You can work and keep your SSDI payments during your Trial Work Period

During your Trial Work Period, Social Security does not reduce your SSDI payment based on how much you earn. You can work full-time, part-time, or any amount in between, and your monthly benefit stays the same. This is the whole point of the Trial Work Period — it exists to let you test whether you can work without losing your income when ready.

The catch is that the Trial Work Period lasts only nine months (not necessarily consecutive), and after it ends, Social Security switches to a different rule called Substantial Gainful Activity, or SGA. Once you cross the SGA earnings threshold, your benefits stop. But during the Trial Work Period itself, you keep your full payment no matter what you earn.

Key Takeaways

  • During your Trial Work Period, you can earn any amount and keep your full SSDI payment — there is no earnings limit.
  • A Trial Work Period month counts only if you earn $1,090 or more (2024 amount; this changes yearly) and perform substantial work activity.
  • You have nine Trial Work Period months to use, but they do not have to be consecutive — you can spread them across 60 months.
  • After your ninth Trial Work Period month ends, Social Security measures your earnings against the SGA threshold, and benefits stop if you exceed it.
  • You must report your work and earnings to Social Security; they do not automatically know what you are earning.

What counts as a Trial Work Period month

Not every month you work counts toward your nine-month Trial Work Period. Social Security counts a month only if two things happen: you earn $1,090 or more (the 2024 amount — this threshold increases each year) and you perform what they call substantial work activity.

Substantial work activity means you do the kind of work that people without disabilities typically do for pay. It is not about the number of hours or the type of job — it is about whether the work itself is real work. If you are self-employed, you must work at least 45 hours per month in your business. If you work for an employer, there is no hour minimum, but the work must be genuine employment, not sheltered work or volunteer activity.

Months where you earn less than $1,090 do not count at all, even if you worked the whole month. Months where you earn $1,090 or more but do not perform substantial work activity also do not count. Only months that meet both conditions tick down your nine-month clock.

How the nine months work across time

Your nine Trial Work Period months do not have to happen in a row. Social Security gives you a rolling 60-month window to use them. This means you can use one month, take three months off, use two more months, and so on — as long as you use all nine within a 60-month span from when your Trial Work Period began.

Once you have used nine months, your Trial Work Period ends. The month after your ninth Trial Work Period month, Social Security stops counting your earnings under the Trial Work Period rule and starts measuring them against the SGA threshold instead. At that point, if you earn above the SGA amount, your benefits stop.

The SGA threshold for 2024 is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,590 for blind individuals. These amounts change each year. If you earn more than the SGA amount in any month after your Trial Work Period ends, Social Security will stop your payment for that month and any following months where you continue to earn above SGA.

What happens to your benefits after the Trial Work Period

When your ninth Trial Work Period month ends, you enter what Social Security calls the Extended Period of may be able to access, or EPE. During the EPE (which lasts 36 months), you can still work, but now your benefits stop in any month you earn above the SGA threshold. However, you do not lose your SSDI status — if your earnings drop below SGA again, your benefits restart without a new process.

After the EPE ends, you move into what is called the Expedited Reinstatement period. If you stop working or drop below SGA within five years of losing benefits, you can restart SSDI without going through the full process process again. After five years, you would need to reapply.

Many people find that working part-time keeps their earnings below the SGA threshold, so their benefits continue. Others use the Trial Work Period to test full-time work, and if it does not work out, they return to part-time or stop working and their benefits resume. The system is designed to let you experiment without permanent loss.

You must report your earnings to Social Security

Social Security does not automatically know how much you are earning. You are responsible for telling them about your work and your monthly earnings. If you do not report, and Social Security later discovers you earned more than you said, they can demand repayment of benefits you were not may have access to to — this is called an overpayment.

When you start work, contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 to report it. You will be asked about your job, your employer, and how much you expect to earn per month. Social Security may ask you to report your earnings monthly, quarterly, or at the end of the year, depending on your situation and the office's procedures.

Keep records of your pay stubs, invoices (if self-employed), and any other proof of earnings. If Social Security questions your earnings later, you will need to show what you actually made. Reporting honestly protects you from overpayments and keeps your case clear.

Self-employment and the Trial Work Period

If you are self-employed, the rules are slightly different. You count a month as a Trial Work Period month if you earn $1,090 or more and work at least 45 hours in your business during that month. The 45 hours can be spread across the whole month — you do not have to work 45 hours in a single week.

For self-employed work, Social Security looks at your net earnings (income minus business expenses), not your gross income. Keep detailed records of what you earned and what you spent on the business. If you are unsure whether an expense counts, ask Social Security before you deduct it.

Self-employment can be a good fit for people with disabilities because you control your own schedule and can adjust your hours if your condition flares up. Many people use the Trial Work Period to build a small business and then continue it part-time after the Trial Work Period ends, keeping earnings below SGA to preserve their benefits.

What to do before you start working

Before you take a job or start a business, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local office. Tell them you are thinking about working and ask them to explain how the Trial Work Period, SGA, and the Extended Period of may be able to access will affect your specific situation. They can also tell you whether you have already used any Trial Work Period months (if you worked before).

Ask Social Security to put your work plan in writing. Some offices have a form called a Plan to Achieve Self-Support, or PASS, which lets you set aside income and resources for a work goal without losing benefits. A PASS is not required to work during your Trial Work Period, but it can help if you are saving money for education, equipment, or business startup costs.

Write down the name of the Social Security representative you speak with and the date of the call. If there is ever a disagreement about what you were told, this record helps. Social Security's rules are complex, and a few minutes of planning before you start work can prevent months of confusion later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work part-time and still use my Trial Work Period months?

Yes. A month counts as a Trial Work Period month if you earn $1,090 or more and do substantial work, regardless of whether the job is part-time or full-time. Many people work part-time during their Trial Work Period and use fewer months because they earn less per month.

What if I earn $1,089 in a month — does that count?

No. Social Security counts only months where you earn $1,090 or more. If you earn $1,089, that month does not count toward your nine-month Trial Work Period, even though you worked the whole month. The threshold is exact.

Can I get my Trial Work Period months back if I do not use them?

No. You have 60 months from when your Trial Work Period began to use all nine months. After 60 months, any unused months are gone. You cannot restart or extend the Trial Work Period.

Do I lose my health insurance if I work and my benefits stop?

No. If your SSDI stops because you earn above SGA, you can usually keep Medicare for at least 93 months (about 7.5 years) after your last Trial Work Period month, even if you are working. Ask Social Security about your specific situation, because the rules depend on whether you are blind and other factors.

What if my earnings go up and down — how do I know if I crossed SGA?

Social Security looks at each month separately. If you earn above SGA in one month but below it the next, your benefits stop only for the month you earned above SGA. When your earnings drop below SGA again, your benefits restart. Report your actual earnings each month so Social Security can track this correctly.