Try returning to work without losing Disability (2024)

FAQs

Try returning to work without losing Disability? ›

Trial Work Period (TWP)

You can return to work for at least 9 months and still get your full Disability payment. We call this a “trial work period.” In 2024, any month you earn over $1,110 before taxes will count towards this trial. The months don't need to be consecutive, just within a rolling 5-year period.

If you filed to start receiving Social Security within the last 12 months and now want to go back to work, you should file for a "withdrawal" of benefits using Form SSA-521.

Social Security uses the amount you have earned in a month before subtracting taxes, to decide if a month counts toward your TWP. In 2024, if you earn $1,110 or more, or work more than 80 hours in self-employment in a month you're considered to have worked a TWP "service month," which is counted toward your TWP.

What Are Your Responsibilities When You Return To Work? If you receive SSDI and SSI or both, you and/or your representative must promptly report any changes in work activity. You must tell us if: You start or stop work.

You can only file for an EXR if you're within five years of when your benefits stopped due to work. After that five-year period, you must start a new disability application from scratch.

Social Security typically allows up to 45 hours of work per month if you're self-employed and on SSDI. That comes out to around 10 hours per week. The SSA will also see whether or not you're the only person working for your business.

The Social Security Administration will pay a maximum of 12 months of back pay. Suppose your application took 24 months to be approved. In that case, you are entitled to 12 months of back pay. Even though it may seem as though you're entitled to 19 months of back pay, the maximum amount of back pay is 12 months.

Permanent disability generally refers to a disabling condition that will last the rest of your life. If you have a permanent disability, you may be entitled to ongoing workers' compensation benefits based on your level of impairment and/or based on the impact of the disability on your earning power.

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you may be able to work while keeping your benefits. But the benefit amount you receive may be reduced depending on how much money you earn from your job.

What happens after SSDI 9 month trial work period? ›

After completing the Trial Work Period, SSDI recipients enter a 3-year (36-month) Extended Period of Eligibility. The EPE begins the month after your Trial Work Period ends and continues for 36 months, whether you are working or not. During this period, you can continue to receive full SSDI benefits.

Once your earnings reach the SGA level in one month, a 3-month Grace Period begins. During that time, you will continue getting SSDI cash benefits regardless of your wages. After your Grace Period ends, however, your SSDI benefits will be zero in any month that you earn above the SGA limit.

The 24-month initial reinstatement period (IRP) begins with the month of reinstatement to SSI and continues until the recipient has 24 payable months (not necessarily consecutive). Months of eligibility under section 1619(b) count as a payable month toward completing the IRP.

You can get Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time. However, if you are younger than full retirement age and make more than the yearly earnings limit, we will reduce your benefits. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, we will not reduce your benefits no matter how much you earn.

Mail us a request to cancel your application

Download Form 521: Request for Withdrawal of Application (PDF). Then, find the Social Security office closest to your home and mail us the completed form.

Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.

Receiving SSI and SSDI while working

But the benefit amount you receive may be reduced depending on how much money you earn from your job. As of 2024, you may stop receiving SSDI benefits if you earn over $1,550 a month. But your eligibility to receive SSI while working will depend on which state you live in.

The termination of benefits in the Social Security disability program is based predominantly on four factors: conversion to the retirement program (that is, attainment of full retirement age), death, medical recovery, and work recovery.

Most people who collect SSDI will receive benefits indefinitely, but some life events can cause the SSA to terminate payments. If you receive disability benefits, you could stop receiving payments for reasons like: Going back to work: The most common reason for SSDI termination is the beneficiary returning to work.

Social Security disability benefits automatically change to retirement benefits when disability beneficiaries become full retirement age. The law does not allow a person to receive both retirement and disability benefits on one earnings record at the same time.