Living with a disability is challenging in so many ways. A disability can change your life, and adjusting to changes in your daily routine can be difficult. It can especially be difficult to stop working when you’ve been used to regularly doing so. That’s why it’s understandable that the prospect of returning to work if and when you are able is something that many people look forward to. It’s also understandable, however, that many who are receiving disability benefits wonder how a return to work might affect their continued entitlement to those benefits. Let’s take a closer look at the law together.
The SGA Limit
As a general rule, to be eligible for disability benefits, the recipient must be unable to engage in what the Social Security Administration calls “substantial gainful activity.” Typically, someone earning more than a specific monthly limit determined by the Social Security Administration (after subtracting work expenses necessary to accommodate the disability) is considered to be engaging in SGA. The earnings limit usually changes from year to year in accordance with changes in the natural average wage index. In 2025, the SGA limit is $1600 a month for non-blind people and $2700 a month for blind people.
Although earning above the SGA will typically affect entitlement to benefits, the good news is that the Social Security Administration does make some exceptions to this rule for those initially attempting to return to work. One of these exceptions is the Trial Work Period.
What is a Trial Work Period?
A trial work period is essentially as it sounds – an opportunity for an individual who receives disability benefits to attempt to return to work for a trial period of time without having their benefits disrupted while doing so. The trial work period lasts for nine months. The nine months do not need to be consecutive – instead, they can be used any time during a five-year period. During the nine-month trial period, there is no limit to how much an individual can earn, and the SGA does not apply.
After the trial work period has concluded, an individual can typically continue working for another 36-month period known as the “extended period of eligibility,” or EPE for short. During the EPE, the SGA limit does apply, but those who do not hit the SGA in a given month can still receive Social Security disability benefits. At the conclusion of the EPE, an individual who continues to work will typically stop receiving disability benefits and may need to reapply if a disability arises again in the future.
Are Any Other Incentives Offered?
In addition to the trial work period and the EPE, the Social Security Administration offers another popular return-to-work incentive known as the Ticket to Work Program. This is a free program that the Social Security Administration offers to incentivize those who are disabled and between the ages of 18 and 64 to attempt to return to work, if possible.
Ticket-to-Work offers various resources and assistance with returning to work. Some of those incentives include on-the-job training, vocational rehabilitation services, networking, job search services, reasonable job accommodations, and more. During the time that an individual participates in the program, they can generally continue receiving their regularly scheduled disability payments in the full amount. Those interested in learning more can visit the website www.choosework.ssa.gov or call the Ticket to Work helpline at 1–866–968–7842.
What Happens If You Can’t Continue Working?
This is an understandable question to ask. While attempting to return to work is encouraged, sometimes it simply doesn’t work out in the long run. Sometimes, the disability flares up again, and in other cases, the accommodations attempted to make a return to work successful simply don’t work out. The good news is that if you are again unable to work as a result of disability, you can always reopen or pursue another claim for disability benefits.
Depending upon your particular circumstances, you may be able to resume your benefits without pursuing a new claim, or you may have to begin the process again. Regardless of your situation, talking to a knowledgeable and experienced attorney regarding the best path forward will be essential. At Muse Disability, we’re here to help.
Call Muse Disability Today
At Muse Disability, we understand the challenges you face when struggling with a disability. We know how difficult it can be. That’s why we’re passionate about helping our clients fight to receive and protect the disability benefits they need and deserve while they are disabled. We know and understand every aspect of the process of pursuing disability benefits, and wherever you find yourself in that process, we’re here to help. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to helping you soon.