What are the 2026 resource limits and countable assets rules for SSDI beneficiaries?
Executive summary
For 2026, the Social Security Administration (SSA) set the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit at $1,690 per month for non‑blind SSDI beneficiaries and $2,830 for statutorily blind beneficiaries; the SSA also announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026 and raised related work thresholds such as the Trial Work Period (TWP) to $1,210 [1] [2] [3] [4]. SSDI itself has no asset limit — asset rules apply to the needs‑based SSI program, which retains $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples as the federal countable‑resource caps [5] [6] [7].
1. What the SGA and work thresholds mean for people on SSDI
The SGA is the monthly earnings ceiling SSA uses to judge whether work shows capacity for substantial employment; exceeding it can lead SSA to find you no longer disabled. For 2026 that SGA ceiling is $1,690 for most SSDI recipients and $2,830 for those considered statutorily blind — up from $1,620 and $2,700 in 2025 — and the Trial Work Period threshold increased to $1,210 per month [1] [2] [3]. Advocates and planners must watch these annual adjustments because they allow higher earnings without automatic termination of benefits, but countable earnings rules (including deductions like Impairment‑Related Work Expenses) still apply [8].
2. The COLA and how it interacts with Medicare and take‑home pay
SSA’s 2026 Cost‑of‑Living Adjustment is 2.8%, raising SSDI benefit checks starting in January 2026 [4] [3]. Legal and benefits guides note the COLA can be partly offset for some recipients by higher Medicare premiums or other deductions — an example calculation cited shows a hypothetical $44 benefit increase reduced by a $17.90 Medicare premium rise, leaving about $26 more in hand [9]. Beneficiaries should check notices from SSA and Medicare to see net changes to their own checks [9].
3. SSDI versus SSI: why assets matter for one program but not the other
SSDI is an insurance program based on work history and pays benefits regardless of a beneficiary’s savings; available reporting is consistent: SSDI has no asset limits [5] [10]. By contrast, SSI is means‑tested: federal countable‑resource limits remain $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples — these limits have not been increased in decades and determine eligibility for SSI [5] [7] [11].
4. What counts — and doesn’t — as an SSI resource
SSA guidance and legal summaries explain that SSI counts “resources” as money and things convertible to cash, but several common items are excluded from countable resources: your primary residence, one vehicle used for transportation, and certain types of trusts or special accounts when properly structured [12] [13]. The ABLE program is highlighted as a planning tool: under current rules the first $100,000 in an ABLE account is not counted for SSI, and ABLE growth used for qualified disability expenses is not treated as taxable income [14] [15].
5. Policy context and reform pressures around SSI asset rules
Policy analysts argue SSI’s $2,000/$3,000 caps are outdated and distort behavior; the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities documents simulations showing many would‑be participants excluded by current limits, and groups continue to press for legislative updates [16]. Meanwhile, state programs (e.g., Medi‑Cal) are changing separate asset rules in 2026, which complicates planning and eligibility for people who rely on multiple public programs [17] [18].
6. Practical takeaways and areas where reporting is limited
If you receive SSDI: monitor your monthly gross earnings against the 2026 SGA ($1,690 non‑blind; $2,830 blind) and know the TWP monthly threshold is $1,210; SSDI has no asset cap so bank balances alone won’t trigger loss of benefits [1] [3] [5]. If you rely on SSI: keep countable resources under the $2,000/$3,000 caps and use accepted exclusions and vehicles (home, one car, properly drafted trusts, ABLE accounts up to $100,000) to preserve eligibility [7] [12] [14]. Available sources do not mention any change in the SSI federal resource limits for 2026 beyond existing exclusions and ABLE updates; legislative proposals to raise the cap exist but are not reflected as enacted law in the documents provided [16] [19].
Limitations: this summary relies only on the supplied reporting and SSA fact sheets; for individualized planning consult SSA notices, your state Medicaid/Medi‑Cal guidance, or an attorney because state rules and program interactions (Medi‑Cal asset reinstatements, trust treatment, and transfer look‑back rules) vary and are described in separate materials [17] [18].