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Countable Earnings - SSDI (Title II)

If you are a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI-Title II) beneficiary, there are five reasons why you might want to use one or more of the SSA Work Incentives to reduce the amount of your earned income that SSA recognizes as your "Countable Earnings." Which of the Work Incentives will be available and useful to you depends both on your circumstances and on your reason for wanting your countable earnings reduced.

NOTE: For an explanation of the various ways in which the terms "Countable Earnings" and "Countable Income" are used in the Social Security programs, see: Countable Income and Countable Earnings Overview –SSI/DI.

Here are the five reasons:

1.   If you have not completed your Trial Work Period (TWP), then countable earnings of $720 during 2012 (unchanged from 2011) or more in a month will make that month count as one of your 9 TWP months;

NOTE: The amount of countable earnings that use up a TWP month may change each year. See the TWP Table for amounts in previous years.

2.   If you have completed your TWP and Grace Period and have not completed your 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), then if your countable earnings are greater than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level, your SSDI cash benefit will not be paid for that month;

3.   If you have completed 36 months of EPE, then your SSDI eligibility will not be terminated until the first month after that 36 months that your monthly countable earnings exceed the SGA level; and

4.   If you want to receive SSI but are ineligible because your earned income exceeds the SGA level, then reducing your countable earnings may make you eligible for SSI (and Medicaid); and/or

5.   If you want to receive SSI but are ineligible because your combined SSDI benefit (and/or other unearned income) plus your earned income (if any) is too high to allow you to receive at least $1 of SSI, then reducing your "countable income" may make you eligible for SSI (and Medicaid).

NOTE: The "countable income" used to calculate your SSI benefit amount is the sum of your "countable earned income" and your "countable unearned income". This "countable earned income" is very different from the "countable earnings" used to determine SGA. See Countable Income and Countable Earnings Overview –SSI/DI for an explanation of the differences.

Source

Social Security Administration at:
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/colafacts2012.htm

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