What the Extended Period of may be able to access Does

The Extended Period of may be able to access (EPE) is a nine-month window that starts after your trial work period ends. During these nine months, you can earn any amount of money without SSDI payments stopping — as long as you report your work to Social Security. The EPE exists because the trial work period (where you can work and keep full benefits for nine months) is not always enough time to know whether you can sustain employment. The EPE gives you a second chance to test the waters without the when ready financial penalty of losing your benefit check.

The EPE is not automatic. You must have completed a trial work period first, and you must report your earnings to Social Security each month. If you do not report, or if you stop reporting, Social Security may assume you are no longer disabled and begin the process of ending your benefits. The EPE is also not a second trial work period — the rules are different, and the stakes are higher if you earn too much.

Key Takeaways

  • The Extended Period of may be able to access lasts nine months and begins the month after your trial work period ends, allowing you to work and earn any amount without losing your SSDI check.
  • You must report your earnings to Social Security every month during the EPE, or your benefits may be terminated for failure to report.
  • If you earn above the substantial gainful activity level during any month in the EPE, that month counts as a "work month" and your benefits stop that month — but you keep your Medicare coverage for 93 additional months.
  • The EPE is designed to let you test whether you can work consistently; if you succeed, you move into the Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) phase, where deductions can lower your countable earnings.
  • If you do not use the EPE or if it ends without you earning above substantial gainful activity, you return to regular SSDI rules and your benefits continue as normal.

How the Nine-Month Window Works

The EPE begins the first day of the month after your trial work period ends. If your trial work period ended in June, your EPE starts July 1. The nine months run consecutively — you cannot pause them or restart them. Each calendar month during the EPE is either a "work month" (if you earn above the substantial gainful activity level) or a non-work month (if you earn below it or do not work).

The substantial gainful activity level 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 $1,550 or more in any single month during the EPE, that month counts as a work month. You can have up to nine work months during the EPE — meaning you could theoretically work above the SGA level every single month and still keep your benefits throughout the entire nine-month period.

The purpose of this structure is to let you discover whether you can actually sustain work without the pressure of losing your check when ready. Many people find that they cannot work consistently because of their disability, or that the work is unsustainable. The EPE gives you real-world data before you have to make a final decision about your benefits.

What Happens When You Earn Above Substantial Gainful Activity

If you earn above the SGA level in any month during the EPE, your SSDI payment stops for that month only. You do not lose your benefits permanently. The next month, if you earn below SGA, your benefits resume. This is different from the regular SSDI rules, where earning above SGA can trigger a continuing disability review and potentially end your benefits for good.

The critical detail is that you must report your earnings. Social Security does not automatically know how much you earned. You report earnings on a form called the SSA-777 (Statement Regarding Your Earnings), which you submit each month. If you do not report, Social Security may assume you are no longer disabled and issue a notice of cessation — a formal letter saying your benefits are ending. You then have the right to request a hearing, but the burden is on you to prove you reported or that you were not working.

During the EPE, your Medicare coverage continues even if you have work months and your SSDI payment stops. This is one of the most valuable parts of the EPE: you can test employment while keeping health insurance. After the EPE ends, if you have had nine work months, your Medicare continues for an additional 93 months (about 7.75 years) even if you are no longer receiving SSDI payments. This extended Medicare coverage is called Medicare continuation and is a major work incentive.

Reporting Requirements During the EPE

You must report your earnings to Social Security by the 15th of the month following the month you earned the money. If you earned $800 in January, you report it by February 15. Social Security uses these reports to determine whether you had a work month and whether your payment should stop.

You can report earnings by mail, phone, or online through your my Social Security account. Reporting online is fastest and creates a record you can access. Keep copies of your pay stubs or a written record of your earnings — if there is ever a dispute about how much you earned, you will need proof.

If you are self-employed, reporting is more complex. You report your net profit (income minus business expenses), not your gross revenue. If you have questions about what counts as an expense, ask a Social Security work incentives planning and information (WIPA) project before you report. A wrong report can cost you a month of benefits or trigger a review that ends your benefits entirely.

What Happens After the Nine Months End

When your EPE ends, one of three things happens. If you have not had any work months during the EPE — meaning you earned below SGA every month — your benefits continue as normal and you return to regular SSDI rules. Your trial work period and EPE are complete, and you have used up your work incentive window.

If you have had one or more work months during the EPE, you move into the Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) phase. These are deduction programs that let you subtract certain costs from your earnings before Social Security counts them toward the SGA level. For example, if you need a wheelchair accessible van to get to work, the cost of the van can be deducted. If you are saving money to start a business, those savings can be excluded. These deductions can lower your countable earnings enough to keep you under SGA and preserve your SSDI payment.

If you have had nine work months during the EPE — the maximum — your SSDI payment stops after the EPE ends, but your Medicare continues for 93 more months. This is the intended outcome for someone who has successfully returned to work. You are no longer disabled in the eyes of Social Security, but you have health insurance while you stabilize in your job.

Common Mistakes During the Extended Period of may be able to access

The most common mistake is not reporting earnings. Some people think that if they do not report, Social Security will not know they worked. This is false. Social Security receives wage reports from the Internal Revenue Service and from employers. If you do not report but Social Security finds out you worked, you will owe back benefits and face a potential overpayment collection. Reporting is always safer than hiding earnings.

The second mistake is misunderstanding the SGA level. Some people think they can earn just under SGA every month and keep their benefits indefinitely. This is not how the EPE works. The EPE is nine months long. After nine months, it ends, and the rules change. If you have had work months, you move into IRWE/PASS. If you have not, you return to regular SSDI. You cannot stay in the EPE forever.

The third mistake is not planning for what comes after. If you are working during the EPE and earning above SGA, you should be talking to a WIPA project or a benefits planning service about IRWE and PASS. These programs can extend your ability to work and keep benefits, but they require planning and documentation. Waiting until the EPE ends to think about them means you may miss the window to set up a PASS or document your IRWE expenses.

How the EPE Connects to Other Work Incentives

The EPE is one piece of a larger system of work incentives designed to help people with disabilities test and sustain employment. The trial work period comes first (nine months where you can work and keep full benefits). The EPE comes second (nine months where you can work and keep full benefits, but with reporting requirements). After the EPE, IRWE and PASS take over (allowing deductions to keep you under SGA).

If you are working and want to understand which incentive you are currently using, ask Social Security or contact a WIPA project. WIPA projects are free and funded by Social Security specifically to help people understand work incentives. They can tell you whether you are in your trial work period or EPE, what your earnings limit is, and what happens next. You can find your local WIPA project at askjan.org or by calling 1-800-346-2884.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Extended Period of may be able to access if I did not complete a trial work period?

No. The EPE only begins after a trial work period ends. If you never had a trial work period — for example, because you were already working when you became disabled — you do not have an EPE. You go straight to regular SSDI rules and IRWE/PASS if you need them.

What if I earn above SGA in every month of the EPE?

Your SSDI payment stops every month, but you keep your benefits technically active. After the nine months end, your SSDI payment stops permanently, but your Medicare continues for 93 more months. This is the intended outcome for someone who has successfully returned to work at a substantial level.

Do I have to report earnings if I earn below the SGA level?

Yes. You must report all earnings, even if they are below SGA. Reporting below-SGA earnings shows Social Security that you are still working and testing employment. It also protects you if there is ever a dispute about how much you earned.

Can I go back into the EPE if I stop working during it?

No. The EPE is nine consecutive months. Once it ends, it is over. If you stop working during the EPE and your earnings drop below SGA, your benefits continue, but you do not get a second EPE. You move into regular SSDI rules or IRWE/PASS depending on your work history during the EPE.

What if I become unable to work during the EPE?

If your condition worsens and you can no longer work, you can stop working and report zero earnings. Your SSDI payment continues. You do not have to prove that you are disabled again just because you tried to work during the EPE. The EPE is a test, not a requirement to prove you can work forever.