The Trial Work Period Lasts Nine Months
The Trial Work Period (TWP) for SSDI lasts exactly nine months. During those nine months, you can work and earn any amount of money without losing your SSDI cash benefit. Social Security does not count your work earnings against you, does not reduce your payment, and does not end your benefits — no matter how much you make.
The nine months do not have to be consecutive. Social Security counts only the months in which you earn $940 or more (in 2024; this amount changes yearly). If you work part-time one month and take a month off, only the working month counts toward your nine. You can spread the nine months across two years, three years, or longer.
This is the core protection of the TWP: it gives you time to test whether you can work without the when ready threat of losing your benefit check. Once the nine months end, a different set of rules takes over — the Extended may be able to access Period — but the TWP itself has a fixed length.
Key Takeaways
- The Trial Work Period is nine months long, but only months in which you earn $940 or more count toward it.
- You can earn any amount during the TWP without your SSDI payment being reduced or stopped.
- The nine months do not have to happen in a row; you can use them over several years if you work part-time or take breaks.
- After the nine months end, you enter the Extended may be able to access Period, where different earning rules explore.
- Social Security tracks your TWP months automatically, but you should report your work to them so there is no confusion later.
How Social Security Counts the Nine Months
A month counts toward your nine-month TWP only if you earn $940 or more in that month. "Earn" means gross income — before taxes — from work you do yourself. If you are self-employed, it is your net profit from the business. If you work for an employer, it is your gross wages.
The $940 threshold is set by federal law and changes each year on January 1. Social Security publishes the new amount in the Federal Register and on its website. If you earned less than $940 in a given month — say, $600 — that month does not count, even if you worked hard that month. You still have all nine months ahead of you.
Social Security counts the months automatically once you report your earnings. You do not have to ask them to count a month or fill out a special form. But you do need to report your work to them, either through your regular Continuing Disability Review (CDR) or by contacting your local Social Security office. If you do not report, Social Security may not know you are working, and confusion can arise later.
What Happens After Your Nine Months End
Once you have used all nine months of your TWP, you move into the Extended may be able to access Period (EEP). The EEP lasts 36 months (three years). During the EEP, your SSDI payment is reduced or stopped if your earnings exceed the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level — which is $1,550 per month in 2024 for non-blind beneficiaries (the amount changes yearly).
The EEP is not a second grace period. It is a phase-out. If you earn above SGA, your benefits stop, but you keep your Medicare coverage for at least 93 more months after your last payment. This is called Extended Medicare Coverage, and it is one of the most valuable work incentives in the program.
After the EEP ends, if you are still working and earning above SGA, your SSDI case closes. You can reopen it later if you stop working or your earnings drop, but you would have to go through a new review process.
Why the Nine-Month Length Matters
The nine-month TWP was designed to let you test your ability to work without financial penalty. It is long enough to try a job, see if your disability allows you to sustain work, and make a real decision about whether employment is possible for you. It is also long enough that you do not have to rush — you can work part-time, take medical leave, and still have months left.
The non-consecutive nature of the nine months is especially important for people whose conditions fluctuate. If you have a chronic illness, mental health condition, or pain disorder that has good weeks and bad weeks, you can work when you are able and rest when you need to. Only the months you actually earn $940 or more count. You are not penalized for the months you cannot work.
Many people use the full nine months to build confidence, test a new job, or see whether their condition worsens with work. Others use only a few months and then decide work is not sustainable for them. Both outcomes are valid, and the TWP protects you either way.
Reporting Your Work to Social Security
You are required to report your work to Social Security. The best way is to contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 and ask to speak with your work incentives specialist or benefits planner. Tell them you are working and provide your gross monthly earnings.
You can also report earnings through your Social Security online account (my Social Security) if you have one set up. Some people report during their Continuing Disability Review, which Social Security sends out periodically. The timing does not matter as much as the fact that you report — Social Security needs accurate information to track your TWP correctly.
If you do not report and Social Security finds out you were working through a wage report from your employer, they may overpay you (pay you benefits you were not owed) and then ask you to repay the money later. Reporting upfront prevents this problem.
Common Mistakes During the Trial Work Period
One mistake is assuming the TWP is a calendar year. It is not. It is nine individual months spread across however long you need. If you work January through September and then stop, you have used nine months. If you work January, take February through June off, and work July through November, you have also used nine months. The calendar does not matter.
Another mistake is not reporting your work because you think it will hurt you. During the TWP, it will not. Social Security needs to know you are working so they can track your months correctly and prepare you for the transition to the EEP. Hiding your work only creates problems later.
A third mistake is assuming you have more time than you do. Once you have used nine months, the rules change. If you are not tracking your months, you may be shocked when your payment is reduced or stopped. Keep your own record of the months you worked and earned $940 or more, and ask Social Security to confirm how many months you have used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my nine months all at once or do I have to spread them out?
You can use them however works for you. You could work nine months in a row and use all nine months, or you could work one month per year for nine years. Only months in which you earn $940 or more count, so the timeline is entirely up to you and your work situation.
What if I earn less than $940 in a month — does that month still count?
No. Months in which you earn less than $940 do not count toward your nine months. You still have that month available to use later. This is why the TWP is flexible for people who work part-time or have variable income.
Do I lose my Medicare during the Trial Work Period?
No. Your Medicare coverage continues throughout the TWP and into the Extended may be able to access Period. Even if your SSDI payment stops after the EEP ends, you can keep Medicare for a limited time through Extended Medicare Coverage.
What happens if I get sick and can't work during my Trial Work Period?
If you stop working, the months you did not work do not count. Your nine months are only the months you earned $940 or more. If you work three months, get sick, and stop working for six months, you still have six months of your TWP left to use whenever you are able to work again.
Should I tell my employer I am on SSDI?
You do not have to, but it can help. Some employers offer workplace accommodations or flexibility for people with disabilities. Your employer will not report your SSDI status to anyone — they will only report your wages to Social Security, which happens automatically. The decision is yours.