How Much Income Can I Make and Qualify for SSI?

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is one of the two disability assistance programs offered by the Social Security Administration. Unlike the other program (Social Security Disability Insurance, or “SSDI”), SSI is a needs-based benefit available to people with very limited resources. Adults who aren’t eligible for SSDI because they haven’t worked enough before they became disabled can qualify for SSI provided they have low income and assets. 

Many people who receive SNAP benefits (“food stamps”) or who are on Medicaid will also qualify for SSI and vice versa. But working can make you ineligible if you start making too much money. You can generally earn about $2,000 per month and still qualify for SSI benefits, but making anything over about $85 will start to decrease your SSI check. That’s because Social Security provides certain “income exclusions” and won’t count everything you earn towards the SSI income limit. 

Figuring out whether your earnings will be counted towards the SSI income limits can be a pretty complicated endeavor, so it helps to become familiar with some special terms that Social Security uses to assess your ongoing eligibility for SSI (and your monthly check amount).

The Federal Benefit Rate

The SSI income limit is based on something called the “federal benefit rate” (FBR). This is the maximum monthly SSI payment set by the federal government. For 2026, the FBR is $994 for individuals and $1,491 for couples. The rate is adjusted annually to reflect increases in the cost of living. 

The FBR isn’t only the maximum amount you can get every month in SSI benefits. It’s also the most you can have in “countable income” and still receive SSI. That’s because if you’re working, Social Security will lower your SSI benefits by a certain amount relative to your earnings. But the agency doesn’t count everything you earn towards the SSI income cap. These “exclusions” mean that you can earn more than the federal benefit rate and still get SSI (albeit at a reduced amount).

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The Earned Income Exclusion

Social Security will exclude about one-half of your earnings when determining whether you’re over the SSI income threshold for that month. (This is called the “earned income exclusion.”) The rest of your earnings is called “countable income,” and it’s this number that can’t exceed the federal benefit rate. Because of this, you can earn $2,000 from working and still be eligible for a (tiny) SSI benefit. 

For example, say you’re receiving SSI and you’re earning $1,015 per month working part-time at an animal shelter. When calculating how much your SSI check will be, Social Security will subtract the first $85 of your wages as well as one-half of your remaining wages. $1,015 minus $85 equals $930, and one-half of $930 is $465, so your countable income for that month will be $465. Social Security will then subtract that $465 from the federal benefit rate, meaning that in 2026, your monthly SSI check will be $529 ($994 minus $465 equals $529).

Work Expenses and Educational Exclusions

Social Security can also subtract money you spent on disability-rated expenses for work or school from your total income, meaning you won’t have as much taken out of your SSI check. Examples of  “impairment-related work expenses” can include special equipment (such as screen-reader software) or the cost of taking paratransit from your house to your workplace. 

If you’re under age 22, receiving SSI, and are in school part-time while also working, Social Security will exempt up to $2,410 of earned income per month capped at a yearly maximum amount of $9,730 (for 2026). You can qualify for this exclusion if you’re home-schooled as a result of your disability.

The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) Program

SSI recipients who have income that can reduce their monthly benefits may be eligible to enroll in the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program. This program allows you to set aside earnings towards an employment goal—for example, buying a car to help you get to your job—by excluding these earnings from countable income that reduces your SSI benefit amount. 

SSI Income Limits vs. Substantial Gainful Activity Limits

It’s important to make the distinction between working while currently receiving SSI and working before you’ve been approved for SSI. The income limits and exclusions described above are applicable to people who are already getting SSI benefits, and they’re meant to make sure that the program continues to help people based on their financial need. 

But if you’re still in the process of applying for SSI, the rules on how much you can make are quite different. That’s because Social Security hasn’t decided that you’re disabled yet, and part of the agency’s definition of disability is that you’re unable to work at the level of substantial gainful activity (SGA). For 2026, the SGA amount is $1,690 per month. Social Security considers earning this amount or more to indicate that you’re capable of full-time employment and, therefore, aren’t disabled. 

In other words, the SSI income limit determines whether you’re financially eligible for SSI, while the SGA limit helps determine whether your health condition is severe enough to keep you from working full-time (“medically” eligible). If you haven’t been awarded disability benefits yet, you’ll need to show that you’re both financially and medically eligible to receive SSI before your claim will be approved.