SSDI Trial Work Period Amount in 2023: What the Threshold Means and How It Works
If you're receiving SSDI benefits and considering returning to work, the Trial Work Period (TWP) is one of the most important protections built into the program. Understanding the 2023 dollar threshold — and what crosses it — can be the difference between a smooth return-to-work experience and an unexpected disruption to your benefits.
What Is the SSDI Trial Work Period?
The Trial Work Period is a Social Security work incentive that allows SSDI recipients to test their ability to work without immediately losing benefits. During the TWP, you can earn wages from employment and still receive your full SSDI payment, regardless of how much you earn — as long as you report your work activity to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The TWP consists of 9 months within a rolling 60-month (5-year) window. Those 9 months do not need to be consecutive. Each month you earn above the TWP threshold counts as one of your 9 service months.
The 2023 Trial Work Period Monthly Threshold
In 2023, a month counts as a Trial Work Period service month if your gross earnings reach $1,050 or more.
If you are self-employed, the SSA looks at either your net earnings or the number of hours you work — whichever triggers the threshold first. In 2023, working more than 80 hours in a month in self-employment also counts as a TWP service month, even if net profit falls below $1,050.
This threshold adjusts annually based on the national average wage index, so the figure for any given year should always be verified directly with SSA or on SSA.gov.
| Year | TWP Monthly Threshold |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $940 |
| 2022 | $970 |
| 2023 | $1,050 |
| 2024 | $1,110 |
Amounts adjust annually. Always confirm the current threshold with SSA.
What Happens During the Trial Work Period
During your 9 TWP service months, your SSDI benefits continue regardless of what you earn. You could work full-time and earn well above the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level — which was $1,470/month in 2023 for non-blind recipients — and still receive your full benefit check.
This is intentional. The TWP is designed to let you genuinely test whether sustained employment is possible given your medical condition, without financial penalty during the trial itself.
Two things are required on your end: report your work and wages to SSA promptly, and continue to have the disabling condition that originally qualified you. The TWP does not protect benefits if your disability has medically improved to the point where you no longer meet SSA's definition of disability.
What Happens After the Trial Work Period Ends 🔍
Once you've used all 9 TWP service months, the program shifts. SSA then evaluates whether your work activity rises to the level of Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). If your earnings exceed the SGA threshold in any month after the TWP, SSA may determine you are no longer disabled and move to terminate benefits.
However, you don't fall off a cliff immediately. After the TWP, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During the EPE:
- Any month your earnings fall below the SGA threshold, you can receive a full benefit check
- Any month your earnings are above SGA, benefits can be suspended
- If a medical condition forces you to stop working again during the EPE, benefits can be reinstated more quickly than a brand-new application
This creates a meaningful safety net for people whose ability to work fluctuates due to their condition.
Variables That Shape How the TWP Plays Out
The mechanics of the TWP are uniform — the $1,050 threshold applied to everyone in 2023. But how the period unfolds in practice depends heavily on individual circumstances:
Type of work and income structure. Hourly employees, salaried workers, and self-employed individuals are each evaluated differently. Irregular income from gig work or part-time jobs can make it harder to track which months count as service months.
How many TWP months have already been used. If you used TWP months in a previous work attempt within the last 5 years, those count toward your 9. Someone who worked briefly two years ago may have fewer months remaining than they realize.
Whether the disability involves fluctuating capacity. Conditions that cause good months and bad months — certain mental health conditions, autoimmune disorders, chronic pain — can lead to highly variable work patterns that affect when and how SGA is triggered after the TWP.
Whether you're participating in Ticket to Work. Enrolling in the SSA's Ticket to Work program can provide additional protections and support services during and after the TWP. It doesn't change the $1,050 threshold, but it can affect how SSA reviews your case.
Reporting timing. Delayed reporting of wages to SSA is one of the most common causes of overpayments — a serious problem that can require repayment of months of benefits. When wages are reported, how quickly, and in what format all affect how cleanly the TWP is administered.
Different Profiles, Different Experiences ⚖️
A person who worked one month two years ago and then stopped has a different TWP situation than someone who has been steadily working part-time for the past year and just crossed the $1,050 mark for the eighth time. Someone who is self-employed needs to track both income and hours, while a W-2 employee primarily tracks gross monthly wages.
Some people move through their 9 months quickly, find stable employment, and transition off SSDI without issue. Others use only a few service months before their condition prevents continued work, and they return to full benefits with most of their TWP intact. Still others reach the EPE and face a complicated month-to-month picture where income fluctuates around the SGA line.
The 2023 threshold of $1,050 is the same for all of them — but what it triggers, and what comes next, depends entirely on the specifics of each person's work history, earnings pattern, and medical situation.
