI and Job Training Programs: Your Options
Vocational rehabilitation, Ticket to Work, and other training resources.
SSDI Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA)
Free counseling services that help you understand work and benefits.
SSDI and Seasonal Work: Temporary Employment Rules
How seasonal jobs are evaluated for SGA and work activity.
SSDI When Disability Begins While You're Still Working
How to establish onset date and apply while still employed part-time.
SSDI for Office Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for desk job workers dealing with chronic pain, mental health, or repetitive strain.
SSDI for Healthcare Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for nurses, aides, and hospital staff with physical injuries or burnout.
SSDI for Retail Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for retail employees who can no longer stand, lift, or handle customer demands.
SSDI for Factory Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for manufacturing workers with repetitive strain, chemical exposure, or injuries.
SSDI for Food Service Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for restaurant and food service employees with physical or mental limitations.
SSDI for Warehouse Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for warehouse and logistics workers with back injuries and physical limitations.
SSDI for Military Veterans Transitioning to Disability: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for veterans leaving service and navigating both VA and SSDI systems.
SSDI for Teachers and Educators: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for teachers with mental health conditions, voice disorders, or physical limitations.
SSDI for IT and Computer Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for tech workers with carpal tunnel, back pain, or mental health conditions.
SSDI for Skilled Trades Workers: Qualifying Conditions and Application Tips
Common qualifying conditions and application strategies for electricians, plumbers, and tradespeople with physical limitations.
Reporting Work Activity to the SSA While on SSDI
What to report, when to report it, and consequences of not reporting.
Countable vs Non-Countable Income for SSDI and SSI
Which types of income the SSA counts toward SGA and resource limits.
SSDI and Side Hustles: What's Allowed in 2026
How the SSA evaluates informal income and hobby income.
How Inheritance Affects SSI Work Incentives
Resource impact on SSI and strategies to protect benefits.
SSDI Work Rules for Legally Blind Individuals
Higher SGA limits and special deductions for blind beneficiaries.
Supported Employment and SSDI: How Assistance Affects Your Claim
How job coaching and support services interact with SGA evaluation.
SGA Examples: What Counts and What Doesn't
Real-world scenarios showing how the SSA evaluates different types of work activity.
Disability Retirement vs SSDI: Understanding the Difference
How employer disability retirement and SSDI differ and interact.
Documenting an Unsuccessful Work Attempt for SSDI
What records you need to prove a work attempt failed due to disability.
Owning a Business While on SSDI: What's Allowed
How the SSA evaluates business ownership and management activity.
Does Investment Income Affect SSDI Benefits?
Dividends, rental income, and capital gains and their impact on disability.
How Pension Income Affects SSDI and SSI
WEP, GPO, and other rules for pension recipients.
Comparative Severity: How the SSA Rates Your Work Capacity
Understanding exertional levels from sedentary to very heavy.
Transferable Skills Analysis: What the SSA Checks
How your past job skills determine what other work the SSA thinks you can do.
How Your Education Level Affects SSDI Approval
Why less education can actually improve your approval odds.
How Vocational Expert Testimony Affects Your SSDI Claim
What VEs do, how hypotheticals work, and how to challenge their opinions.
Medical-Vocational Allowance: When You Don't Meet a Listing
How the SSA approves claims based on combined medical and vocational factors.
The SSDI Grid Rules Table: Finding Your Category
Complete grid rules table with age, education, and RFC combinations.
Exertional vs Non-Exertional Limitations for SSDI
How physical capacity and non-physical limitations each affect your claim.
SSDI and Absenteeism: When Missing Work Proves Disability
How anticipated absences can make the difference in your claim.
SSDI and Consulting or Advisory Work
How the SSA evaluates limited consulting income and activity.
SSDI and Online Teaching/Tutoring
How virtual education work is evaluated for SGA purposes.
SSDI and Creative Work (Writing, Art, Music)
How royalties and creative income interact with disability benefits.
SSDI and Social Media/Content Creator Income
How YouTube, TikTok, and social media earnings affect your benefits.
SSDI and Selling on Etsy/Craft Marketplaces
How the SSA evaluates handmade goods income and hobby activity.
SSDI for Former Managers and Supervisors
How managerial skills analysis affects vocational assessment.
Reduced Hours as Accommodation vs Filing for SSDI
When to keep working reduced hours and when disability makes more sense.
Remote Work Accommodations vs SSDI: Making the Decision
Evaluating whether work-from-home arrangements eliminate the need for SSDI.
Workers' Comp Settlement and SSDI: Impact on Benefits
How lump-sum settlements are prorated and offset against SSDI.
Military Retirement Pay and SSDI: Can You Collect Both?
No offset between military retirement and SSDI, plus coordination strategies.