The BasicsMyth 1: I Can't WorkMyth 2: If I Work, I'll Lose SSI/SSDIMyth 3: If I Work, I'll Lose Disability StatusMyth 4: I Can't Get Help Finding WorkMyth 5: I Can't Afford to WorkMyth 6: If My Benefits Stop, I'll Never Get Them AgainNext Steps

Getting Past the Myths

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    Getting Past the Myths

    Myth 2: If I Work, I'll Lose SSI/SSDI

    My friend told me that he lost his Social Security when he went to work and he was not earning enough money to pay his bills. I don’t want that to happen to me.

    Many people worry that if they start working, they’ll lose their Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and might not earn enough to pay for all their expenses. And since their SSI comes with Medicaid and SSDI comes with Medicare, they might also worry about losing their health coverage.

    However, both SSI and SSDI have rules that let you try working. If you have questions, talk to a benefits expert.

    Do you get SSI, SSDI, or both?

    Make sure you know which benefits you get. Social Security has two disability benefits programs with very similar names:

    Some people qualify for both programs at the same time. If you get benefits from Social Security, but aren't sure which ones you get, open a free my Social Security account or order a free Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) at your local Social Security office or by calling 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY).

    SSI Rules That Support Work

    When SSI figures out how much to give you in benefits, the program counts your income using a special countable income calculation. This calculation counts less than half of your earned income. That means that if you get SSI benefits and start working, the combined amount you get from work and SSI is always higher than your SSI benefits alone. Example: If you get a job where you make $400 per month and you don't have any other income, your SSI benefits only go down by $157.50.

    If you are under age 22, get SSI, go to school, and work, the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) may let you earn up to $2,350 per month without making your SSI benefits go down. For a year, the SEIE lets you make up to $9,460 without affecting your benefits. Tip: The SEIE is designed to let you earn more during school vacations.

    Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) are disability-related expenses you pay for out of your own pocket so that you can work. Some examples of IRWEs are transportation costs, assistive technology, and special or modified office equipment, such as desks, phones, or computers. If Social Security approves them, you can deduct your IRWEs when calculating your income. This lowers your total countable income, so that you can keep more of your SSI benefits.

    If you get SSI benefits and have a specific work goal, you may qualify for a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). A PASS can let you save money from your earnings to pay for expenses related to your work goal. SSI does not count the money you put into a PASS as income or resources. That means you might even get more in SSI benefits. To learn more, read the DB101 article about Building Your Assets and Wealth or contact a PASS specialist.

    For more information about working while you get SSI benefits, read Social Security's article on SSI Work Benefits and DB101's SSI article.

    SSI and Medicaid

    When you get SSI benefits, you also get Medicaid health coverage automatically. As long as you keep getting SSI, even if it's just one dollar, you'll keep your Medicaid. If you stop getting SSI benefits because of money you make at work, a special SSI rule called 1619(b) means that you can still keep getting Medicaid, as long as you make $38,308 per year or less at work.

    Note: For 1619(b), you still meet all other SSI program requirements, like having a disability and being under the resource limit ($2,000 if you are single, $3,000 for couples). Tip: You can have up to $100,000 in an ABLE account and it won't count against the SSI resource limit. Learn more in DB101's ABLE accounts article.

    If you don't qualify for 1619(b) and you can't get Medicare or employer-sponsored coverage, the government may help you pay for a private health coverage plan on Georgia Access. Learn more in DB101's article about individual coverage.

    SSDI Rules That Support Work

    If you get SSDI, the Trial Work Period (TWP) lets you try working while you keep getting your full SSDI benefits. During your Trial Work Period, you can work for nine Trial Work months in a 60-month (five-year) period. Any month where you earn more than $1,160 counts as a Trial Work month. If you earn less than $1,160, it doesn’t. Either way, you keep getting your full SSDI benefits until you’ve used all nine Trial Work months within a 60-month (or five-year) period.

    If you use up all nine Trial Work months, your Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) begins. The EPE lasts for 36 months (3 years). During this time, if you earn less than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level ($1,620 per month in 2025; $2,700 if you're blind), you get SSDI benefits that month. If you earn more than the SGA limit, you don't.

    If you have any Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs), Social Security lets you deduct the value of those expenses from your gross earnings during your EPE (but not during your Trial Work Period). If deducting your IRWEs causes your earnings to go below the SGA level, you might be able to keep getting SSDI benefits.

    For more information about working while you get SSDI, read Social Security’s Guide to Employment Supports and DB101's SSDI article.

    SSDI and Medicare

    Medicare is public health insurance that starts automatically after you get SSDI for 24 months (two years). As long as you keep getting SSDI benefits, you keep your Medicare.

    If your SSDI benefits stop because of work, you can keep your Medicare for for at least 8.5 years after you go back to work. (The 8.5 years include your nine-month Trial Work Period.) After your Trial Work Period, you get at least seven years and nine months of continued Medicare coverage, as long as your disabling condition meets Social Security’s rules.

    Learn more

    What Benefits Do I Get?

    How to see which Social Security and state benefits you get.

    Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

    SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.

    Building Your Assets and Wealth

    Discover ways to save up money while working.