Working Part Time on SSDI in Nevada: What You Must Know

Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits does not automatically prohibit you from earning any income. Many Nevada residents on SSDI wonder whether they can pick up part-time work without losing their benefits. The answer depends on several factors, including how much you earn, how long you work, and whether you properly report your wages to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Understanding these rules is essential before you accept any position.

Understanding Substantial Gainful Activity

The cornerstone of the SSA's work rules is a concept called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). In 2024, the SSA considers you to be engaging in SGA if you earn more than $1,550 per month from work (or $2,590 per month if you are blind). If your earnings consistently exceed the SGA threshold, the SSA may determine that you are no longer disabled and terminate your benefits.

Part-time work can remain below the SGA limit, which is why many SSDI recipients in Nevada explore reduced-hour employment. However, earning below the SGA threshold does not automatically protect your benefits. The SSA examines the nature of your work, not just the dollar amount. If you perform significant duties that demonstrate the ability to work full-time, the agency may still find that your disability no longer qualifies—even if your paycheck is modest.

• 2024 SGA limit (non-blind): $1,550/month
• 2024 SGA limit (blind): $2,590/month
• Limits adjust annually with cost-of-living increases
• Self-employment income is evaluated differently than wages

The Trial Work Period: A Built-In Safety Net

Nevada SSDI recipients are entitled to a Trial Work Period (TWP), one of the most valuable and underutilized protections in the disability system. The TWP allows you to test your ability to return to work for up to nine months within any rolling 60-month period without affecting your benefits—regardless of how much you earn during those months.

In 2024, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a TWP month. You do not have to use these nine months consecutively. Once you exhaust all nine TWP months, the SSA enters a review period to evaluate whether your work qualifies as SGA. If it does, you receive a three-month grace period of continued payments before benefits stop.

The TWP exists specifically to encourage people with disabilities to attempt employment without the fear of immediate benefit termination. Many Nevada workers unknowingly spend TWP months without realizing it, which can lead to unexpected cutoffs later. Tracking your TWP usage is critical from day one of returning to work.

Reporting Your Earnings to the SSA

Regardless of how little you earn, you are legally required to report all work activity and wages to the SSA. Failure to report income—even part-time, seasonal, or gig work—can result in overpayment demands, benefit suspension, and in serious cases, allegations of fraud. The SSA may require repayment of every dollar paid to you during periods of unreported earnings.

Nevada residents can report wages through several channels:

• The SSA's toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213
• Online through your My Social Security account at ssa.gov
• The SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app
• In person at your local Nevada SSA office (Las Vegas, Reno, Henderson, and Carson City all have field offices)
• By mailing pay stubs directly to your local SSA field office

Report promptly—ideally by the 10th of the month following the month you worked. Keep copies of everything you submit. Documentation protects you if the SSA later claims it never received your report.

How Part-Time Work Affects Your Medicare Coverage

One concern that stops many Nevada SSDI recipients from returning to work is the fear of losing Medicare coverage. The law addresses this through Extended Period of Medicare Coverage rules. After your TWP ends and you are still working, Medicare continues for at least 93 additional months (nearly 7.5 years) even if your cash benefits stop due to SGA-level work.

After that extended period, you may purchase Medicare Part A and Part B as a disabled worker at reduced premium rates, provided you remain medically disabled. This protection is significant in Nevada, where individual health insurance can be prohibitively expensive. Do not let fear of losing medical coverage prevent you from exploring part-time employment—the continuation rules are far more generous than most people realize.

The Ticket to Work Program and Nevada Resources

The SSA's Ticket to Work program is a free and voluntary program designed for SSDI recipients between ages 18 and 64 who want to re-enter the workforce. By assigning your Ticket to an approved Employment Network or State Vocational Rehabilitation agency, you receive employment support services and gain certain protections against Continuing Disability Reviews while you are making progress toward employment goals.

In Nevada, the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR)—operated through the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR)—serves as a primary resource. BVR can assist with job training, job placement, assistive technology, and workplace accommodations, often at no cost to eligible individuals. Nevada's BVR offices in Las Vegas and Reno regularly coordinate with SSA field offices to help clients navigate the intersection of benefits and employment.

Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) programs are also available in Nevada. These federally funded counselors provide personalized benefits counseling at no charge and can walk you through exactly how a specific part-time job will affect your particular SSDI case—including calculations of your specific TWP months used, your SGA exposure, and your Medicare continuation timeline.

Before accepting any part-time position, speak with a WIPA counselor or a disability attorney. A small mistake—like failing to report a few months of wages or misunderstanding the SGA rules—can trigger overpayments that take years to resolve. The rules governing SSDI and work are complex, and the SSA's notices are not always clear or timely.

Need Help? If you have questions about your case, call or text 833-657-4812 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

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