Working while on SSDI
December 1, 2023 10:36 PM Subscribe
I am a disabled senior on SSDI and would like to make a little extra money by working part time from home. I am thinking about taking a class in affiliate marketing as I know very little about that field. However, my understanding is that the earning potential is very high. I don't want to do anything that could sabotage my benefits. Does anyone happen to know if the money made from affiliate marketing is considered "passive income" where SSDI is concerned?
If the people trying to get you to pay for the class are telling you the income potential is very high, they are almost certainly ripping you off. Forgive me for being so blunt, but I would hate to see someone in your position be taken advantage of.
And, yes, plonkee is right that this is almost certainly not "passive income" as the SSA would see it.
posted by praemunire at 5:55 AM on December 2, 2023 [17 favorites]
And, yes, plonkee is right that this is almost certainly not "passive income" as the SSA would see it.
posted by praemunire at 5:55 AM on December 2, 2023 [17 favorites]
SSDI or SSI? SSDI has far less restrictive income constraints, but if you’re a senior, then you would have been switched from SSDI to regular Social Security at your retirement age.
If it is SSI, don’t try to earn any income or have any assets. That is one of the most punitive programs there is.
posted by Huggiesbear at 7:25 AM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
If it is SSI, don’t try to earn any income or have any assets. That is one of the most punitive programs there is.
posted by Huggiesbear at 7:25 AM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mod note: One comment for suggesting illegal activity, please avoid doing that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:35 AM on December 2, 2023
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:35 AM on December 2, 2023
Fellow SSDI recipient here. I agree with others that it's very unlikely you will immediately be exceeding the roughly $1500/month income limit for SSDI. If you did, that would be not a problem, but an awesome improvement in your life.
Even if you did have a great month and earned $50,000, then you wouldn't necessarily be forcibly exited from SSDI. There is a somewhat complicated flowchart that I don't have immediate access to, and also changes from state to state (so not productive to link to) that will guide the Social Security Administration on when you would lose your benefits. Fictional examples would be after one month of one million dollars income, or 24 months of income over $3,000 with all sorts of point-based variants in between. Like I wrote, it's so complicated that SSA administrators have a large flowchart and binder full of exceptions to guide them on how to implement it.
It's likely that a person at your state's equivalent of Health and Social Services department is familiar with this process and can guide you on it for free-- that's how I learned everything I've written here, from a Washington state DHS vocational rehab officer.
But sadly, I wouldn't trust income promises from internet marketers. It might be true, but experience suggests it probably isn't.
posted by seasparrow at 9:35 AM on December 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
Even if you did have a great month and earned $50,000, then you wouldn't necessarily be forcibly exited from SSDI. There is a somewhat complicated flowchart that I don't have immediate access to, and also changes from state to state (so not productive to link to) that will guide the Social Security Administration on when you would lose your benefits. Fictional examples would be after one month of one million dollars income, or 24 months of income over $3,000 with all sorts of point-based variants in between. Like I wrote, it's so complicated that SSA administrators have a large flowchart and binder full of exceptions to guide them on how to implement it.
It's likely that a person at your state's equivalent of Health and Social Services department is familiar with this process and can guide you on it for free-- that's how I learned everything I've written here, from a Washington state DHS vocational rehab officer.
But sadly, I wouldn't trust income promises from internet marketers. It might be true, but experience suggests it probably isn't.
posted by seasparrow at 9:35 AM on December 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
Fellow SSDI recipient here. I agree with others that it's very unlikely you will immediately be exceeding the roughly $1500/month income limit for SSDI.
The income limit is much less than this number -- in 2024, any time you make more than $1110 per month, you trigger a trial work period. If you do this for nine months, consecutive or nonconsecutive, you'll trigger a re-evaluation (a continuing disability review, or CDR) and the SSA will end your benefits.
I'm an SSDI recipient and I'm doing the opposite thing htm is doing -- I'm deliberately trying to return to full-time work after a transplant and nearly a decade on SSDI. In October, I made $850, and it didn't count. In November, I made $1200, so it did.
The SGA, which seasparrow mentions above, is in fact $1550 a month in 2024. But the SGA isn't the earnings limit -- it's the amount that SSA believes that you should be able to make without qualifying for disability.
Again, super confusing and you really should talk to someone at the SSA. Just wanted to catch you in case you made like $1300 a month for a year and SSA starts an eligibility review.
posted by mochapickle at 11:55 AM on December 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
The income limit is much less than this number -- in 2024, any time you make more than $1110 per month, you trigger a trial work period. If you do this for nine months, consecutive or nonconsecutive, you'll trigger a re-evaluation (a continuing disability review, or CDR) and the SSA will end your benefits.
I'm an SSDI recipient and I'm doing the opposite thing htm is doing -- I'm deliberately trying to return to full-time work after a transplant and nearly a decade on SSDI. In October, I made $850, and it didn't count. In November, I made $1200, so it did.
The SGA, which seasparrow mentions above, is in fact $1550 a month in 2024. But the SGA isn't the earnings limit -- it's the amount that SSA believes that you should be able to make without qualifying for disability.
Again, super confusing and you really should talk to someone at the SSA. Just wanted to catch you in case you made like $1300 a month for a year and SSA starts an eligibility review.
posted by mochapickle at 11:55 AM on December 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
I've been dabbling in the affiliate income world for years, and you don't need to worry about making "too much" unless you get extremely lucky (lottery winning lucky) and even then that sort of luck is very short lived. It's an investment of your time and effort, and hopefully that investment pays off. With some luck (as nothing is guaranteed) you can make some money, but it'll be fairly linearly related to the amount of time, effort and yes, your own money, you put in.
Also, be wary of classes. A lot of folks make more $$ from selling their classes than they do actually making affiliate commissions. Feel free to Memail me if you want to chat - i don't claim to know even close to everything, but I've been around the block in this space and am familiar with the bigger, more legit names in the field. But It is not a get rich quick scheme, not even close.
Note I cant help with SSDI or taxes though as I'm a Canadian.
posted by cgg at 12:44 PM on December 2, 2023
Also, be wary of classes. A lot of folks make more $$ from selling their classes than they do actually making affiliate commissions. Feel free to Memail me if you want to chat - i don't claim to know even close to everything, but I've been around the block in this space and am familiar with the bigger, more legit names in the field. But It is not a get rich quick scheme, not even close.
Note I cant help with SSDI or taxes though as I'm a Canadian.
posted by cgg at 12:44 PM on December 2, 2023
Response by poster: Thank you, all, for your very helpful and eye-opening responses!
I was under the impression that affiliate marketers are paid via “royalties”, which are considered to be “passive income” where the SSA is concerned. I take it from your feedback that's not the case.
I have been an SSDI recipient for several years. It will not convert to Social Security Retirement (RIB) until August 2026.
I had no idea that if I earned more than 1110.00 in 2024 (well below the SGA), it would trigger a trial work period and an eligibility review.
The last time I contacted the SSA, I was told my income had fallen so far below the SGA that I didn’t need to send them my paycheck stubs anymore from the job I do (not from home) on a less than part time basis.
The class I’m interested in taking is a 2,000 investment; my understanding is that it will cost me apx. 6,000.00 at minimum in my first year of business. I’m not even sure I would like affiliate marketing or have the personality for it! It just seemed like a great way to make some extra money. I clearly need to do more research.
I will contact my SSDI advisor this week as well as my accountant.
Again, thank you for your feedback! I greatly appreciate it.
posted by htm at 5:16 PM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
I was under the impression that affiliate marketers are paid via “royalties”, which are considered to be “passive income” where the SSA is concerned. I take it from your feedback that's not the case.
I have been an SSDI recipient for several years. It will not convert to Social Security Retirement (RIB) until August 2026.
I had no idea that if I earned more than 1110.00 in 2024 (well below the SGA), it would trigger a trial work period and an eligibility review.
The last time I contacted the SSA, I was told my income had fallen so far below the SGA that I didn’t need to send them my paycheck stubs anymore from the job I do (not from home) on a less than part time basis.
The class I’m interested in taking is a 2,000 investment; my understanding is that it will cost me apx. 6,000.00 at minimum in my first year of business. I’m not even sure I would like affiliate marketing or have the personality for it! It just seemed like a great way to make some extra money. I clearly need to do more research.
I will contact my SSDI advisor this week as well as my accountant.
Again, thank you for your feedback! I greatly appreciate it.
posted by htm at 5:16 PM on December 2, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Also, affiliate marketing is a fine way to earn a bit of extra cash, the earning potential is only high if you have built up a following or you have excellent SEO. The majority of people probably earn less than $5k per year. It's quite a bit of work and you need some luck. I would say that it works best for people that enjoy streaming/creating content anyway.
posted by plonkee at 1:42 AM on December 2, 2023 [3 favorites]