What Is Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)?

Substantial gainful activity (SGA) is the maximum monthly salary that can be earned by an individual who qualifies for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The SSA updates the maximum SGA amounts every year to reflect 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:inflation. Two limits are set: oꦅne for blind people and a second for all others who qualify for disability benefits.

Unde🐓rstanding Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)

Substantial gainful activity is a term coined by the Social Security Admꦬinistration to refer to the maximum income level below which a disabled individual is still eligible to receive disability benefits. A disabled person whose income falls below SGA levels can receive benefits.

The SGA amount is a key determinant in whether a person is considered disabled for the purposes of the SSA's programs.

Individuals unable to engage in activiti𒁏es that earn them more than the monthly SGA threshold qualify for disability payments. Those who are capable of engaging in activities that earn more than the threshold are not considered disabled for the purposes of its programs.

The threshold amounts used to calculate the SGA amount differ for blind people and all others with disabilities. Those who meet the SSA’s statutory definition of blindness have a higher SGA threshold than those who do not, which means that blind individuals can earn more per month without becoming ineligible for disability benefits.

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)

Beneficiaries of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) received a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 3.2% beginning January 2024. Benefits will increase again by 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:2.5% in 2025.

The precise increase depends on the individual's benefit amount. For instance, a person who received a monthly benefit of $1,530 in 2024 will receive $1,568 per month in 2025.

SSDI vs. SSI

The Social Security Administration provides disability payments to 𓆉individuals through two programs.

• 澳洲ജ幸运5♛官方开奖结果体彩网:Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) covers individuals who have paid into the Social Security program via payroll deductions in the past.
• 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pays benefits to disabled people who meet a specific set of financial eligibility requirements, whether they were previously employed or not.

The SGA thresholds ar♏e used to determine eligibility f𒈔or benefits from either program for disabled people, except for those who are blind.

For statutorily blind people, the SSA only uses the SGA to determine eligibility for payments under the SSDI program. For blind individuals who receive disability payments under the SSI program, the SSA does not use SGA thresholds in its initial determination of eligibility.

If a person who receives disability benefits is able to return to the workforce, the benefits continue to be paid for a brief transition period. This is intended as an incentive for disabled people to re-enter the workforce for the long term, if possible.

The Bottom Line

Substantialꦺ gainful activity is a bureaucratic term that lends a bit of flexibility for disabled people who want to keep working but may struggle to earn enough to get by. The SGA amount set by the SSA is a monthly maximum, meaning that some may forgo benefits when work is plentiful but receive a supplementary check when it is not.