People think that disability restricts them from earning money; yes, it may reduce efficiency, but there are various sources that help in getting a steady income. How much money can someone on disability earn is one of the most common concerns of people because accidents or some sort of mishap cause them disability.
From government schemes to other sources, there are various ways that help people earn money even after becoming disabled. In this article, we will break down all the inline topics related to this concern. Having an income source is very important in life because total living depends on it.
How Can a Disabled Person Earn Money?
Disability makes many things difficult to do, but there are various sources that allow a person with disability to get a steady income. However, there are several factors and criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to get paid. Some of the earning methods are based on a person’s skills.
- Government Programs: In the first place, there are various government assistance programs available for disabled people that provide a monthly income. Programs like Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income are present, which offer income to eligible persons. We will discuss these in detail.
- Remote or Online Work: This is an individual-based process; if you possess some skills, then you can work remotely as a freelancer. In this, by doing any task of your choice, the disabled person can get paid for the task completion. Also, many companies provide work from home to people who are senior or are not able to come on-site for work.
- Rents and Commissions: If a person with disability has property, then they can rent these assets. With this, a monthly or timely rent income will start. In the USA, rent income can be a good source of income.
- Other: There are some other ways present, using which people with disability can earn money for their living. Many people have their own business, which ensures long-term income.
Understanding Disability Benefits in Simple Terms
There are mainly two programs provided by the government that provide direct income to disabled people. These plans are specifically designed for unique needs but are only available under certain conditions that need to be fulfilled.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
People who are not able to work due to some sort of long-term disability can have a federal benefit program, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). However, to be eligible for these benefits, it is required that the person have worked and paid social security taxes on which the credits are based.
Also, the person should have a qualified medical condition for which the monthly benefits are provided. The work credits are calculated based on the work history and income potential of the person who is now suffering from a disability.
The SSDI is one of the most used and best plan for people who encounters some type of disability, which makes them eligible for this program. For people who ask, How much money can someone on disability earn, the answer cannot be defined as Yes or No. However, disabled people can earn money; there is no doubt in this, but the amount always depends on various factors.
If the person gets approval for the SSDI benefits, then they can start earning an income through work. There is a factor of Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) present. This is a standard term used by the Social Security Administration to determine or evaluate what are the earning limits. If a person earns more than the SGA limit, then they can continue to work and earn, but their SSDI benefits may be reduced or stop.
Also, this only applies to disabled people. And if you are a person with disability who earns less than the SGA threshold, then you will get a SSDI monthly income based on your work history. Simply, the SSDI eligibility highly depends on the work history rather than the financial needs. So, people who are qualified will get a steady source of income, which makes it highly flexible and accessible.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is provided by the Social Security Administration. The SSI is a program that aims to provide income to people with disability, the blind, or those aged over 65 years. This plan does not depend on the work history; it just provides income to low-income people. The eligibility criteria of this program depend on both medical condition and financial requirements.
The medical conditions or disability that are eligible for the SSI are the same as those of the SSDI, defined by the Social Security Benefits Department. This means that the disability should be severe, which prevents the person from doing daily activities, even work, and will last for at least a year.
However, the SSI payments are influenced by the income of the person or beneficiary. In this, income from pension, work, or any other type of financial assistance is counted. This income may reduce the SSI benefits because it is given based on financial needs, so higher earners will be ineligible for these benefits.
How Much Money Can Someone on Disability Earn?
How much money can you earn while on disability cannot be defined directly. This is because the monthly or annual income amount is not fixed for everyone and every time. If a person has a decent salary, then the income in disability can be high from various sources, and if a person earns less than after including the SSDI or other benefits, the income is defined.
So, we talk about the amount of income limits, for being qualified for the SSDI, the SGA should be below $1,690. The amount for a blind person is $2,830 per month in 2026. However, this amount is determined based on various factors like the earning history and income potential. Earning above these amounts will disqualify you from the SSDI.
The income limits for SSI benefits are approximately $2,000 per month for individuals and approximately $3,000 for couples. In the case of SSI, here the income potential is the main focus and low income people are preferred.
Disability Payments Received in SSI
| Recipient | Monthly Receivable Amount for 2026 |
| Individual Person | $994 |
| Couple | $1,491 |
| Essential Person | $498 |
The above table depicts how much a disabled person or couple will receive in payments on a monthly basis. Again, these numbers may differ because of other rules and state-level policies. There are some states that increase this amount by adding some kind of money in it. The main concern, how much money can someone on disability earn, is an important issue to understand, especially for disabled persons.
Can You Work While on Disability?
Encountering a disability, which can be of any kind, like due to an accident or due to a disease, will make normal working difficult. However, someone with disability can still earn money other than SSDI or SSI. But the Social Security Administration always monitors such income to ensure that the benefits provided in these schemes will be paid to qualified people only. There are some ways using which earning money can be possible
Many people often ask, Can you earn any money on disability, So the clear answer is yes. Earning money while having disability is possible to a good extent.
Part-Time and Full-Time Work
If you are working in an organization and have become disabled, then there are many companies and departments that allow people with disability to work. This is generally applicable for desk or low-mobility work. Part-time working is one of the most common way that disabled persons chooses for their regular income.
One factor that needs attention is the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). The part-time income should be within the SGA limits to be qualified as a SSDI recipient. However, in the case of SSI payments, any other source of income will reduce the benefits gradually.
Common safe part-time work options include:
- Desk-based and low-mobility work
- Customer support or technical support jobs
- Remote administrative or data-entry work
- Tutoring or teaching online
Not just on disability, many people often prefer part-time work with their full-time jobs to increase their monthly earning capacity.
Self-Employement
In this context, self-employment is another popular option for people with disability. It is because this working category provides flexible working conditions and even remote arrangements. There are various works present in this, including freelancing, online consultation, and virtual assistant etc. For SSDI benefits, the Social Security department considers and evaluates income potential, working hours, and other factors to determine the benefits.
If we go by stats, in the year of 2023, there were over 1.2 million disabled people pursuing self-employment in the USA. So, this sector is very favourable for people with disability. Even though there are many people who have created a successful business even after having a disability.
Common self-employment options include:
- Freelance writing, design, or digital marketing
- Virtual assistance and work operator
- Selling digital products or services
- Running own business of any type
- Also, if you have decent work experience, then based on your expertise, you can get niche-based remote jobs with higher packages.
Disability Payments vs Real-Life Expenses: Is It Really Enough?
Whether the question is how much money can someone earn while on disability, earning money is necessary, and we can say earning a sufficient amount that can manage the daily expenses is important. It is a harsh truth that disability makes earning difficult. This is because the financial assistance provided by the government through SSDI or SSI sometimes seems low when compared to actual monthly expenses.
There are various expenses associated with an individual, including house charges, utilities, transportation, groceries, medical expenses (higher due to disability), etc. So, if we focus deeply, then will find that the social security benefits are specifically meant for essential needs. This means that managing complete household expenses may be difficult with these payments.
Generally, the disability payments that people get are designed based on the minimum living standards, which means they are enough to cover the bare minimum living expenses. However, in normal cases, various spending needs are present that cannot be tolerated. This is the reason why people work because a living-based income won’t be enough to cover all the things. From rents to other expenses like food, electricity, travelling, and medicals, these take a large portion of the total monthly income.
That’s why earning money through any medium, even with disability, is essential. Many people think that their savings and disability payments can make their living easy. But when they understand the truth that there are many things that need extra funds. For peopl with families, including children, have higher monthly expenses because education cost is also added.
While in the savings and monthly income, a factor of unexpected expenses should be considered. Any sudden money need can occur at any time. There are many reasons for this, like accidents, medical purposes, inflation, etc. These make the current income insufficient.
Conclusion
How much money can someone earn while on disability is a genuine and one of the most asked questions. The direct answer to this concern is that a person on disability can earn a decent amount of money to ensure a safe and comfortable living. Even many people with a good understanding are earning a very significant amount of money. There are various government schemes like SSDI and SSI that provide specific benefits to disabled people.
Also, a disabled person can work remotely and freelance to earn money. It is just in the mind that disability will prevent earning. But in real life, disability may affect the earning potential, but it does not completely restrict you from earning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I earn money on disability?
Yes, earning money while on disability is possible. There are various ways, like getting government benefits (SSDI, SSI, etc.), working remotely, freelancing, task-based jobs, low-mobility work if you have normal conditions, virtual assistant, etc.
Can you earn extra money while on disability?
If your job allows you to work while having disability and you want to earn extra money while on disability. Then this is completely possible. Many people do freelancing based on their expertise and experience, and earn a decent extra income, which empowers their overall earning potential.
