SSDI Trial Work Period: Indiana Claimants

SSDI Trial Work Period: Indiana Claimants

Returning to work while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is a significant decision — one that carries real financial consequences if not handled correctly. Indiana residents on SSDI have access to a federally administered program called the Trial Work Period (TWP) that allows them to test their ability to work without immediately losing benefits. Understanding how this program operates can protect you from costly mistakes.

What Is the Trial Work Period?

The Trial Work Period is a Social Security Administration (SSA) program that gives SSDI recipients up to nine months to attempt working, regardless of how much they earn, without those months counting against their benefits. During TWP months, you continue to receive your full SSDI payment as long as you remain disabled and report your work activity to the SSA.

These nine months do not have to be consecutive. The SSA counts any month within a rolling 60-month (5-year) window in which your earnings exceed a threshold set annually. For 2024, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 gross counts as a TWP service month. Once you accumulate nine such months within that 60-month window, your Trial Work Period ends.

It is critical to understand what the TWP is not: it is not a guarantee that your benefits will continue indefinitely. It is a testing window — after it closes, the SSA evaluates whether your work activity constitutes Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).

After the Trial Work Period: The Extended Period of Eligibility

Once your nine TWP months are exhausted, you enter what is known as the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), which lasts 36 months. During the EPE, your SSDI benefits hinge on whether your monthly earnings exceed the SGA level. In 2024, the SGA threshold is $1,550 per month for non-blind recipients and $2,590 for blind recipients.

In any EPE month where your earnings fall below SGA, you receive your full benefit. In months where you exceed SGA, your benefit is suspended — not terminated. This distinction matters enormously. If your earnings drop below SGA during the EPE, benefits can be reinstated without filing a new application. After the EPE ends, exceeding SGA typically results in termination of benefits, which is far more difficult to reverse.

Indiana SSDI recipients should also be aware that Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) — costs like prescription medications, medical equipment, or transportation related to your disability — can be deducted from your gross earnings when the SSA calculates whether you have exceeded SGA. Documenting these expenses meticulously is essential.

Reporting Requirements for Indiana SSDI Recipients

The SSA requires all SSDI recipients to report any work activity promptly. Failing to do so is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes Indiana disability recipients make. Unreported earnings can result in overpayments, which the SSA will seek to recover in full, often by withholding future benefit checks.

You must report:

• The date you start or stop working
• Any changes in your pay or hours
• Any changes in your job duties
• Self-employment income and hours

Reports can be made by calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213, visiting your local Social Security office (Indiana has offices in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and other cities), or through your my Social Security online account. Keeping copies of all correspondence and pay stubs is strongly advised.

If the SSA determines you were overpaid due to unreported work, you have the right to request a waiver of overpayment if repayment would cause financial hardship and you were not at fault. Indiana claimants should act quickly — the waiver request must typically be filed within 30 days of the overpayment notice.

Self-Employment and the Trial Work Period in Indiana

Self-employed Indiana residents face a different calculation. For self-employed individuals, a TWP month is triggered when you either earn more than $1,110 net after business expenses or when you devote more than 80 hours in a month to your business — whichever threshold is met first.

Self-employment income is also evaluated differently for SGA purposes. The SSA may apply three tests to determine whether self-employment constitutes SGA: the Countable Income Test, the Comparability Test, and the Worth of Work Test. Indiana residents running their own businesses should be especially cautious, as the SSA scrutinizes self-employment closely and the rules are nuanced. An attorney familiar with Social Security disability law can help you structure your business activities to minimize risk during the TWP.

Ticket to Work and Other Work Incentives

Indiana SSDI recipients may also benefit from the SSA's Ticket to Work program, which provides access to free employment support services through approved providers called Employment Networks. Participating in Ticket to Work can provide additional protections, including suspension of continuing disability reviews while you are making timely progress toward employment goals.

The Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) is a state-level resource that can assist with job training, education, and placement services for individuals with disabilities. VRS can be an Employment Network under Ticket to Work, allowing coordination of services that support your return to work without jeopardizing federal benefits prematurely.

Other work incentives worth knowing include:

• Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS): Allows you to set aside income or resources for a work goal without those assets affecting SSI or SSDI eligibility
• Subsidy and Special Conditions: If your employer provides extra support or supervision because of your disability, the SSA may reduce the value of your work when calculating SGA
• Expedited Reinstatement (EXR): If benefits were terminated due to work and your condition worsens within five years, you can request reinstatement without filing a new application

Navigating these provisions simultaneously requires careful planning. A single misstep — an unreported paycheck, an incorrectly calculated TWP month, or a missed deadline — can disrupt years of benefits. Indiana claimants who are considering returning to work should consult with a disability attorney before taking any steps, not after problems arise.

Need Help? If you have questions about your case, call or text 833-657-4812 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

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