What TWP means for your monthly check

The Trial Work Period (TWP) lets you test whether you can work without losing your SSDI payment right away. During your TWP, Social Security counts the months you earn over $240 per month (in 2025), and you keep your full benefit check no matter how much you make. Once you've used nine of those countable months within a rolling 60-month window, your TWP ends—but your benefits don't stop when ready.

The $240 threshold is set by Social Security each year and changes based on inflation. It applies to your net earnings after work expenses, not your gross pay. If you earn $239 in a month, that month doesn't count toward your nine. If you earn $241, it does—even if you only worked a few hours.

The key point: during TWP, you're protected. You can earn any amount and still receive your full SSDI check. This period exists so you can find out whether work is sustainable for you without the financial risk of losing benefits when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Your TWP lasts nine countable months—months when you earn over $240—spread across any 60-month period, and you keep your full SSDI payment during all of it.
  • The $240 monthly threshold is adjusted each year for inflation and applies to your net earnings after work-related expenses.
  • After your nine countable months end, you enter the Extended may be able to access period, where you keep benefits for up to 36 more months if you stay under the earnings limit.
  • You must report your work and earnings to Social Security each month, or your benefits may be suspended for non-reporting.
  • If you stop working or drop below $240 per month, your TWP pauses but does not restart—unused months carry forward within your 60-month window.

How the nine countable months work

Social Security counts a month toward your nine only if you earn more than $240 that month. The months don't have to be consecutive. You could have three countable months, then take two months off, then have four more countable months—all within the same 60-month rolling window. The window moves forward: once 60 months have passed since your first countable month, that first month drops off and a new one can be added at the end.

Your earnings are measured by what you actually receive, not what you're scheduled to receive. If you're paid weekly or biweekly, Social Security adds up all payments received in that calendar month. If you're self-employed, you report net profit after business expenses.

You can work part-time, full-time, or fluctuate between them. A month with $500 in earnings counts the same as a month with $5,000—both are countable months. The amount you earn during TWP does not affect your benefit payment.

What happens after your nine countable months end

When you've used all nine countable months, your TWP ends and you move into Extended may be able to access. This phase lasts up to 36 months. During Extended may be able to access, you can still work, but now your benefits are tied to an earnings limit—in 2025, that limit is $1,550 per month (this figure changes yearly). If you earn more than $1,550 in a month, you lose your benefit for that month.

Extended may be able to access gives you a cushion. You're not cut off from benefits when ready after TWP ends; you have three more years to see whether work is truly sustainable. Many people use this time to gradually increase their work hours or test different jobs.

If you drop below the earnings limit during Extended may be able to access, your benefits restart without a new process. If you stay below the limit for the full 36 months, Extended may be able to access ends and you move to regular SSDI rules, where the earnings limit is lower and the rules are stricter.

Reporting your work and earnings each month

You must tell Social Security about your work and earnings every month during your TWP and Extended may be able to access. You can report online through your my Social Security account, by phone, or by mail. If you don't report, Social Security may suspend your benefits for non-reporting, even if you're still under the earnings limit.

When you report, you provide your gross earnings for the month and the number of hours you worked (if self-employed, you report net profit). Social Security uses this information to determine whether you're still in TWP, whether you've moved into Extended may be able to access, and whether your benefits should continue.

Keep records of your pay stubs, invoices, or business records. If Social Security questions your earnings later, you'll need proof. Many people set a calendar reminder on the first of each month to report, so they don't forget.

The 60-month rolling window explained

Your nine countable months must fall within a rolling 60-month period. This means Social Security looks back 60 months from today. If your first countable month was January 2021, by January 2026 that month is no longer counted in your window—a new month can be added at the end. The window is always moving forward.

This matters if you stop working and want to return to work later. If you had four countable months, then stopped working for two years, you still have five countable months left in your window. You don't start over. But if more than 60 months pass from your first countable month without using all nine, the oldest months fall out and you lose them.

Social Security tracks this automatically. You don't have to calculate it yourself, but understanding the window helps you plan. If you're approaching the end of your 60-month window and haven't used all nine countable months, you know you have limited time to use them before they expire.

What stops your TWP or Extended may be able to access

Your TWP ends when you've had nine countable months, not before. Extended may be able to access ends after 36 months of that phase, or if you earn over the limit for nine months during Extended may be able to access (a separate nine-month rule). You can also request to end your work incentive periods if you want to stop working and return to regular SSDI rules.

If you become unable to work again due to your condition, you can report this to Social Security. Your benefits will continue, but your TWP or Extended may be able to access status may change. You don't lose benefits for stopping work; you only lose them for earning too much during Extended may be able to access.

If you fail to report your earnings for three months in a row, Social Security may suspend your benefits. You can request reinstatement once you start reporting again, but there's a gap in payment. This is why monthly reporting is critical.

Planning your work during TWP and Extended may be able to access

Many people use their TWP to test different jobs, increase work hours gradually, or see whether their condition allows sustained work. Because you keep your full benefit during TWP, you have a financial safety net. Some people work part-time during TWP to build confidence, then increase hours during Extended may be able to access.

Others use TWP to return to their previous job or try a new field. The nine-month window gives you time to see whether the work is sustainable without the pressure of losing benefits when ready. If you find that work triggers your symptoms or is unsustainable, you can stop and your benefits continue.

If you're working with a vocational rehabilitation counselor or a benefits planning service, they can help you map out a work plan that uses your TWP strategically. Some states offer free work incentive planning services through organizations that specialize in SSDI work rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my TWP months all at once or do they have to be spread out?

Your nine countable months can be consecutive or spread across your 60-month window however you work. You could have nine months in a row where you earn over $240, or you could have three months, take time off, then have six more months. The pattern doesn't matter—only that nine separate months with earnings over $240 occur within the same rolling 60-month period.

What if I earn exactly $240 in a month—does that count?

No. The threshold is earnings over $240, not $240 or more. You must earn $241 or more in a month for it to count as a countable month toward your nine. If you earn $240 exactly, that month does not count.

Do I lose my TWP if I take a month off from work?

No. Taking a month off does not end your TWP or restart it. Your nine countable months are spread across 60 months, so gaps in work are normal. If you earn under $240 in a month, that month straightforward doesn't count—it doesn't erase your progress or reset your clock.

What happens to my health insurance during TWP and Extended may be able to access?

Your Medicaid or Medicare continues during TWP and Extended may be able to access. Medicaid rules vary by state, but most states keep you covered as long as you're receiving SSDI benefits. Medicare continues for at least 93 months after your TWP ends. Check with your state Medicaid office about your specific coverage.

Can I go back to work after Extended may be able to access ends if I stop working now?

Yes, but the rules change. After Extended may be able to access ends, you move to regular SSDI rules, which have a lower earnings limit and stricter rules. You can request to restart your work incentives under a different program called Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) or Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), but you cannot restart TWP. Talk to a work incentive planning service about your options.