The Second Phase Begins When You Earn Above SGA
The second phase of SSDI work rules is called the Trial Work Period (TWP). It starts the first month you earn $1,550 or more (in 2024) and lasts for nine months within a rolling 60-month window. During the TWP, you keep your full SSDI payment no matter how much you earn—there is no income limit, no reduction, no clawback.
The purpose of the TWP is to let you test your ability to work without losing your cash benefit. Social Security designed it this way because returning to work is risky: you might discover you cannot sustain the hours, the pain flares, or the cognitive demands. The TWP gives you a safety net while you find out.
The nine months do not have to be consecutive. If you work above SGA in January, February, and March, then stop working in April and May, then return to work in June, all six of those months count toward your nine. The clock keeps running across the 60-month window even if you are not working.
Key Takeaways
- The Trial Work Period lasts nine months within any 60-month rolling window and begins the first month you earn $1,550 or more.
- During the TWP, you receive your full SSDI payment regardless of how much you earn, with no income limit or benefit reduction.
- The nine months do not need to be consecutive; any month in which you earn $1,550 or more counts, even if separated by months of no work.
- After the TWP ends, you enter the Extended may be able to access phase, where your benefit stops if you earn above SGA but you can restart it quickly if earnings drop.
- You must report your work and earnings to Social Security each month to track your TWP months correctly.
How the Nine Months Are Counted
Social Security counts a month toward your TWP if you earn $1,550 or more in that month (the 2024 SGA threshold; this amount changes each year). The earnings can come from any work—self-employment, part-time, full-time, or a mix. It does not matter whether you work the whole month or just a few days, as long as the total for that calendar month reaches the threshold.
The nine months sit within a 60-month rolling window. This means Social Security looks back at the past 60 months and counts how many months you have earned above SGA. Once you hit nine, your TWP ends. If you stop working for a while, the window does not reset—it just keeps rolling forward, dropping off old months and adding new ones.
Example: You start your TWP in January 2024 (earning $1,600). You work through May 2024, then take a break from June through September. You return to work in October 2024. By then you have used five TWP months. You work through December 2024 and January 2025, adding three more months. Your ninth and final TWP month is January 2025. Your TWP ends, and Extended may be able to access begins in February 2025.
What Happens After Your Nine Months End
When your ninth TWP month closes, you move into Extended may be able to access. This phase lasts 36 months (three years) and works differently: your SSDI payment stops if you earn $1,550 or more in any month, but you can restart it when ready if your earnings drop below SGA the next month.
Extended may be able to access is a safety valve. If you lose a job, get cut back to part-time hours, or find that full-time work is unsustainable, your benefit turns back on the following month with no new process, no waiting period, and no medical review. You do not have to prove your condition got worse.
You remain in Extended may be able to access for 36 months from the month your TWP ended, even if you never earn above SGA again during that time. Once the 36 months expire, Extended may be able to access closes. If you are still earning above SGA at that point, your SSDI ends and you would need to file a new claim and go through medical review to restart.
Reporting Your Work and Earnings
You are required to report your work and earnings to Social Security each month. The easiest way is through my Social Security, the online portal where you can log in and report your gross monthly earnings. You can also call your local Social Security office or report by mail, though online is fastest.
Report by the 15th of the month following the month you worked. If you earned $2,000 in January, report it by February 15th. Social Security uses your reports to track which months count toward your TWP and to know when you move into Extended may be able to access.
If you do not report, Social Security may overpay you (paying you a benefit you were not may have access to to) and then demand repayment later. If you underreport, the same thing happens. Accurate monthly reporting protects you from a debt you cannot afford.
The Difference Between TWP and Extended may be able to access
| Phase | Length | Earnings Limit | Benefit Payment | What Stops It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial Work Period | 9 months within 60 months | None—earn any amount | Full SSDI payment every month | Reaching 9 months of earnings above SGA |
| Extended may be able to access | 36 months after TWP ends | $1,550/month (2024) | Stops if you earn above SGA; restarts if you drop below | 36 months elapse |
Work Incentives That Run Alongside the TWP
The TWP is one tool, but Social Security offers other work incentives that can extend your protection even further. The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) lets you set aside income and resources for a work goal without it counting against you. The Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) deduction removes certain disability-related costs from your countable earnings.
These incentives can be used during the TWP and Extended may be able to access. For example, if you are paying for a personal assistant to help you work, that cost may be deductible under IRWE, lowering your countable earnings and keeping you below SGA even if your gross pay is higher. A PASS can let you save money toward education or equipment without triggering an overpayment.
Work incentives are complex and require advance planning with Social Security. Contact your local office or a Work Incentives Planning and information (WIPA) project—a free counseling service—to see which ones fit your situation.
Common Mistakes During the Second Phase
The most common mistake is not reporting earnings at all. Some people think that if they are still disabled, Social Security will figure it out on its own. Social Security does not monitor your bank account or employer records. You must report, or you risk an overpayment debt.
Another mistake is misunderstanding when the TWP ends. Some people think they have nine months of calendar time (like January through September). In reality, it is nine separate months of earnings above SGA, which can stretch across years. If you work sporadically, your TWP may last much longer than you expect.
A third mistake is not planning for Extended may be able to access. Some people are shocked to learn that after the TWP, their benefit stops if they earn above SGA. They thought the TWP meant they could work indefinitely without limits. Reading the rules now, before you start working, prevents that surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use all nine TWP months, or can I save them?
You cannot save them. Any month you earn $1,550 or more counts toward your nine, whether you intend it to or not. The TWP is designed to test your work capacity, not to be a resource you control. Once you hit nine months, Extended may be able to access begins automatically.
What if I earn $1,549 in a month—does that count toward my TWP?
No. The threshold is $1,550 (in 2024). If you earn $1,549, that month does not count. This is why some people try to keep earnings just under SGA during the TWP to stretch it out longer, though that strategy only works if you can sustain it.
Can I restart my TWP if I go back on SSDI after it ends?
No. You get one TWP per SSDI claim. If your TWP ends and Extended may be able to access expires while you are earning above SGA, your SSDI terminates. If you later stop working and want SSDI again, you would file a new claim and go through medical review. A new claim would eventually give you a new TWP, but the old one is gone.
What happens to my Medicare during the TWP and Extended may be able to access?
Your Medicare coverage continues unchanged during both phases. You keep Medicare Part A and Part B as long as you remain on SSDI, even if your cash benefit stops during Extended may be able to access. Medicare does not end until 93 months after your SSDI benefit stops (or you reach age 65 and move to Medicare based on age).
Do I need to report earnings if I am self-employed?
Yes. Self-employment earnings count the same way as wages. Report your net profit (gross income minus business expenses) each month. If you are unsure how to calculate net profit, ask Social Security or a WIPA counselor before you start, so you report correctly from the beginning.