This month I received two questions via the Speakpipe app on my blog about outside earnings and Social Security disability. The first gentleman is applying for disability and wants to know how much he can earn without jeopardizing his case, while the second gentlemen wanted to know how much an approved claimant (his son) could earn without jeopardizing his SSDI award.
Neither gentleman left an email for personal reply so I am using my blog to respond.
The raw number that applies to both of these questions is the current SGA (substantial gainful activity) figure. For 2015, the figure is $1,090 per month. For 2014, the SGA number was $1,070 per month. This number will change every year. Here is the current link to the page on SSA’s web site which shows the current SGA figure. If this link changes you can search “SGA and Social Security disability” to find the current number.
So now you know that the earnings limit for both disability applicants and approved disability claimants is the same – the current SGA number. However, that is not the end of the story. My experience has been that SSA treats disability applicants quite differently from approved disability claimants. Here’s what I have observed: Continue reading →