If you’ve sustained a debilitating injury or received a life-altering disability diagnosis, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. However, you still need to know whether or not you can work and remain eligible for SSDI benefits in Arkansas.
In order to be eligible for SSDI benefits in Arkansas, you need to have a work history. Arkansas residents contribute to the system through Social Security taxes deducted from their paychecks, enabling them to access benefits when needed. However, to qualify for SSDI benefits, you can only earn a certain amount of money per year. This causes many SSDI recipients to be able to work only part-time. That being said, there are certain circumstances where people on SSDI benefits can still work and receive some level of income. If your injuries are work-related and prevent you from earning any income at all, you may be able to gain access to Workers’ Compensation benefits as well.
For a free case evaluation with our Arkansas disability attorneys, call today at (479) 316-0438.
Can You Work Full-Time and Get SSDI Benefits in Arkansas?
If you are receiving SSDI benefits because of a medical condition or disability, you may be wondering if you can still have a job and make money. Individuals receiving SSDI benefits in Arkansas can only work under specific circumstances.
Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are designed to essentially replace income for individuals who are unable to continue working due to a debilitating injury or disability.
The idea is that your injuries are severe enough to prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA), so you need these benefits to help with your expenses instead. Thus, generally, you cannot maintain a full-time job while receiving SSDI benefits in Arkansas.
If you do, the Social Security Administration (SSA) may quickly revoke all monthly payments.
What is Considered Substantial Gainful Activity for SSDI Recipients?
If someone engages in substantial gainful activity, the SSA may deem them able to be “gainfully employed.” If someone can be gainfully employed, they can earn a steady income and be self-sufficient. Regardless of the part-time work you’re doing, it’s considered substantial gainful activity if you earn over a certain amount per month.
The SGA limit changes annually. In 2025, the SGA limit is $2,700 per month for blind SSDI recipients and $1,620 per month for non-blind recipients.
For any month that you earn over the SGA limit, you may not get your SSDI check. It’s important to note that you have to report all income, including passive income, when receiving SSDI benefits. Our Arkansas disability attorneys can help you properly report your income and make deductions for expenses related to your disability to remain below the SGA threshold.
Receiving SSDI While Working Part Time in Arkansas
If you cannot continue working at your previous job but want to remain in the workforce, you may be able to work part-time while receiving SSDI benefits in Arkansas.
Even if you can work part-time, it may be at an extremely low capacity to ensure you don’t exceed SGA limits while receiving SSDI benefits in Arkansas. Remember, if you earn an income that’s over the threshold, you may become ineligible for SSDI benefits for that month.
There are exceptions to this income threshold, such as for individuals who want to try to return to work full-time. If an issue with your current income threatens your eligibility for benefits or you have questions, reach out to our Bella Vista disability lawyers.
Remember, you must report all income to the SSA while you get SSDI. Failure to do so can lead to serious consequences, and you may even have to repay benefits to the SSA for the months you earned over the SGA limit for your disability.
What Are SSDI Trial Work Periods in Arkansas?
If you want to return to work full-time but are unsure whether you will be able to, you won’t always lose your SSDI benefits immediately. Trial work periods (TWPs) enable individuals to retain access to SSDI benefits while testing their work abilities over nine months.
While this may sound exciting to disabled Arkansas residents, it’s important to note that TWPs are automatically triggered if income exceeds a specific threshold. In 2025, the amount that triggers a TWP is $1,160, which is notably lower than the SGA limit.
Not all individuals on SSDI benefits are eligible for a TWP, so it’s important to ask our Arkansas disability lawyers if you are. The nine-month TWP doesn’t have to be consecutive, although it must be completed over five years.
What Triggers a Trial Work Period for SSDI Recipients?
If you are in a trial work period, any month you earn equal to or over $1,160 will count as part of your TWP. As long as you are in a TWP, you will not lose access to your SSDI benefits. Remember, entering into a TWP doesn’t require enrollment, as it will be automatically triggered if you earn over the threshold.
Still, you may maintain a part-time job and avoid triggering a TWP by letting our lawyers and do deduct costs associated with your disability before reporting your earned income.
TWPs can benefit SSDI recipients, but they can also be very complicated. If you’re interested in entering into a TWP, talk with our lawyers before you do so. Because these periods are automatically triggered when recipients don’t take certain precautions, you may unknowingly enter into a TWP, and should call us for help if this happens to you.
What is the Extended Period of Eligibility for SSDI Recipients?
After a TWP is complete, the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) begins. We can help you assert your continued need for SSDI during this time, allowing you to maintain your monthly benefits in Arkansas.
The EPE is a 36-month period that begins immediately after a trial work period ends. During this time, Arkansas residents can still receive full benefits if their monthly income is less than the SGA threshold.
If you continue to meet the SSA’s definition of disability during the three-year re-entitlement period, your monthly benefits may continue. Earning over the SGA limit during any month of a trial work period means you won’t get a benefit check that month. And, if you continue earning over the SGA limit throughout the extended period of eligibility and after it ends, you may stop getting SSDI checks altogether.
Let us help you navigate the 36-month EPE after a trial work period so you keep your SSDI benefits in Arkansas.
Should You Work While Getting SSDI Benefits?
Due to the limitations on SSDI recipients’ outside earned incomes, working while receiving benefits can be a risky proposition. SSDI benefits are reserved for individuals who are unable to earn enough to support themselves without assistance from the SSA. The SSA doesn’t hesitate to revoke benefits from those who no longer meet the definition of disabled, so you should understand the risks of working while getting SSDI.
Working while receiving SSDI benefits can lead to a range of problems. Not only do you have to report all outside income to the SSA, but you have to monitor your hours and earnings to ensure you don’t surpass the SGA limit or unintentionally trigger a trial work period.
If you choose to work part-time while receiving SSDI benefits, stay up-to-date on the SGA and TWP thresholds. They typically increase annually, potentially letting SSDI recipients ease back into the workforce more slowly without risking losing their benefits.
Do You Need a Work History to Qualify for SSDI Benefits in Arkansas?
Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are available to individuals who have sustained severe injuries that prevent them from earning a sufficient income. Generally, to receive SSDI benefits, an Arkansas resident must have a work history that meets specific requirements.
One of the major qualifications for receiving SSDI benefits in Arkansas is having work credits. This means that you must pay into the system by paying Social Security payroll taxes throughout your lifetime. Your employers should do this on your behalf throughout your life, so paying into SSDI isn’t something most people need to do intentionally.
The number of work credits you need to qualify for SSDI benefits depends on your age and when you were diagnosed with a disability.
But, yes, you do need a work history to qualify for SSDI benefits in Arkansas. If you have not been employed and paid into the system, you most likely cannot receive these crucial benefits.
Disabled adult children are a notable exception to this rule. These individuals may get SSDI if they have a parent with a qualifying work history and they became disabled before turning 22.
What Should You Do if You Can’t Work While Receiving SSDI Benefits?
If your disability prevents you from working while receiving SSDI benefits, you have options. Our experienced attorneys can help you file a Workers’ Compensation claim, allowing you to live comfortably despite being unable to work due to a work-related injury.
Working part-time while receiving SSDI benefits can improve the quality of life for some Arkansas residents. However, if you cannot work because your injuries are severe and you were injured while on the job, our Arkansas Workers’ Compensation attorneys can help. We can file a claim against your employer’s insurance to receive additional benefits. That being said, Arkansas residents who receive Workers’ Compensation benefits may see their SSDI benefits reduced.
In Arkansas, injured workers can receive both Workers’ Compensation and SSDI benefits simultaneously. In fact, it is common for Arkansas residents injured and work to do just that.
Call Our Arkansas Attorneys for Help Applying for SSDI Benefits Today
For a free case evaluation with our Fayetteville, Arkansas disability attorneys, call today at (479) 316-0438.