Trial Work Period (TWP) for SSDI Recipients

If you receive SSDI, you may qualify for a Trial Work Period, which lets you test your ability to work for at least 9 months without losing your benefits:

• You can earn any amount of income during the TWP and still receive your full SSDI payment.
• The TWP lasts for 9 months within a rolling 60-month period.
• In 2025, a month counts toward the TWP if you earn over $1,110.
• These months don’t have to be consecutive.

After the TWP, you’ll enter the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE).

Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)

Once your Trial Work Period ends, you get a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility, during which you can still receive SSDI payments for any month you don’t earn Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level income:

• For 2025, SGA is $1,550/month for most people and $2,590/month for blind individuals.
• If your income stays below the SGA limit, you’ll continue receiving SSDI.
• If you exceed SGA in a given month, your benefits may stop that month, but you can restart them again if your earnings drop.

Expedited Reinstatement (EXR)

If your benefits stop because of work activity but your disability forces you to stop working again, you may be eligible for Expedited Reinstatement:

• You can request to have your benefits restarted without filing a new application, as long as it’s within 5 years of when your benefits stopped.
• You may receive provisional (temporary) payments while your case is reviewed.

SSI Work Incentives

If you’re receiving SSI, the rules are different because SSI is needs-based:

• SSA excludes the first $85 of your income each month ($20 general income exclusion + $65 earned income exclusion).
• After that, SSA reduces your SSI benefits by 50 cents for every $1 earned.
• For example, if you earn $885/month from work, your SSI benefit would be reduced by approximately $400.

SSI also offers work incentives like:

• 1619(b): You can keep your Medicaid coverage even if your income is too high for SSI, as long as you still have a qualifying disability and meet other criteria.
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs): These can be deducted from your earnings, potentially helping you keep more of your SSI benefits.

Impact on Medicare and Medicaid

• SSDI recipients keep Medicare coverage for at least 93 months after their Trial Work Period.
• SSI recipients may keep Medicaid through 1619(b) if they continue to meet disability and other criteria, even if they no longer receive cash payments.

Reporting Work Activity Is Crucial

The SSA requires that you report any work activity, including:



• When you start or stop working
• Changes in duties, hours, or pay
• Work-related expenses due to your disability

Failure to report work activity can result in overpayments and may require you to repay benefits later.