Your SSDI payment stays the same during Trial Work Period, no matter how much you earn

During your Trial Work Period (TWP), Social Security does not reduce your SSDI check based on your work or your earnings. You can work full-time, earn $5,000 a month, or earn $500 — your benefit amount does not change. This is the entire point of the TWP: to let you test whether you can work without losing income while you do it.

The TWP lasts for nine months (not necessarily consecutive) in a rolling 60-month window. Once your TWP ends, the rules change. That is when work can affect your payment, and the mechanism depends on which rule applies to your situation.

Key Takeaways

  • During Trial Work Period, your SSDI payment does not decrease no matter how much money you earn from work.
  • After Trial Work Period ends, the Substantial Gainful Activity rule may reduce or stop your benefits if you earn above a monthly threshold ($1,550 in 2024, but this amount changes yearly).
  • If you earn below the SGA threshold, your benefits continue even after TWP ends, and you can work indefinitely without a payment reduction.
  • The Extended may be able to access Period gives you nine more months of full benefits after TWP ends, even if you are already earning above SGA.
  • After Extended may be able to access ends, you enter Expedited Reinstatement, which protects you if your benefits stop but you cannot sustain the work.

What happens when Trial Work Period ends

When your ninth TWP month ends, Social Security moves you into the Extended may be able to access Period (EEP). During EEP, your payment still does not reduce based on work or earnings. You get nine more months of full SSDI benefits, regardless of how much you earn. This is a second safety net: you have time to see whether the work is sustainable before your benefits are at risk.

EEP is also nine months, and like TWP, the months do not have to be consecutive — they count only in months when you earn money. If you work in January, February, and March, then take three months off, you have used three EEP months. The remaining six EEP months are still waiting.

After EEP ends, the situation changes. Now your earnings matter to your payment.

Substantial Gainful Activity: the earnings threshold that can stop your benefits

Once both TWP and EEP are finished, Social Security uses the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) rule to decide whether you can work and keep your benefits. SGA is a monthly earnings threshold. In 2024, the SGA threshold for non-blind workers is $1,550 per month. For blind workers, it is $2,590 per month. These amounts increase each year based on national wage trends.

If you earn less than the SGA threshold in a month, your SSDI payment for that month is not affected. You can work part-time, earn $800 a month, or earn $1,400 a month — your check stays the same. You can do this indefinitely. There is no time limit on working below SGA.

If you earn at or above the SGA threshold in a month, Social Security assumes you are working at a substantial level. Your SSDI payment for that month stops. If you go above SGA in multiple months, your benefits may be terminated entirely, though Social Security will send you a notice before that happens.

How Social Security counts your work earnings

Social Security counts gross earnings — the money you receive before taxes, not what you take home. If you are self-employed, they count your net profit after business expenses, not your gross revenue. If you work for an employer, they count your wages before withholding.

Earnings include wages, salary, bonuses, and commissions. They do not include Social Security benefits themselves, SSI, food stamps, housing information, or other government payments. They do not include investment income, rental income, or money from selling something you own.

Social Security looks at the month you earn the money, not the month you receive it. If your employer pays you in January for work done in December, Social Security counts it in January. If you are self-employed and invoice a client in March but do not get paid until May, Social Security counts it in May.

What to do if you want to work above the SGA threshold

If you want to work full-time or earn more than the SGA threshold, you have options beyond losing your benefits when ready. The most important is Expedited Reinstatement, which begins the moment your TWP and EEP end.

Expedited Reinstatement lasts for five years. During this time, if your benefits stop because you earned above SGA, you can request reinstatement without going through the full medical review process again. You do not have to prove your condition got worse. You just have to show that you tried to work but could not sustain it — because of your disability, the work was too demanding, or the job ended.

This means you can work full-time, earn $3,000 a month, and if you cannot keep it up, you can ask for your benefits back within five years without a new medical evaluation. Social Security will reinstate you within 60 days if you meet the criteria.

Work incentives that reduce or delay the SGA impact

Social Security offers several work incentives designed to let you earn more without losing benefits when ready. The most common are Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS).

IRWE lets you deduct certain work-related costs from your gross earnings before Social Security counts them toward SGA. If you need a personal assistant at work, specialized equipment, or medication that lets you work, you can subtract those costs. If you earn $2,000 a month but spend $600 on work-related disability costs, Social Security counts only $1,400 toward SGA. You stay under the threshold and keep your full benefit.

PASS is a written plan you create with a Social Security work incentives planner. It lets you set aside income and resources for a specific work goal — starting a business, getting a degree, buying equipment — without those funds counting against your benefits. PASS is complex and requires documentation, but it can let you save and invest in work capacity while keeping SSDI.

Both IRWE and PASS require you to report them to Social Security and provide documentation. They are not automatic. You have to ask for them and prove the expenses or the plan.

Interaction with Medicare and Medicaid while you work

Your health insurance does not stop when your SSDI payment does. If you lose SSDI benefits because you earned above SGA, you keep Medicare for at least 93 more months (about 7.75 years) after your last month of benefits. This is called Medicare Continuation. You have to pay the premium yourself — it is not free — but you do not lose coverage.

Medicaid works differently and depends on your state. Some states tie Medicaid to SSDI, so if your SSDI stops, Medicaid stops. Other states have work incentive programs that let you keep Medicaid even after SSDI ends. You need to check with your state Medicaid office or your local Social Security office to know which rule applies where you live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work part-time and keep my full SSDI check after Trial Work Period ends?

Yes, if you earn below the SGA threshold for your year. In 2024, that is $1,550 per month for non-blind workers. You can work part-time indefinitely at that earnings level without any reduction to your benefit. The earnings limit increases each January.

What if I earn above SGA for one month but then drop back below it?

Your SSDI payment stops for the month you earned above SGA. When you drop back below the threshold, your benefits resume the following month. There is no penalty for a single high-earning month — you just lose that one payment and then get reinstated.

Do I have to report my work earnings to Social Security?

Yes. You must report work and earnings to Social Security, usually by phone or online through your My Social Security account. If you do not report and Social Security discovers you earned above SGA, they can overpay you and demand repayment, or they can stop your benefits for fraud. Report honestly and on time.

Can I use Impairment Related Work Expenses if I work from home?

Yes, if the expenses are directly related to your ability to work. Home office equipment, medication, or a personal assistant at home can count as IRWE. You need to document the expense and show Social Security how it enables you to work. Not all work-from-home costs may have access to — only those tied to your disability.

What happens to my benefits if I go back to school while working?

School attendance does not affect SSDI. Your benefits depend only on your work earnings and your medical condition. You can work, go to school, and keep your SSDI as long as you stay below SGA or are still in TWP or EEP. If you are using a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) that includes school, you can set aside income for tuition without it counting toward SGA.