What matters on the SSDI calendar in 2025

The Social Security Administration does not issue a single "SSDI calendar" the way a school publishes a semester schedule. Instead, important dates in 2025 are scattered across different programs and rules: when cost-of-living adjustments take effect, when Medicare coverage begins, when work incentive programs reset, and when certain reporting important date fall. If you receive SSDI or are planning to work while on it, knowing these dates helps you avoid overpayments, missed notifications, and benefit interruptions.

The dates that matter most depend on your situation. Someone returning to work needs to know when to report earnings and how the trial work period functions. Someone on Medicare needs to know when open enrollment happens. Someone receiving a benefit reduction needs to know when to expect the change and what to do about it. This guide covers the 2025 dates that affect the largest number of SSDI recipients and the consequences of missing them.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2025 COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) of 2.5% took effect on January 1, 2025, and your January payment reflects the new amount.
  • Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2025, and changes you make take effect January 1, 2026.
  • If you work and use a trial work period, each month you earn over $1,110 counts as a trial work month; you have 9 months in a rolling 60-month window.
  • Annual earnings reports and work incentive documentation must be submitted to Social Security by specific dates tied to your benefit year, not the calendar year.
  • Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) are scheduled individually and arrive by mail; missing the important date can result in benefit suspension.

The 2025 COLA and what it means for your January payment

The 2025 cost-of-living adjustment of 2.5% became effective on January 1, 2025. This means your January 2025 SSDI payment is 2.5% higher than your December 2024 payment. The increase is automatic; you do not need to report anything or contact Social Security to receive it.

The 2.5% figure applies to your primary insurance amount (PIA)—the base benefit before any reductions for work, overpayments, or other offsets. If your benefit was reduced because you earned too much in a prior year, or if you have a family member receiving benefits on your record, their amounts also increase by 2.5%. If you receive both SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), only the SSDI portion increases; SSI has its own separate COLA, which also took effect January 1, 2025.

Your January payment statement (which arrives by mail or through your my Social Security account online) will show the new amount. If you notice the increase is missing or incorrect, contact Social Security by phone at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local field office. Do not assume an error will correct itself in the next month.

Medicare open enrollment: October 15 through December 7, 2025

If you are on SSDI and enrolled in Medicare, you have a window each fall to change your coverage for the following year. In 2025, that window is October 15 through December 7. Any changes you make during this period take effect on January 1, 2026.

Open enrollment applies to Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) and Medicare Advantage plans (Part C). If you are in Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and want to switch to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa, you must act during this window. If you do nothing, your current coverage continues into 2026 unchanged.

You can compare plans and enroll online at Medicare.gov, by phone at 1-800-MEDICARE, or in person at your local Social Security office. Many people wait until November or early December and then find that their preferred plan has reached capacity. Starting your research in September gives you time to read plan details and ask questions before the important date arrives.

Trial work period: 9 months in a rolling 60-month window

If you return to work while on SSDI, you enter a trial work period that allows you to test your ability to work without losing benefits. The trial work period is not a calendar-based important date; instead, it is a count of months. You have 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) in any rolling 60-month window during which you can earn over $1,110 per month without triggering a benefit reduction.

Each month you earn $1,110 or more counts as one trial work month. Months you earn less than $1,110 do not count. Once you have used 9 trial work months, you enter the extended period of may be able to access (EPE), which lasts 36 months. During the EPE, you can still work and earn any amount, but if you earn over the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level—$1,550 per month in 2025—your benefit stops for that month.

The 60-month window rolls forward: if you used trial work months in January through September 2023, those months drop out of the calculation in January through September 2024, and you regain the ability to use them again. This is why the trial work period is not a single important date but an ongoing calculation. Social Security tracks your trial work months automatically, but you should verify the count in your my Social Security account or by calling 1-800-772-1213 to avoid surprises.

Continuing Disability Reviews: when to expect yours and what to do

A Continuing Disability Review (CDR) is Social Security's periodic check to confirm you still meet the medical criteria for SSDI. There is no single CDR date for all recipients; instead, Social Security schedules reviews individually based on your diagnosis, age, and work history. You will receive a letter in the mail telling you that a review has been scheduled and what documents to submit.

The letter will include a specific important date—usually 10 days from the date of the letter. If you miss this important date, Social Security may suspend your benefits. If your benefits are suspended and you later submit the required medical evidence, you can request reinstatement, but you will lose payments during the gap. Do not ignore a CDR letter, even if you believe your condition has not improved.

CDRs are not scheduled on a predictable calendar. Someone approved for SSDI in 2024 might receive a review in 2025, while someone approved in 2020 might not be reviewed until 2026. If you receive a CDR letter, respond when ready. If you cannot gather the requested documents by the important date, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask for an extension in writing before the important date passes.

Annual earnings reports and work incentive important date

If you work and report earnings to Social Security, you may be required to submit an annual earnings report. The important date depends on your benefit year, not the calendar year. Your benefit year typically runs from the month you were approved for SSDI, not January to December. For example, if you were approved in March 2024, your first benefit year runs March 2024 through February 2025, and your annual report would be due by the end of February 2025.

Social Security will notify you in writing if you are required to file an annual report and will tell you the important date. If you use a work incentive program such as Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) or Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE), you may have separate reporting important date for those programs. Missing an earnings report important date can result in an overpayment notice, even if you reported your earnings through other means.

The safest approach is to report earnings to Social Security as soon as you receive them, rather than waiting for an annual important date. You can report online through my Social Security, by phone, or in person at a field office. Reporting early gives Social Security time to process the information and prevents surprise overpayment notices months later.

Ticket to Work program milestones

If you are using the Ticket to Work program—which allows you to work with an approved employment network or vocational rehabilitation agency while protecting your SSDI benefits—you have specific milestones tied to your ticket assignment. The Ticket to Work program itself does not have a single annual important date, but individual tickets have work goals and timelines set between you and your employment network.

Most work goals span 12 to 24 months from the date you assign your ticket. If you are not making progress toward your goal, your employment network should notify you. If you stop working or want to exit the program, you must notify Social Security in writing. Failing to communicate changes in your work status can lead to confusion about your benefits and overpayments.

The Ticket to Work program is voluntary, and you can return to regular SSDI rules at any time. However, once you exit the program, you cannot re-enter it. If you are considering the Ticket to Work program in 2025, contact a Ticket to Work employment network early in the year to allow time for planning and goal-setting before your work year begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I see the 2.5% COLA increase in my bank account?

The increase took effect January 1, 2025, and your January 2025 payment (deposited on the third of the month or your scheduled payment date) reflects the new amount. If you receive both SSDI and SSI, only the SSDI portion increased by 2.5%; SSI has a separate COLA. Check your payment statement online or by mail to confirm the new amount.

What happens if I miss the Medicare open enrollment important date on December 7?

If you miss the important date, your current Medicare coverage continues into 2026 unchanged. You cannot switch plans until the next open enrollment period in October 2026, unless you experience a may have access to life event (such as loss of other coverage or a move to a new state). may have access to events allow you to make changes outside the standard window.

Do I have to report my trial work months to Social Security, or does it happen automatically?

Social Security tracks trial work months automatically based on your earnings reports. However, you should verify the count in your my Social Security account or by calling 1-800-772-1213, because errors can occur. If Social Security has miscounted your trial work months, you can request a correction before you enter the extended period of may be able to access.

What if I receive a CDR letter but I am still disabled and have not worked?

You still must respond to the CDR letter by the important date. Submit recent medical records from your doctor, hospital, or specialist showing your current condition and treatment. Even if you have not worked, Social Security needs current evidence that you still meet the medical criteria for SSDI. If you do not respond, your benefits will be suspended.

Can I change my annual earnings report important date if it falls on a weekend or holiday?

Social Security typically allows a few days of grace if a important date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, but do not rely on this. Submit your report by the important date shown in your notice. If you need more time, contact Social Security before the important date and request an extension in writing. Verbal requests are not sufficient to protect you from an overpayment notice.