The rules are different depending on whether you are applying or already receiving benefits. If a person tries to work while applying for benefits the most common rule is that if you only last at the job for a month or two or less, it is only considered a failed attempt to work and does not affect your case. How much you make per week or month during such an attempt is irrelevant. If while applying you work for more than a couple of months, you will be found to be ineligible for benefits if you were grossing more than $1,000 per month.

Once a person is receiving social security disability benefits the basic rule is that they will be found to be no longer disabled after 9 months of working in which they grossed greater than $700 per month. Note these months do not have to be consecutive.

SSI or supplemental security income has different rules. Any amount of earned income will reduce your SSI check basically dollar per dollar until you get no benefits at all. Some disabled people go on and off SSI frequently from almost month to months as their income rises and falls.

The above are the most basic rules about working while applying or receiving benefits, but there are more complex variations that cannot be covered here