Voluntarily Suspending Your SSDI Benefits While Working
Have you started working and earning income? Congratulations!
If you're working and receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you may be concerned about being overpaid by Social Security. One way to avoid the possibility of an overpayment is to consider voluntarily suspending your SSDI payment.
An overpayment occurs when you receive more money from Social Security than what you were owed for that month. The overpayment amount is equal to the difference between the cash payment you received and the amount you were due. If you have been overpaid by Social Security, you are responsible for paying it back.
Requesting a suspension of your SSDI benefits
If you realize that you've been overpaid or that you're at risk of being overpaid by Social Security due to your substantial work activity and wages, you may be able to request that your SSDI payments be suspended.
Reporting your wages
Remember, whether you receive SSDI or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), it’s important to report your wages. Accurate and timely reporting can help avoid overpayments.
A voluntary request for suspension to avoid or reduce a possible overpayment may be processed if you:
- Completed the grace period after your Trial Work Period (TWP); or
- Are not entitled to a TWP; or
- Are in the Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) initial reinstatement period.
Please contact 1-800-772-1213 or your local office to learn more about how to request that Social Security suspend your benefits.
To learn more about these Social Security Work Incentives for people who receive SSDI, visit Social Security's Redbook.
Who can help?
If you're participating in the Ticket to Work (Ticket) program, you have access to a variety of free services, including benefits counseling. For example, you may have assigned your Ticket to Work to an Employment Network (EN) or talked with a Benefits Counselor at a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project. WIPA projects and some ENs have Benefits Counselors on staff, who can help you understand how work will affect your benefits and decide if you want to voluntarily suspend your SSDI payment.
You can connect with a service provider who offers benefits counseling by using our Find Help tool. Once you search for service providers, you can use the search filter "Services" to search only for organizations that offer benefits counseling.
To voluntarily suspend your benefits, you will need to submit a signed statement to Social Security. A Benefits Counselor can help you with this process, or you can contact your Social Security Field Office directly.
Ticket to Work
Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.
Learn more
To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.
