What are the rules for working while on disability?

Working while on disability may seem counterintuitive since the purpose of disability benefits is to provide income for people who cannot work. However, as long as you continue to meet Social Security's definition of disabled, Social Security will continue to provide you with benefits while encouraging you to try getting back into the workforce.

If you're collecting SSDI benefits, you can attempt to work through something called the "trial work period," which allows you to work for a set period of time with no interruption to your benefits at at all.

You may work for a total of nine months out of a consecutive 60-month period of time and have those nine months count as the trial work period. (If you work nine total months out of 5 years, even if those nine months aren't all together, you'll have used up your trial period. If you don't get nine months of work in one year, the five year period keeps rolling on until you get nine months of work in within 5 years.)

You are considered to have worked for one of your nine total months if your income for the month is $720 or more, as of 2012. This number can change every year. Months where you make less money don't count toward your nine months.

At the end of the period, Social Security will assess whether your work has been above the "substantial gainful activity" level. For more information, visit the links below.