The SSA Red Book Explained: What It Is and How It Helps You Work While on Disability
Introduction
The SSA Red Book is an official Social Security guide that explains how work affects disability benefits. Published by the Social Security Administration, it focuses on work incentives and how earnings are evaluated under SSDI and SSI. Rather than a step-by-step handbook, it’s organized as a reference guide around specific programs and policies, and it’s structured around specific work incentives and SSA programs. The Red Book has sections that explain who each rule applies to, what it does, and where it fits within Social Security’s disability framework. Because it’s arranged by policy topics, it helps to understand how the Red Book is set up before diving in.
This reference guide explains what the SSA Red Book is, who it’s for, what’s inside, and how to use it confidently if you receive or are applying for SSDI and want to understand work incentives, Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), and related rules. If you’re disabled and considering applying for SSDI but want to work part-time, you can gain some insight by reviewing Red Book work incentives and income limits.
What Is the SSA Red Book?
The SSA Red Book, formally titled A Guide to Work Incentives, serves as a centralized reference for SSA’s work-related disability rules. Rather than walking readers through a process, it brings together the policies SSA uses to evaluate work activity for people receiving SSDI or SSI.
Inside the Red Book, information is grouped by work incentive and program type, with each section describing how a specific rule works and when it may apply. This structure allows readers to focus on the incentives or situations most relevant to them, such as starting work, changing hours, or earning income while receiving benefits.
The Red Book covers topics such as:
Work incentives for SSDI and SSI
How SSA reviews earnings and work activity
What happens when work starts, stops, or changes
Employment support programs, including Ticket to Work
The guide is available on SSA.gov as web pages and as a downloadable PDF, making it a practical reference for anyone who wants to better understand how SSA approaches work and disability benefits. The Red Book table of contents lists all of the topics covered: https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/main.htm.
WHY IS IT CALLED THE Red Book?
The name comes from the guide’s original printed format. For many years, the Social Security Administration published A Guide to Work Incentives as a small booklet with a red cover. SSA staff, vocational counselors, and advocates began referring to it informally as “the Red Book,” and the nickname stuck. Even today, the Social Security Administration continues to use “the Red Book” as a shorthand name for its work-incentives guide.
Who the SSA Red Book Is For
The Red Book is written for:
People receiving SSDI or SSI
People applying for disability benefits
Family members and caregivers
Vocational rehabilitation counselors
Advocates, employers, and service providers
It’s especially helpful for people who want to test their ability to work without immediately losing benefits. Before you start working, it can be helpful to analyze the SSDI income limits and your potential wage earnings to help you budget for the future.
What You’ll Find Inside the SSA Red Book
1. Work Incentives (The Core of the Red Book)
Work incentives are SSA rules that allow people to:
Try working without immediate loss of benefits
Deduct certain disability-related expenses from earnings
Continue medical coverage while working
Work incentives explained in the Red Book include:
Trial Work Period (TWP): Example: A person receiving SSDI starts a part-time job and earns over the monthly trial work amount. SSA counts that month as a trial work month, but the person continues to receive full SSDI benefits while testing their ability to work. The Trial Work Period lasts for up to nine months. (The nine months don’t have to be in a row.) After those 9 months are used, a person enters the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During the EPE, monthly wage earnings are reviewed to determine whether benefits may be payable for that month.
Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE): Example: After completing the Trial Work Period, a person enters the 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility. During this time, Social Security reviews work activity every month. If countable earnings fall below the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level in a particular month, SSDI benefits may be payable for that month. If earnings are above SGA, benefits may not be payable for that month, but the person does not need to file a new application during the EPE. (Continue reading below for an explanation of the SGA level.)
Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE): Example: A person pays out of pocket for specialized transportation to get to work because of their disability. SSA may be able to subtract that cost when deciding how much of the person’s earnings count toward work limits.
Subsidies and special conditions: Example: An employer allows a worker with a disability to work fewer hours, take extra breaks, or receive extra help from a coworker. SSA may consider that support when evaluating how much of the worker’s pay reflects actual work activity. The Social Security Administration explains how wage subsidies and special conditions are identified and evaluated in its Program Operations Manual System (POMS), specifically in DI 10505.010 through DI 10505.025, which cover how SSA reviews employer support, productivity, and countable earnings.
Ticket to Work: Example: A person on SSDI enrolls in the Ticket to Work program to receive job training and employment support from approved employment support organizations, while continuing to receive benefits during the process. The Ticket to Work “Find Help” search tool allows you to look up helpful services by zip code. These services might help you get training, transportation, clothes, and on-the-job accessibility accommodations. You might even find some helpful social service links with the “Find Help” tool, depending on your location. For people who are ready to work, SSA also shares information about job fairs and hiring employers.
Work incentives explain the safety nets around working, but the key earnings rule still matters. That’s where Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) comes in.
2. Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA): What It Is and Why It Matters
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) is a monthly earnings limit the SSA uses to evaluate whether work is considered “substantial.” Reviewing SGA is the first step in the standard 5-step SSDI evaluation process.
In simple terms:
If countable earnings are over the SGA limit, SSA may find that a person is not disabled under its rules and does not have a medical impairment.
If earnings are under the SGA limit, SSA may continue benefits (depending on the program and stage).
The Red Book explains:
How SGA applies differently to SSDI and SSI
That SSA looks at gross earnings, not take-home pay
That certain deductions (like IRWEs mentioned earlier) may reduce countable income
How to Find the Current SGA Limits
SGA amounts change over time, so be sure to check the SSA website directly for the current limits. To find the current SGA limits, go directly to the Social Security Administration’s official SGA amounts page, which lists the monthly earnings limits by year:
👉 https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html
That page shows:
The current monthly SGA amount for non-blind individuals ($1690 in 2026)
The higher monthly SGA amount for statutorily blind individuals ($2830 in 2026)
Prior years’ amounts for comparison
Because SGA limits are adjusted periodically, it’s best to check this page for the most up-to-date figures before relying on a specific dollar amount if you’re concerned about how part-time wages can affect SSDI benefits.
3. Ticket to Work Program
The Red Book includes a full section on Ticket to Work, a voluntary SSA program that:
Connects beneficiaries with employment support
Allows work attempts without immediate medical reviews
Is optional—participation is not required
The Red Book outlines:
Who is eligible
What “using a ticket” means
How Employment Networks and vocational agencies fit in
Beyond outlining the basics, the Red Book helps people see how Ticket to Work fits into real-life decisions about working while on SSDI. For some, it offers a way to explore employment with added structure and support for managing a disability; for others, it simply provides context about how SSA views work activity and earnings. Reading this section can help you better understand how different work incentives interact, what questions to ask before starting work, and how SSA looks at employment over time—not just in a single month.
As you read further, the Red Book also explains special rules that can apply in certain work situations, such as self-employment, supported work settings, or jobs that involve extra assistance or accommodations. These special rules help explain why two people with similar earnings may be evaluated differently under SSA’s disability rules. (More on that topic below.)
4. Special Rules Explained in Plain Language
The Red Book also covers:
Self-employment considerations
Sheltered or supported work
Subsidies from employers
How SSA evaluates work effort, not just wages
These sections help explain why two people earning the same amount may be treated differently under SSA rules.
For anyone navigating work and disability benefits, it’s often the starting point for understanding how income and SSDI interact.
Be Proactive About Earnings: Planning Ahead Can Help Protect Your Benefits
Working while applying for or receiving SSDI often comes down to planning, tracking, and understanding how SSA evaluates earnings. The SSA Red Book is especially helpful here—not because it tells you what to do, but because it explains how SSA looks at work activity before issues arise. Using it as a reference can help you make more intentional decisions about work and income.
SSDI Applicants: Earnings Matter Before You’re Approved
If you are applying for SSDI and working at the same time, earnings can play a role even before a decision is made. During the application process, SSA reviews whether current work activity suggests the ability to perform Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), which we previously explained earlier in this article. Part-time or temporary work can raise questions if it fluctuates and crosses certain thresholds.
Reviewing the Red Book and SGA levels while your application is pending can help you understand:
How SSA views ongoing work during the application stage
Why SSA looks at monthly earnings, not just job titles or hours
How work incentives and earnings rules may apply later if benefits are approved
Being aware of these rules early allows you to think ahead, track income carefully, and avoid unintended complications while your claim is under review.
Self-Employment: When Earnings Aren’t Just a Pay Stub
Self-employment adds another layer of complexity, because SSA does not evaluate it the same way as traditional wages. Instead of looking only at gross pay, SSA may consider net earnings instead of gross receipts, time spent working, and the value of your services to the business.
The Red Book helps explain that SSA may look at:
How much time and effort you put into the work
Whether income reflects your actual work activity or business expenses
How fluctuating or seasonal income is evaluated over time
For people who are self-employed or considering it, the Red Book can help you better understand how SSA distinguishes between income, profit, and work activity—making it easier to plan, document, and ask informed questions before issues arise.
A Simple Monthly Earnings Checklist (Helpful for Employees and Self-Employed Workers)
Many people find it useful to review a short checklist each month while working:
Did I track my gross earnings (or net earnings if self-employed)?
Did my income stay below relevant thresholds, such as SGA or Trial Work Period amounts?
Did I have any disability-related work expenses that could affect how earnings are counted?
Did my hours, duties, or income change this month?
Did I keep records or documentation in case SSA requests them?
Do I understand how SSA may evaluate this month’s work activity under its rules?
Using the Red Book alongside a routine check like this can help you connect your real-world earnings to SSA’s evaluation process. It won’t eliminate uncertainty, but it can help you stay organized, informed, and proactive as you navigate work and disability benefits.
A Note of Caution: How Work Can Intersect With RFC
It’s also important to understand how work activity can sometimes intersect with Residual Functional Capacity (RFC), even though RFC and earnings rules serve different purposes. RFC is a medical and functional assessment used by SSA to describe what a person can still do despite their impairments. The SSA Red Book does not determine RFC—but work activity can occasionally be viewed alongside medical evidence.
Working does not automatically change your RFC, and trying to work does not mean SSA assumes you are no longer disabled. However, during an application or a future medical review, SSA may look at the type, consistency, and demands of work performed to see whether it appears consistent with the limitations being claimed. For example, sustained or demanding work without accommodations may raise questions if it seems to conflict with reported limitations, while part-time, accommodated, or supported work may be viewed very differently.
This is another area where the Red Book can be helpful. It explains how SSA evaluates work activity, including special conditions, subsidies, and work incentives that help clarify why a person may be working despite ongoing limitations. Understanding these distinctions can help you approach work thoughtfully and ensure that work activity is evaluated in the proper context—especially if medical eligibility is still under review.
The SSA Red Book vs. the SSA Blue Book: What’s the Difference?
It also helps to understand the difference between the SSA Red Book and the SSA Blue Book, since they serve very different purposes. The Red Book focuses on work and earnings—explaining work incentives, income rules, and how employment can affect SSDI or SSI benefits. The Blue Book, formally titled Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, focuses on medical eligibility and lists the medical conditions and criteria SSA uses to decide whether someone meets the definition of disability. In simple terms, the Blue Book is about qualifying for benefits based on health, while the Red Book is about what happens when you work after applying for or receiving benefits.
Quick Summary
The SSA Red Book explains work incentives for SSDI and SSI
It helps readers understand SGA, earnings rules, and safety nets
SGA limits change—always check SSA’s current figures (and your SGA article)
It’s educational, official, and widely used by advocates and SSA staff
It’s different than the SSA Blue Book
FAQ
Q. Can working automatically disqualify someone from SSDI?
A. Not automatically. SSA evaluates earnings, work incentives, and timing. The Red Book explains circumstances where work may continue without immediate loss of benefits.
Q. Does working automatically trigger a disability review if I use the SSA Red Book work incentives?
A. No. The SSA Red Book explains work incentives that allow people to try working while receiving disability benefits. Using a work incentive by itself does not automatically trigger a medical review, though SSA may review earnings and work activity under its normal rules.
Q. Does the SSA Red Book explain what happens if my earnings change from month to month?
A. Yes. The Red Book explains how SSA evaluates work activity when earnings increase, decrease, or stop, including how benefits may be payable in some months but not others, depending on earnings and applicable work incentives
References
Social Security Administration. (2024). The Red Book: A guide to work incentives. https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/index.html
Social Security Administration. (2024). Substantial gainful activity. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html
Social Security Administration. (2024). Cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/
Social Security Administration. (2024). Disability benefits. https://www.ssa.gov/disability/
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). SSDI-only employment supports. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/ssdi-only-employment-supports.htm
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). DI 10505.010: Subsidies—general. Program Operations Manual System (POMS). https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0410505010
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). DI 10505.020: Subsidies—developing evidence. Program Operations Manual System (POMS). https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0410505020
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). DI 10505.025: Special conditions. Program Operations Manual System (POMS). https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0410505025
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). Ticket to Work: Find help. https://choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp
Social Security Administration. (n.d.). Choose Work (Ticket to Work program website). https://choosework.ssa.gov/
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any medical concerns or questions. Consult with a licensed attorney for legal advice.
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