Individuals who are unable to earn a living due to a disabling condition rely on social security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits to survive. However, in order to be approved for social security, you need to meet very specific requirements, one of which is adhering to the income limits. You can read on to learn more about how social security disability works and what the income limits are for 2020.

How Social Security Disability Works

People who have a medical condition that prevents them from being able to work or earn a living in any way will often be eligible for social security disability benefits. However, in order to qualify for these benefits, certain criteria must be met. First, you need to be able to prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you are unable to work.

The SSA keeps a list of qualifying conditions that automatically qualify for social security benefits. But if you have another condition that is not on that list, that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to obtain benefits. If your medical records are able to support your disability, you may be able to secure SSDI approval.

In addition to having a qualifying disability, you will need to have earned a certain number of work credits, usually 40 total credits, 20 of which must have been earned within the last 10 years. This number may be different for people who are younger and haven’t had the opportunity to earn the required number of work credits.

If both requirements have been met, you should be eligible for social security disability benefits. However, it is not uncommon for SSDI applications to be denied, and many claimants will spend years attempting to obtain SSD approval.

Income Limits for SSDI

It may or may not come as a surprise to learn that you are actually capable of earning money while also receiving social security disability benefits. But you are only able to earn a certain amount of money in order to continue collecting SSDI benefits.

This amount changes yearly, and as of 2020, individuals collecting social security disability benefits may have a maximum monthly income limit of $1,260 for the disabled and $2,110 for people who are blind. This is known as substantial gainful activity (SGA) and can have a significant impact on your ability to obtain social security disability benefits.

If you earn more than the SSDI income limits, it is possible that your social security disability benefits could be terminated altogether. For this reason, many SSDI beneficiaries will not seek additional employment opportunities.

Contact a Social Security Disability Lawyer in Boston

If you live in or around Boston, Massachusetts, and you have yet to file a SSDI claim and aren’t sure where to turn for help, reach out to a qualified Boston social security disability lawyer at Joel H. Schwartz, PC. You can give our office a call at 617-742-1170 or fill out the online contact form below when you are ready to get started on your case.