Disability, General

Social Security Can Help You Start or Return to Work

November 4, 2021 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: October 20, 2023

young man at counter reviewing his cell phoneIf you rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and want to start or return to work, we can help.

Ticket to Work (Ticket) is a program that supports career development for SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients who want to work and progress toward financial independence. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. Learn more about the Ticket to Work program or call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

In addition to the Ticket to Work program, the Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) program also helps people with disabilities return to work. A PASS allows you to set aside resources and other income besides your SSI for a specified period. With a PASS you can pursue a work goal that will reduce or eliminate your need for SSI or SSDI benefits.

How does a PASS help someone return to work?

  • We base SSI eligibility and payment amounts on income and resources (items of value that the person owns).
  • PASS lets a person with a disability set aside money and items they own to pay for items or services needed to achieve a specific work goal.
  • The objective of the PASS is to help people with disabilities find employment that reduces or eliminates the need for SSI or SSDI benefits.

You can read all about the PASS program in our publication, Working While Disabled—A Guide to Plans for Achieving Self-Support.

The PASS must be in writing and we must approve the plan. To start, contact your local PASS Cadre or local Social Security office for an application (Form SSA-545-BK). You can also access the form on our website. Ticket to Work service providers, vocational counselors, or a representative or relative can help you write a PASS.

For more information about PASS, read The Red Book – A Guide to Work Incentives and Employment Supports.

Your job isn’t just a source of income — it can be a vehicle to independence or the beginning step to fulfilling your dreams. Let our Ticket to Work program or PASS program help you achieve your goals. Please share this with your friends and family – and post it on social media.

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About the Author

Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

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Comments

  1. Sam

    Hi,
    I am on SSDI and I live in Canada.

    I wish to talk to my doctor about part time trial work in the coming months.

    I read that amounts for TWP & SGA for 2022 as below:-

    Trial work period earning amount $970

    Substantial Gainful Activity amount for non-blind individuals $1350

    As I am in Canada, should I convert the above US Dollar amounts to Canadian Dollars(CAD) ( approximately 1 USD = 1.27 CAD) to arrive at the TWP & SGA amount?

    OR

    Will the amounts be same as in US, ie. $970 CAD for TWP or $1350 CAD for SGA.

    Please help. Thanks.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Sam. Since you are living outside of the U.S., please contact your local  Federal Benefits Unit for any assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this helps.

  2. Delia R.

    I am currently receiving my Social Security disability benefits and I am also working through the ticket to work program. If I leave my current employment am I eligible to receive unemployment benefits while receiving my Social Security disability benefits?

  3. Marie V.

    I am asking this question for my husband who is collecting SS.
    His father is 91 years old and may pass soon. Would my husband lose any benefits if he receives an huge inheritance??

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Marie. Thanks for your question. You may be getting our disability programs confused. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is a needs-based program that pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. SSI benefits also are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities, who meet the financial limits.  Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, on the other hand, are based on earnings and are not subject to income and resource limits. If your hsuband is receiving SSDI, hisr income and resources would not affect his benefits.  For more information on the difference between Social Security disability and SSI, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.

  4. Donna M.

    Hi I want to know if I can work and still collect SSDI, and if so how much am I allowed to earn. I am not retirement age for a while yet.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Donna. If you are referring to Social Security disability benefits, special rules allow you to work temporarily without losing your monthly Social Security disability benefits. After your nine-month trial work period, we still provide a safety net that allows you to work another three years risk free. During those three years, you can work and still receive benefits for any month in which your earnings do not exceed a certain limit. For 2022 those limits are: $2,260 for blind individuals; or $1,350 a month if you are not blind. For more information about working while receiving Social Security disability benefits, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. Thanks! 

  5. Peggy H.

    I always have a hard time finding the answer to this question: I work a part time job in addition to receiving disability benefits. What is the monthly income limit that I can make and still receive disability?

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Peggy. Thanks for your question. If you are referring to Social Security disability benefits, special rules allow you to work temporarily without losing your monthly Social Security disability benefits. After your nine-month trial work period, we still provide a safety net that allows you to work another three years risk free. During those three years, you can work and still receive benefits for any month in which your earnings do not exceed a certain limit. For 2022 those limits are: $2,260 for blind individuals; or $1,350 a month if you are not blind. For more information about working while receiving Social Security disability benefits, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps. 

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Peggy. Thanks for your question. If you are referring to Social Security disability benefits, special rules allow you to work temporarily without losing your monthly Social Security disability benefits. After your nine-month trial work period, we still provide a safety net that allows you to work another three years risk free. During those three years, you can work and still receive benefits for any month in which your earnings do not exceed a certain limit. For 2022 those limits are: $2,260 for blind individuals; or $1,350 a month if you are not blind. For more information about working while receiving Social Security disability benefits, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps. 

  6. James W.

    Awesome stuff. I think I can go independent now.
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  7. Myra K.

    My disabled son (45) was recently told that he was gainfully employed and no longer would get social security. He only averages around $1000.00 per month. Can he still get medicare at a reduced rate? He is both mentally and physically handicapped since age 6. He tries to work more hours but when he does he has mental and physical issues. He is currently waiting for a neurological appointment.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Myra. For your son’s security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. He can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, he will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. He can also contact his local Social Security office. We hope this helps.

    • Laim N.

      I receive disability benefits as well as work part-time. Is there a threshold amount of money per month that I need to earn to qualify for disability benefits?

      regard Minecraft Circle Generator

  8. Cindi

    If a person is on disability and needs to work part time to be able to pay their bills, what is the limit that can be earned without affecting their benefits?

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Cindi. If you are referring to Social Security disability benefits, special rules allow you to work temporarily without losing your monthly Social Working Security disability benefits. After your nine-month trial work period, we still provide a safety net that allows you to work another three years risk free. During those three years, you can work and still receive benefits for any month in which your earnings do not exceed a certain limit. For 2022 those limits are: $2,260 for blind individuals; or $1,350 a month if you are not blind. For more information on working while receiving Social Security disability benefits, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.

  9. Erika S.

    I am receiving disability but was wondering if I could work part time without it affecting my disability

    • Vonda

      Hi Erika, thank you for your question. Social Security has special rules that make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive monthly payments. These are called work incentives.

      For SSDI beneficiaries, there is a Trial Work Period (TWP) and then an Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). The TWP allows you to test your ability to work for at least 9 months. During this period, you will receive your full disability benefit regardless of how much you earn as long as your work activity is reported and you continue to have a disabling impairment. In 2022, any month in which earnings exceed $970 is considered a month of the 9-month trial work period.

      Once you’ve completed your TWP, you get a 36-month safety net called the EPE. During the EPE, you get benefits for all months your earnings or work activities are below the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level as long as you continue to have a disabling impairment. Social Security will suspend cash benefits for months earnings are over SGA and start benefits again if earnings fall below the SGA level. In 2022, you are earning SGA if your earnings, after any allowable deductions, are more than $1,350 in a month.

      Check out Social Security’s Red Book for descriptions of the many work incentives.

  10. Paula M.

    Looking for partime
    work? How many hours can I work each month? Or is it based on pay?

    • Vonda

      Hi Paula, thanks for using our blog. It depends on what type of benefit you’re receiving. You can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. However, there is a limit to how much you can earn and still receive full benefits. The amount you’re allowed to earn while receiving benefits depends on your age. If you attain full retirement age in 2022, the earnings limit is $51,960 but we only count earnings before the month you reach full retirement age. Beginning with the month you reach full retirement age, earnings no longer reduce your benefits, no matter how much you earn. If you’re under full retirement age for the entire year, then we deduct $1 from benefit payments for every $2 earned above the annual limit. For 2022, that limit is $19,560.

      Social Security has special rules that make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive monthly payments. These are called work incentives. Check out Social Security’s Red Book for descriptions of the many work incentives. We hope this helps.

Comments are closed.