Under the Social Security Administration’s trial work period provision, individuals with disabilities who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits can try returning to work if their condition improves without immediately losing their SSDI benefits. Trial work periods enable individuals with disabilities to test their ability to work without jeopardizing benefits if they ultimately determine they cannot work.
What Is the Trial Work Period for SSDI?
The Social Security Administration operates a trial work period program for SSDI recipients, allowing them to attempt a return to the workforce if their condition improves. The trial work period permits SSDI benefits recipients to test their ability to work without losing their benefits. During the trial work period, an SSDI recipient can work and earn any amount of income while continuing to receive their Social Security disability benefits.
How Many Trial Work Periods Can You Have?
All SSDI recipients have a right to enter a trial work period once every five years.
When Does the Trial Work Period Start?
An SSDI recipient’s trial period for work starts when they begin working and earning more than the minimum threshold for substantial gainful employment (as of 2025, $1,160 per month) or if they work more than 80 hours per month in self-employment. SSDI recipients must report any gainful work they perform to the Social Security Administration; otherwise, they may jeopardize their benefits eligibility. However, the period begins in the first month they perform substantial gainful employment, regardless of whether they report their work to the Social Security Administration.
What Happens After The Nine-Month Trial Work Period?
An SSDI recipient can work up to nine months during the trial work period while continuing to receive their full SSDI benefits. After working for nine months, the trial work period ends, and the individual enters the Extended Period of Eligibility.
What Is the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)?
During the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), an SSDI recipient who exhausts their nine-month trial work period can enter another work incentive program. The EPE lasts for 36 months after the expiration of the trial work period, regardless of whether an SSDI recipient stops working. During the period, an SSDI recipient can continue to receive benefits if they meet specific criteria, including:
- Having a medical condition or disability that limits one’s ability to work
- Earning less income than the substantial gainful activity threshold set by the Social Security Administration
- Tracking and reporting monthly earnings to the Social Security Administration
An SSDI recipient will receive their disability benefits for months in which they earn less than the substantial gainful activity threshold. However, when a recipient earns over the threshold in a month, the Social Security Administration will pay disability benefits for that month and the next two months, ceasing benefits if the recipient continues to earn income above the substantial gainful activity threshold.
Contact the SSDI Lawyers at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons Now
Are you an SSDI recipient who’s interested in returning to the workforce during a trial work period without jeopardizing your benefits? Do you have questions about the SSDI trial work period? If so, contact Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Social Security disability attorney to discuss your next steps.
We are Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons, a legal firm that, for decades, has been fighting for the rights of hardworking Oklahoma residents. Our mission is to hold the powerful accountable.
