Health & Benefits

Whenever you work and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you must report your income to the Social Security Administration (SSA) every month. It is important to start reporting as soon as you start work. Do not wait to report because you are unsure whether you will be able to keep the job. Even if a job is short-term, you must report it.

Do not assume that the SSA will know about your work because your employer pays Social Security taxes for you. Eventually, Social Security will find out about your work. By then, you might have an overpayment or lose your benefits. Reporting every month as soon as you start work may help avoid these issues.

Remember to keep proof of your reporting. For example, if you drop off a copy of your pay stubs at the local Social Security office, you should get a date stamp on your copy.

To be eligible for SSDI, your income from work cannot be more than a certain amount. However, you may have earnings and collect benefits during:

• A [no-lexicon]trial[/no-lexicon] work period, and 
• An extended period of eligibility.

Trial work period

Under SSDI rules, you can have a [no-lexicon]trial[/no-lexicon] work period. You may test your ability to work and still be considered disabled. This means your earnings during the [no-lexicon]trial[/no-lexicon] period will not affect your SSDI benefits.

A trial work period is a total of 9 months. During the 9 months, you are allowed to earn as much money as you can and still get your benefits. When you use up the 9 months, you may not be able to keep your benefits, depending on how much you work.

The 9 months do not have to be in a row, and they can occur during any 60-month period.

A [no-lexicon]trial[/no-lexicon] work month includes any month in which you:

• Earn more than $1,160 (as of 2025), or
• Work more than 80 hours total, if you are self-employed.

So, if you earn $1,160 or less before taxes, that month will not count as one of your 9 trial work months.

There is no upper limit on how much you can earn during the trial work period. You will still get your SSDI benefits during your trial work months, no matter how much you earn.

Here is an example of a trial work period. You work in January and February 2025, making less than $1,160 before taxes each month. In March 2025, you continue to work and make $1,500 before taxes. This is the first of your 9 trial work months. In April and May 2025, you make less than $1,160 before taxes. Beginning in June 2025, you make $1,500 before taxes every month. Each month from June to December counts as one of your trial work months. You have used up 8 of your 9 trial work months in 2025. As soon as you have a month in 2026 in which you earn over the 2026 trial work amount, you will use up your last trial work month.

The SSA will look at your earnings before taxes. Also, trial work period amounts change from year to year. For more information about monthly earning amounts for trial work periods, visit the SSA's website. 

Extended period of eligibility or "reentitlement period"

Once you have used up your 9 trial work months, you enter a 36 month-long period of eligibility. During this time, you can receive your SSDI for any month in which your before-tax earnings are less than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) amount ($1,620 in 2025). But, if your monthly earnings are more than the SGA amount, you will not receive your SSDI benefits during that month.

If you are blind, a higher SGA amount applies. In 2025, the SGA amount for people with blindness is $2,700.

The SSA will look at your earnings before taxes. Also, SGA amounts will go up in 2026. For more information on SGA amounts, visit the SSA's website.

There are some exceptions or special rules that might mean earnings over the SGA amount are not SGA. One example is when a person has expenses related to the disability, such as special transportation, that people who are not disabled do not need. Another exception can apply when a person tries work but has to stop soon after starting because of their disability. These exceptions are complicated, and there are strict rules about when they apply. Talk to a lawyer if you think an exception might apply to you.

Since Social Security looks at your earnings every month during the extended period of eligibility, it is very important to keep reporting your income every month.

Working after the extended period of eligibility

If you have monthly earnings over the SGA amount after the 36-month extended period ends, SSA will likely decide that you are no longer disabled. Your benefits will be terminated.

This rule applies no matter how long after the reentitlement period you work and earn more than the SGA amount. For example, you may not work for three years after the trial work period and the 36 months of the extended period of eligibility. Then, you start working again and earn over the current SGA amount. Your benefits will stop the first month you have those earnings.

You do not have to file a new application if the same disability later keeps you from working during the next 5 years. Instead of filing a new application, you can ask for an expedited reinstatement. You can receive temporary benefits for 6 months while SSA decides your case.

If the SSA says your benefits are being terminated, you have the right to appeal. If you file the appeal within 15 days of the date of SSA's notice (10 days plus 5 extra days for mailing), you can ask Social Security to keep your benefits going during the appeal. Learn more about how to appeal an SSA decision.

Will SSA say I'm not disabled if I work during my trial period?

No. The SSA wants to encourage people to try to work without being afraid that they will take another look at whether you are disabled.

If you continue to work after your trial period, the SSA might start a "continuing disability review." That review looks at whether you are still disabled.

Different rules apply for Social Security Income (SSI)

This article talks about the rules for SSDI. If your benefits are from SSI, the rules are different. Learn more about getting SSI benefits when you are working.