New Sustainable Gainful Activity (SGA) Limit for 2026

Understanding how work activity affects your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, or your ongoing receipt of those benefits, is crucial for anyone applying for or receiving SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income). This is because the rules surrounding work activity — such as substantial gainful activity (SGA), trial work periods (TWPs), and other work-related exceptions — are complex and can directly affect benefit status. To add to that complexity, the Social Security Administration (SSA) updates key guidelines each year to reflect changes in earnings thresholds and economic conditions. In 2026, several SGA limits and definitions will change, which could impact both current and future beneficiaries. 

This article will break down the rules, explain how work affects your benefits, and highlight the changes for 2026, helping you navigate the system with confidence.

Understanding Substantial Gainful Activity: The Foundation of Disability Benefits

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, a claimant must show that a physical or mental impairment prevents them from performing work. The Social Security Administration evaluates work under a specific standard known as substantial gainful activity, commonly referred to as SGA.

SGA is a key threshold issue in disability claims. If the SSA determines that a claimant is engaged in substantial gainful activity, the claimant is generally not considered disabled, regardless of medical condition. Therefore, to qualify for disability, you must demonstrate that you are not working at SGA levels. 

What is SGA, and why does it matter for disability beneficiaries?

Substantial gainful activity is work that:

1. Involves significant physical or mental duties (substantial), and

2. Is performed for pay or profit at a level exceeding the SSA’s monthly income limits (gainful).

The SSA applies a specific test to determine whether work activity meets both parts of this standard.

What is “substantial” activity?

Work activity is considered substantial if it involves significant physical activities, mental activities, or a combination of both. Importantly, the number of hours worked is not dispositive. Both full-time and part-time work may qualify as substantial activity if the nature of the work is meaningful and productive.

Examples of substantial activity include:

• Performing duties for an employer

• Working in self-employment

• Carrying out tasks that require concentration, judgment, physical effort, or responsibility

Even work performed on a part-time schedule may be substantial if it involves significant duties.

What is “gainful” activity?

Work activity is considered gainful if it is performed for pay or profit. The SSA uses monthly earnings guidelines to determine whether work rises to the level of SGA. If a claimant’s earnings exceed the applicable monthly threshold, the SSA will generally find that the claimant is engaged in substantial gainful activity.

These earning limits are adjusted annually and may differ depending on whether the claimant is blind or non-blind.

SGA is often the first substantive issue evaluated in a disability claim. If a claimant is found to be engaging in SGA, the SSA may deny the claim without proceeding to evaluate medical evidence or functional limitations.

Distinguishing countable earnings from gross earnings

When evaluating substantial gainful activity, the SSA looks to a claimant’s gross earnings from actual work performed, including wages or gross income from self-employment, before deductions. The SSA does not consider income from non-work-related sources, such as gifts or inheritances, interest or dividends, retirement or pension income, or other forms of passive income not tied to work activity. The focus of the analysis is on the claimant’s gross income earned through the active performance of work-related tasks.

However, the SSA recognizes certain limited exceptions that allow specific expenses to be deducted so that the claimant’s countable earnings more accurately reflect the true level of work activity. These deductions can reduce the amount of income the SSA counts when determining whether work rises to the level of SGA, including the following:

• Impairment-related work expenses (IRWE): The SSA may deduct the cost of certain items or services you pay for that are necessary for you to work because of your impairment, such as assistive devices, specialized transportation, medications, or attendant care. These expenses must be paid by the claimant and are directly related to the impairment.

   

• Self-employment business expenses: For self-employed individuals, the SSA evaluates SGA based on net earnings rather than gross receipts, allowing ordinary and necessary business expenses, such as supplies, equipment, utilities, or advertising, to be deducted before determining countable earnings.

   

To be deductible, expenses generally must be reasonable, necessary, and supported by documentation, and they must be directly connected to the claimant’s ability to perform work activity.

Decoding the New 2026 SGA Limit

Substantial gainful activity limits are defined by how much money you earn from work, not by the number of hours worked or the type of job performed. The Social Security Administration sets a monthly earnings threshold to determine whether work activity rises to the level of SGA, and this amount is adjusted periodically to account for inflation and changes in average wages. These annual updates help ensure that eligibility standards keep pace with the cost of living and evolving labor market conditions. Without such adjustments, inflation could unfairly disqualify individuals whose real earning capacity has not meaningfully increased, or conversely, make the standard outdated and inconsistent with current economic realities. By updating SGA limits each year, the SSA aims to maintain a fair and accurate measure of whether a person’s work activity truly reflects the ability to engage in competitive employment.

The 2026 SGA limit for non-blind individuals 

In 2025, a non-blind individual was considered to be engaging in SGA if their work activity exceeded $1,620 per month in gross earnings. In 2026, that threshold increases to $1,690 per month in gross earnings.

The 2026 SGA limit for statutorily blind individuals 

The SSA applies higher substantial gainful activity limits for individuals who are statutorily blind, recognizing the unique employment barriers and accommodations often associated with blindness. As with the non-blind SGA limits, these amounts are based on gross monthly earnings and are adjusted periodically to reflect economic changes. In 2025, a blind individual was considered to be engaging in SGA if their work activity exceeded $2,700 per month. In 2026, that threshold increases to $2,830 per month in gross earnings.

The Real-World Impact: How the New SGA Limit Affects Your Monthly Benefit

Even small changes to SGA limits can influence monthly benefit outcomes. Understanding these impacts can help beneficiaries better navigate work and income decisions.

Crossing the SGA threshold: Consequences for your disability payments

Working after you are approved for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits does not automatically cause you to lose those benefits. In fact, the SSA encourages beneficiaries to attempt a return to work through a special protection called the trial work period. 

The trial work period allows anyone receiving SSDI benefits to work for up to nine months within a rolling five-year window without losing benefits, regardless of how much they earn. During these trial months, you may earn any level of income, even well above the SGA threshold, and still receive your SSDI payments. 

The SSA counts a calendar month toward your nine trial work months if your earnings exceed a set amount. These TWP thresholds are updated annually. In 2025, a month counted as a trial work month if you earned more than $1,160 before taxes. In 2026, that amount increases to $1,210. The nine trial work months do not need to be consecutive, and there is no formal enrollment process. The SSA automatically tracks your trial work months based on the wages or self-employment income you report.

Once you have accumulated nine trial work months within the five-year period, the TWP ends. If you stop working after that point, your SSDI benefits generally continue. If you continue working, the SSA will then evaluate whether your earnings are at the level of substantial gainful activity. If you are working at SGA levels after the TWP and applicable grace periods, your SSDI benefits may be terminated.

It is important to note that these work incentives apply only to SSDI benefits, not Supplemental Security Income. SSI does not have a trial work period. Instead, the SSA evaluates ongoing eligibility for SSI based on current income, including whether the claimant is working at SGA levels and how earnings affect the monthly payment amount. Understanding this distinction is critical for beneficiaries considering a return to work.

Crossing the SGA threshold: Consequences for your disability claim

Ongoing work activity can have a significant impact if you are considering applying for disability benefits or if your claim is pending at the initial, reconsideration, or appeal stage. As a general rule, the SSA will deny a disability claim if it finds that you are working at SGA levels. 

There are, however, limited exceptions to this rule. One of the most important is the concept of an unsuccessful work attempt (UWA). If you attempted to return to work after stopping due to your disability but were unable to continue working, the SSA may disregard that work activity when evaluating your claim. An unsuccessful work attempt is a return to work that ends within six months because of your impairment or the removal of special accommodations related to your disability.

To qualify as an unsuccessful work attempt, there must be a significant break between the time you stopped working due to your disability and the later work attempt. A significant break generally means that you were out of work for at least 30 consecutive days because of your impairment, or that you previously reduced your work to below SGA levels due to your condition. If you return to work and are forced to stop again within six months because you cannot perform the job due to your disability, the SSA may treat that work as unsuccessful.

If the work attempt lasts more than six months, it will not be considered unsuccessful, even if you later stop working. However, if you worked at SGA levels for less than six months and had to stop because your disability prevented you from continuing, you may still be eligible for SSDI or SSI benefits. For individuals applying for disability, carefully documenting the reasons work ended and how symptoms interfered with job performance can be critical to preserving eligibility.

If you are working below SGA levels, the SSA will not automatically deny your disability claim. Instead, the agency will consider your work activity as one factor among many when evaluating whether you are disabled. Below-SGA work may be viewed similarly to other daily activities, such as household tasks or limited volunteer work, and may be considered in assessing your functional abilities, consistency of symptoms, and credibility. Importantly, working at reduced hours or reduced earnings can also support a disability claim by demonstrating that, despite attempts to remain employed, your impairment limits your ability to sustain competitive employment.

Even small adjustments to SGA limits can affect your Social Security disability benefits. LaPorte Law Firm helps clients understand these changes and navigate the rules with confidence. We work to protect your benefits and provide clear guidance on work activity and eligibility. Reach out today to make sure your benefits stay secure.

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