What You Need to Do During Trial Work Period
During your Trial Work Period, you keep your full SSDI payment while you work and earn money, but you must report your work activity to Social Security every month. You do not need to ask permission to work — the Trial Work Period is automatic once you start working — but Social Security must know what you are earning and how many hours you are working each month so they can track whether you have used up your nine months of trial work.
The reporting itself is straightforward: you tell Social Security how much you earned and how many months you worked during the period they ask about. What matters is that you report accurately and on time, because missing a report or reporting incorrectly can cause Social Security to end your Trial Work Period early or stop your payment without warning.
Key Takeaways
- You must report your work and earnings to Social Security each month during Trial Work Period, even though you keep your full payment.
- Social Security will contact you by mail or phone to ask about your work — you do not need to call them first.
- You report the month you worked, how much you earned that month, and whether you worked 15 or more days in that month.
- If you do not report when asked, Social Security may end your Trial Work Period or stop your payment, so respond to every notice or call.
- Reporting is free and takes a few minutes — you can do it by phone, mail, or online through your my Social Security account.
How Social Security Contacts You to Report Work
Social Security will reach out to you — usually by mail, sometimes by phone — and ask you to report your work activity. You will not need to call them first or fill out a form on your own schedule. Instead, they send you a notice or call you at the phone number on file, asking about your work during a specific month or months.
The notice will ask for the month you worked, how much money you earned in that month, and how many days you worked. If you worked 15 or more days in a month, that month counts as one of your nine trial work months. If you worked fewer than 15 days, the month does not count toward your nine months, even if you earned money.
Keep the notices Social Security sends you. They show which months they are asking about and when they need your answer. If you lose a notice or do not receive one, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and tell them you are in Trial Work Period and need to report your work.
What Information to Report Each Month
When Social Security asks you to report, have these three pieces of information ready:
- The month you worked: Report the calendar month (January, February, etc.) and the year.
- How much you earned: Report your gross earnings — the money before taxes are taken out. Include wages from a job, self-employment income, or both if you have multiple jobs.
- How many days you worked: Count the number of days you actually worked in that month. If you worked 15 or more days, that month counts as a trial work month. If you worked fewer than 15 days, it does not count, even if you earned a large amount.
Do not include money from sources other than work — such as unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, or family support. Social Security only counts money you earned from working.
Three Ways to Report Your Work
By phone: Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 when they ask you to report. Have your Social Security number and the work information ready. The call usually takes five to ten minutes. Social Security is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time.
By mail: If Social Security sends you a form or notice asking for your work information, fill it out and mail it back in the envelope provided. Write clearly and include the month, your earnings, and the number of days worked. Mail it back within the timeframe Social Security gives you — usually within 10 days of receiving the notice.
Online through my Social Security: If you have a my Social Security account, you may be able to report your work online. Log in to your account at ssa.gov, look for the option to report work, and enter the information Social Security is asking for. Not all regions offer online reporting yet, so if you do not see the option, use phone or mail instead.
What Happens If You Miss a Report or Report Late
If Social Security asks you to report and you do not respond, they may assume you did not work that month, or they may stop your payment while they try to reach you. Either outcome can cause problems: a missed month might not count toward your nine trial work months (even if you did work), or your payment could be delayed or ended.
If you miss a important date, contact Social Security as soon as you realize it. Call 1-800-772-1213 and explain that you are in Trial Work Period and missed a report. They can usually accept a late report if you contact them quickly. Have your work information ready when you call.
If your payment stops because of a missed report, you can request that it be restarted once you provide the missing information. This process can take several weeks, so it is better to report on time than to fix it later.
Tracking Your Nine Trial Work Months
As you report each month, Social Security keeps track of how many of your nine trial work months you have used. A month counts as a trial work month only if you worked 15 or more days in that month, regardless of how much you earned.
You can check your progress by logging into your my Social Security account or by calling Social Security and asking how many trial work months you have used so far. Knowing where you stand helps you plan — once you have used nine months, your Trial Work Period ends and the Extended Earnings Test begins, which has different rules.
Social Security will also send you a notice when you are approaching the end of your nine months, so you will know when the Trial Work Period is about to end. Read that notice carefully, because it explains what happens next and what your payment will be after the Trial Work Period ends.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reporting
Reporting net income instead of gross: Report the money you earned before taxes, not what you took home after taxes were taken out. Social Security needs your gross earnings to calculate correctly.
Forgetting to count all days worked: Count every day you worked, even if you only worked a few hours that day. A day counts if you did any work for pay that day.
Not reporting months when you earned very little: Report every month you worked, even if you only earned a small amount. Social Security needs to know about all work months to track your trial work months accurately.
Ignoring notices from Social Security: Always respond to notices or calls from Social Security about your work. If you are unsure what they are asking, call them back and ask for clarification rather than guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to report my work if I am still getting my full SSDI payment?
Yes. The fact that you keep your full payment during Trial Work Period does not mean you skip reporting. Social Security needs your reports to track which months count toward your nine trial work months. Missing reports can cause your Trial Work Period to end early or your payment to stop.
What if I work for multiple employers in the same month?
Report your total earnings from all jobs combined for that month. Also count the total number of days you worked across all jobs. If you worked 15 or more days total (counting days from each job), that month counts as a trial work month.
Can I report my work online if I do not have a my Social Security account?
You can create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you have not already. It takes about 10 minutes and requires your Social Security number, email, and a way to verify your identity. Once your account is set up, you may be able to report work online, though phone and mail are always available options.
What if Social Security contacts me but I have not worked that month?
Tell them you did not work that month. Report zero earnings and zero days worked. Social Security contacts people regularly during Trial Work Period to check in, so it is normal to receive a notice even if you did not work.
Does my work have to be reported by my employer, or do I report it?
You report it to Social Security. Your employer does not contact Social Security about your work. You are responsible for telling Social Security about your earnings and days worked each month.