Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Limits for 2025

As of 2025, the monthly income limits used by the SSA to determine substantial gainful activity (SGA) are:

• $1,620/month for non-blind individuals
• $2,700/month for statutorily blind individuals

If you earn more than these amounts from work activity, the SSA may decide that you are not disabled.

Trial Work Period (TWP)

If you're already receiving SSDI, you are allowed a Trial Work Period where you can test your ability to return to work without immediately losing benefits. For 2025:

• Earning more than $1,160 in any month counts as a trial work month.
• You are allowed nine trial work months within a 60-month rolling window.

During the trial period, you continue receiving full SSDI benefits regardless of how much you earn.

Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)

After completing the trial work period, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility. During this time:

• You will receive benefits for any month in which your income falls below the SGA threshold.
• If your income exceeds the SGA level, you won’t receive benefits for that month.

This safety net allows you to attempt returning to work without immediately losing all your benefits.

Income That Doesn’t Count Toward SGA

Not all income will count toward the SGA limit. For example:

• Passive income such as dividends, interest, or rent (if you're not actively managing the property)
• One-time payments or gifts
• Assistance from friends or family

Only earned income from work activity is considered in the SGA calculation.