“I keep hearing about the Trial Work Period… but no one explains what it looks like in real life.”

If you’re on SSDI and thinking about earning money, the Trial Work Period (TWP) is usually the first thing people mention – and the least clearly explained.

Most explanations sound like this:

“You can work for 9 months without losing benefits.”

Which sounds reassuring… until you start asking normal follow-up questions like:

• What counts as a “month”?

• What if my income goes up and down?

• What if I earn too much by accident?

• What if I don’t even realize I’m using my Trial Work Period?

Let’s slow this down and make it real.

Big picture first: what the Trial Work Period is (and isn’t)

The Trial Work Period is not:

• a one-time pass

• a special permission you have to apply for

• a guarantee that nothing matters

It is:

• SSDI’s built-in testing phase

• a way to see if you can work without immediately losing benefits

• a counting system that runs quietly in the background

Analogy:
Think of the Trial Work Period like training wheels.
You’re allowed to pedal. You might wobble. You might even go faster than expected.
But the system is still counting laps.

The one number that matters for TWP in 2026

In 2026, a month counts as a Trial Work Period month if your gross earnings (before taxes) are over:

$1,210 in a month

That’s it. That’s the trigger.

Not hours worked.
Not effort.
Not how tired you feel afterward.

Just gross earnings.

Important detail people miss:

• You don’t need to earn exactly $1,210

• If you earn $1,211, that month counts

• If you earn $1,209, it doesn’t

Analogy:
This is a light switch, not a dimmer. Once you cross it, the system flips.

How many Trial Work Period months do you get?

You get 9 Trial Work Period months.

They:

• do not have to be consecutive

• are counted over a rolling window

• are tracked by SSA whether you’re paying attention or not

That last part is important.

You don’t “start” your Trial Work Period by announcing it.
It starts when your earnings cross the line.

“Do I lose my SSDI check during the Trial Work Period?”

This is where people panic, so let’s be very clear.

During Trial Work Period months:

• You still receive your full SSDI benefit

• As long as SSA still considers you medically disabled

So yes, you can:

• earn over the TWP amount and

• receive your SSDI check for those months

This is why people say TWP lets you “test work.”

But – and this matters – those months are being counted.

What the Trial Work Period does not protect you from

This is where a lot of bad advice lives.

The Trial Work Period:

• does not mean “income doesn’t matter”

• does not reset automatically

• does not last forever

It also doesn’t mean:

• you can ignore reporting

• you can rack up months without tracking them

• SSA won’t care later

Analogy:
The TWP doesn’t erase the speedometer – it just gives you room to learn how the car handles.

A very real example (this is how people accidentally use up TWP)

Let’s say this happens:

• January: You earn $1,350 → counts as TWP month #1

• February: You earn $900 → does not count

• March: You earn $1,500 → TWP month #2

• April: You earn $1,260 → TWP month #3

You didn’t “decide” to use your Trial Work Period.

It just happened – quietly.

Six months later, someone says:

“Why am I suddenly getting letters about work?”

Because the system has been counting all along.

Why reporting matters during the Trial Work Period

This is a big one.

People sometimes think:

“Since I’m in the Trial Work Period, I don’t need to be careful yet.”

That’s backwards.

Reporting is how SSA:

• knows when months count

• assigns them correctly

• avoids surprises later

Not reporting doesn’t stop the clock.
It just delays clarity.

Analogy:
Not reporting income during TWP is like not checking your mileage while driving cross-country. You’re still burning gas – you just don’t know how close you are to empty.

What happens after the Trial Work Period ends? (briefly)

We’re not going deep here yet – that’s the next article – but you should know this:

After your 9 Trial Work Period months are used:

• SSA looks more closely at Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)

• The rules change

• The safety net changes

That’s why the Trial Work Period isn’t something to “waste” accidentally.

It’s valuable – if you understand it while you’re using it.

Common myths about the Trial Work Period

Let’s clear a few up:

❌ “I can’t work at all or I’ll lose SSDI.”
→ False.

❌ “If I earn too much once, I’m done.”
→ Not how it works.

❌ “Trial Work Period means income doesn’t matter.”
→ Income always matters – timing and thresholds determine how it matters.

❌ “SSA will warn me before my Trial Work Period starts.”
→ Usually, no.

How to use the Trial Work Period strategically (without gaming anything)

The safest mindset is this:

• Track your gross earnings monthly

• Know whether you crossed the TWP amount

• Keep records simple and boring

• Report consistently

Boring is good. Predictable is good. Explainable is good.

SSA systems are built for boring.

What to read next

If you’re on SSDI, your next steps should be:

• What counts as Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) in 2026

• What happens after the Trial Work Period ends

• Reporting income on SSDI: timing mistakes to avoid

Each of those builds on what you now understand.

Important disclaimer (please read)

This article explains general SSDI rules as they apply in 2026.

Your specific situation can change outcomes if you have:

• other benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, SSI)

• self-employment income

• irregular or seasonal earnings

• prior work attempts

Before making big changes, talk to a benefits counselor who can look at your specific details.

Free benefits counseling is available

SSDI and SSI recipients can access benefits counseling through Social Security’s Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program.

Ticket to Work Help Line
📞 1-866-968-7842
📞 TTY: 1-866-833-2967
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET

They can help you:

• understand how your income would be counted

• plan work without surprises

• avoid preventable problems later