What is the Trial Work Period?
The Trial Work Period lets SSDI beneficiaries test their ability to work for 9 months (not necessarily consecutive, counted within a rolling 60-month window) while keeping their full SSDI check no matter how much they earn.
The Trial Work Period lets SSDI beneficiaries test their ability to work for 9 months (not necessarily consecutive, counted within a rolling 60-month window) while keeping their full SSDI check no matter how much they earn. A month counts as a trial work month only if earnings exceed a threshold that SSA adjusts annually with the national average wage index ($1,160 per month in 2025; check SSA's current-year figure, as it changes every January). After the 9 months are used, a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility begins, during which benefits are paid for any month earnings stay below the substantial gainful activity level.
What the government has said, on the record
"For example, in the SSDI program, beneficiaries who work first enter a nine-month Trial Work Period (TWP), during which their earnings generally do not affect the amount of their SSDI benefits."
— Susan Wilschke, Associate Commissioner, Office of Research, Demonstration and Employment Support, Social Security Administration. Testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance, hearing Work and Social Security Disability Benefits: Addressing Challenges and Creating Opportunities, June 18, 2024.
- Susan Wilschke — Associate Commissioner, Office of Research, Demonstration and Employment Support, Social Security Administration
- ssa.gov
Editor's note: The monthly TWP earnings threshold changes annually ($1,160 in 2025 is the last figure verified); the 2026 amount was not verified and the quote itself states no dollar figure. The 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility is confirmed by the verified next sentence in the testimony.
Sourced from ssa.gov — see citations below.
The Trial Work Period lets SSDI beneficiaries test their ability to work for 9 months (not necessarily consecutive, counted within a rolling 60-month window) while keeping their full SSDI check no matter how much they earn.
What is the Trial Work Period?
A month counts as a trial work month only if earnings exceed a threshold that SSA adjusts annually with the national average wage index ($1,160 per month in 2025; check SSA's current-year figure, as it changes every January). After the 9 months are used, a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility begins, during which benefits are paid for any month earnings stay below the substantial gainful activity level.
Where to verify
See the official source cited in the quote block above, and SSA's own program pages at ssa.gov/disability. Program dollar amounts change annually with the cost-of-living adjustment.
Sources
Every figure and rule on this page is drawn from official SSA publications. Verify at the links below.