Helping The Disabled And Injured In
Missouri Get The Support They Deserve

Is it possible to work and collect SSDI simultaneously?

On Behalf of | May 5, 2023 | Social Security Disability

Many Missouri residents who apply for Social Security Disability Insurance do so because they have medical conditions that keep them from being able to make a reasonable living. What happens, though, if an SSDI recipient sees his or her condition improve to the point where the recipient wants to try working again?

According to AARP, SSDI recipients may be able to rejoin the workforce without jeopardizing their abilities to collect SSDI payments as long as certain things hold true.

What determines if someone may collect SSDI while working

In simple terms, someone who already receives SSDI payments and then returns to work should be able to continue to collect these payments after returning to work, provided his or her income falls below a certain amount. While the amount a recipient may earn might change from year to year, the U.S. Social Security Administration halts a recipient’s payments if that recipient engages in what the SSA considers to be “substantial gainful activity.”

What programs the SSA offers

If an SSDI recipient starts making more than the maximum amount allowed, SSDI payments cease unless that recipient participates in an SSA work incentive, such as the administration’s Ticket to Work program. This program temporarily waives the earnings limits that determine if a recipient gets SSDI while the recipient goes through job training or related efforts that seek to make him or her self-sufficient.

If, through the Ticket to Work program, an SSDI recipient lands gainful employment, this typically halts SSDI payments. However, if this occurs and then a recipient’s condition worsens to the point where it stops him or her from working, SSDI payments may resume.

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