If you think you are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), one of the key factors the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers is whether or not you can engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA is a measurement used by the SSA to determine if an individual’s ability to work is impaired by their disability. In short, if you earn more than the SGA limit after subtracting disability-related work expenses, you are considered to be engaged in SGA and likely will be denied benefits.
What Does SGA Mean?
Substantial gainful activity occurs when someone performs a job involving notable physical or mental effort and gets paid for it. Beyond having a disabling physical or mental condition, individuals applying for SSDI or SSI cannot engage in SGA. If you earn more than SGA monthly limits, you will be considered able to work and will not be awarded benefits. The monthly SGA amount differs for blind and non-blind individuals. In 2025, blind individuals cannot exceed $2,700 per month, while non-blind individuals cannot surpass $1,620 a month. Please note that SGA does not apply to SSI benefits for blind individuals, but it does apply to non-blind disabled SSI beneficiaries.
What Is Considered Substantial Gainful Activity?
Both full-time and part-time jobs where you are actively completing tasks or fulfilling duties for pay fall under SGA. Self-care, household tasks, unpaid training, hobbies, therapy, school attendance, clubs, social programs, and other similar activities do not count toward SGA.
However, there are some outlying situations. First, wages alone do not always determine whether or not you are engaged in SGA. For example, the SSA can consider volunteer activities as SGA if they represent substantial work for which someone would ordinarily be paid. Similarly, high wages do not necessarily mean you are engaged in SGA. If any of the following special circumstances apply to your situation, the SSA may not believe that your work amounts to SGA:
- You are provided with assigned work or special equipment that is specifically suited to your disability
- You require special assistance from other employees
- You can work only because of assigned work or special equipment that is tailored to your impairment
- You are allowed to take frequent rest breaks or work irregular hours
- You are allowed to work at a lower standard of efficiency or productivity than other workers are
What Happens If I Go Over SGA?
If you plan to apply for SSDI or SSI but earn more than the SGA limit, you will not be eligible for benefits. While you can appeal this decision, you will likely get the same outcome unless your monthly income falls below the SGA threshold. If you already earn disability benefits but start to earn more than SGA levels, your benefits may be terminated following your next continuing disability review (CDR).
It is important to know what the SSA considers when determining whether your income exceeds the established SGA threshold. The SSA uses your gross pay to do so and does not allow you to exclude insurance premiums, FICA taxes, union dues, pension payments, state and tax withholdings, or additional standard payroll deductions. In contrast, the SSA does not count any income that you obtain from passive income sources, such as investments, gifts, or interest.
How Is Substantial Gainful Activity Calculated?
Each year, the SSA adjusts the SGA limit based on changes in national wages. The method for calculating SGA differs for blind and non-blind individuals. 2025 calculations are explained below. To learn more about this process, visit the SSA website.
For statutorily blind individuals, the SSA takes the SGA amount from 1994 and adjusts it using the ratio of the national average wage index from 2023 and 1992.
For non-blind individuals, the process is similar, but the SSA starts with the SGA amount from 2000 and adjusts it using the wage index for 2023 and 1998.
In both cases, the final amount is rounded to the nearest multiple of $10. If this calculated amount is lower than the previous year’s SGA limit, the SSA uses the higher amount.
Work with a Trusted SSDI Attorney
Applying for SSDI and SSI is often complicated, and it’s all the more difficult when you are struggling to earn an income while experiencing a disabling condition. If you believe you qualify for SSDI or SSI but need assistance applying or appealing for benefits, contact Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys to see how we can help.