Getting Disability Benefits for Self-Employed: A Quick Guide

Being self-employed comes with independence and responsibilities, especially when facing an illness or injury that stops you from working. If you’re a freelancer, contractor, or small business owner, you might wonder if you can get Social Security disability benefits in 2025. The good news is: you can, if you meet the right requirements.

Below, we break down how disability benefits work for the self-employed, the latest 2025 rules, updated income and credit limits, and what to expect when applying.

Two Main Types of Disability Benefits

The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides two key disability programs. Your work history, income, and resources determine which one you might qualify for:

1. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

SSDI is for workers, employees and self-employed, who have paid Social Security taxes. If you’ve filed self-employment tax (SECA), you’ve contributed to SSDI.

To qualify for SSDI in 2025, you must:

• Earn Enough Work Credits: For 2025, you get one credit for every $1,810 in net self-employment income, up to 4 credits per year. Most adults need 40 credits (20 earned within the last 10 years) to qualify, with fewer required for younger people.
• Have a Severe Medical Condition: Your disability must prevent you from working and is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
• Not Engage in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA): In 2025, SGA is defined as earning more than $1,620 per month before taxes for non-blind individuals and $2,700 for blind individuals. The SSA also looks at your role and involvement in your business, not just income.

2. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is a needs-based program. It helps people who are disabled, blind, or elderly and have limited income/resources, whether or not they have a work history.

To qualify for SSI in 2025, you need to:

• Meet the SSA’s disability criteria.
• Have a countable monthly income below $943 (individual) or $1,415 (couple). These limits may change annually.
• Have resources below $2,000 (individual) or $3,000 (couple).
• Be a U.S. citizen or certain legal resident.

Some people can get both SSDI and SSI if their SSDI payments are low and they meet SSI’s income/resource limits.

Special Challenges for Self-Employed Claimants

If you work for an employer, the SSA checks your wages to see if you’re above SGA. But for self-employed people, your business’ income doesn’t always show how much, or how little, you’re working. You might have irregular revenue or business expenses that complicate things.

That’s why the SSA uses several “tests” to decide if you’re working at a substantial level:

The Three SSA Tests for Self-Employment

1. Significant Services and Substantial Income Test: If you play an important role in your business and your average monthly net income is above $1,620 ($2,700 if blind), the SSA will likely find you’re doing SGA.
2. Comparability Test: The SSA looks at whether your work (time, responsibilities, skills) is similar to that of a non-disabled person in a similar business in your area.
3. Worth of Work Test: The SSA considers what it would cost to pay someone else to do the work you perform. If your work would be valued above $1,620 per month, it can also count as SGA, even if you earn less than that.

If you do not meet SGA under the first test, the SSA moves to the second and third to thoroughly assess your case.

Note: When you’ve already been approved for SSDI and have been receiving it for over 24 months, SSA may use the “Countable Income Test.” If, after deducting business expenses and impairment-related work costs, your average net monthly income is below $1,620, your benefits continue.

How to Apply for Disability Benefits

You can apply for SSDI or SSI:

• Online: SSA.gov is the fastest way.
• By Phone: Call 1-800-772-1213 to set up an appointment.
• In Person: Visit your local SSA office.

Get ready to provide: Recent tax returns, profit/loss statements, your SE Schedule (to prove self-employment tax payments), detailed medical records, and info about doctors/treatments.

SSA will pass your application to your state’s Disability Determination Services (DDS) for medical review. Most claims take 3–6 months for a decision.