“Trial work” is a concept that applies to people already receiving Title II disability benefits. Sometimes Title II recipients will attempt to return to work to see how it goes. Social Security encourages this, and allows a 9 month period for a person to still receive benefits while testing his or her ability to work. However, this trial work can be a trap for the unwary.
Some recipients try working part-time, and may earn less than the SGA amount. They assume their disability benefits will not be affected by this part-time work. After all, they were allowed earn that much when they applied for disability benefits. But the trial work amount is quite a bit less than SGA, and this can cause problems for people who earn more than the trial work amount.
After 9 months of trial work, Social Security can terminate your benefits if you reach the level of SGA. The 9 months of trial are not necessarily consecutive, so a few months here and there of part-time employment can consume the trial work period. The SSA looks at a five-year period for trial work, so that 9th month of trial work can sneak up on you. So what should you do?
First, be aware of the the trial work issue.
Second, keep track of your earnings, particularly if you are only working part-time. Keep your paystubs.
Third, let your local Social Security office know that you are working, and give them copies of your paystubs.
The goal is for both you and Social Security to know when you have reached the 9th month of trial work, so there are no surprises.
Lastly, remember the 36 month reentitlement period.