How Much Money Can I Make While Receiving SSI Benefits?
After youve been approved for SSI benefits, the SGA limit doesnt apply to you. With SSI, your income is factored in differently. You can start working and also continue to receive SSI benefits as long as your wages and other resources don't exceed SSA's income limit for SSI. However, your SSI monthly benefit amount will be reduced in proportion to your income.
Here is how that works. Both the federal benefit amount and the SSI countable income limit are $841 (in 2022). SSA will reduce your SSI monthly benefit by the amount of your "countable income."
So lets say you have a job, SSA doesn't include the first $85 you earn toward your countable income. After taking the $85 adjustment off of your countable income, SSA will deduct, from your monthly benefits, 50 cents for every dollar ($1) you earn. For example, lets say you earn $900 a month from your job, you will have $407.50 of countable income. Below is a breakdown:
$900
- $85
= $815
÷ 2
= $407.50
Your monthly SSI benefit amount would be reduced by $407.50. So, lets say you were receiving the max SSI of $841 per month, $841-$407.50= $433.50. So 433.50 would be your new SSI monthly benefit amount.
Keep in mind, that you can earn up to about $1,675 a month, if you have no other income (ex. pension, child support, etc.) , before your SSI benefit is reduced to zero.