SSDI Trial Work Period: Kansas Guide

SSDI Trial Work Period: Kansas Guide

Returning to work while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is one of the most misunderstood areas of disability law. Many Kansas recipients fear that any attempt to work will immediately terminate their benefits. The Trial Work Period (TWP) exists precisely to eliminate that fear — it gives you a protected window to test your ability to work without losing your SSDI cash benefits.

Understanding exactly how this program works, and what pitfalls to avoid, can be the difference between a successful return to employment and an unexpected loss of income.

What Is the Trial Work Period?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) allows SSDI recipients to attempt a return to work for up to nine months within a rolling 60-month (five-year) window. During these nine months, you continue receiving your full SSDI benefit regardless of how much you earn — as long as you report your work activity to SSA.

The nine months do not need to be consecutive. Any month in which your gross earnings exceed the Trial Work Period service month threshold counts as one of your nine months. For 2024, that threshold is $1,110 per month. If you earn less than that amount in a given month, it does not count as a Trial Work Period month, even if you are technically working.

This structure is intentional. SSA recognizes that disability often fluctuates and that part-time or irregular work should not penalize someone who remains genuinely disabled.

How Kansas Recipients Trigger the Trial Work Period

Your Trial Work Period begins automatically the moment you perform services in a month that meets the earnings threshold. There is no application to file and no approval needed from SSA before you start working. However, you have a strict legal obligation to report all work activity to SSA promptly — typically within 10 days after the end of each month in which you worked.

Kansas SSDI recipients report work activity through multiple channels:

• Calling or visiting your local SSA field office (Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, and other cities have offices)
• Reporting online through your my Social Security account at ssa.gov
• Mailing written notice to your SSA servicing office
• Calling SSA's national 800 number: 1-800-772-1213

Failure to report work activity is treated as an overpayment — SSA will eventually discover earnings through IRS wage data, and you will be required to repay benefits received during unreported work months. In some cases, willful non-reporting can be treated as fraud.

What Happens After You Use All Nine Months

Once you exhaust your nine Trial Work Period months, SSA evaluates whether your work activity constitutes Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). In 2024, SGA is defined as earning more than $1,550 per month (or $2,590 per month if you are blind).

If your earnings exceed SGA after your TWP ends, SSA will determine that your disability has ceased due to work. However, you are not cut off immediately. A 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) follows your Trial Work Period. During those 36 months, you receive SSDI benefits for any month your earnings fall below SGA — even without reapplying — and your benefits are suspended (not terminated) in months where you exceed SGA.

This safety net matters enormously for Kansas workers in industries like agriculture, manufacturing, or seasonal employment where income fluctuates month to month. A disability flare-up that forces you to reduce hours will not require you to restart the entire application process.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses and Their Impact in Kansas

Kansas SSDI recipients who work should understand that Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) can be deducted from your gross earnings before SSA determines whether you have reached SGA. This deduction applies both during and after the Trial Work Period for SGA calculations.

Qualifying expenses include:

• Prescription medications directly related to your disabling condition
• Medical devices, prosthetics, or adaptive equipment required for work
• Transportation costs for medically necessary specialized transport
• Attendant care services needed to prepare for or perform work
• Modifications to your vehicle or workspace required by your disability

For example, if a Kansas recipient earns $1,700 per month but pays $250 monthly for disability-related medications and medical supplies required to work, their countable earnings for SGA purposes drop to $1,450 — below the SGA threshold. Proper documentation of IRWEs can preserve benefit eligibility that would otherwise appear to have ended.

Common Mistakes Kansas Recipients Make During the Trial Work Period

Several patterns routinely create problems for SSDI recipients attempting to use the Trial Work Period effectively:

• Not reporting income promptly. SSA matches earnings records annually with the IRS. Late discovery triggers overpayment notices with interest and collection action.
• Misunderstanding self-employment rules. For self-employed Kansas workers — farmers, contractors, freelancers — SSA measures work activity by both net earnings and hours worked (typically more than 45 hours per month in a business counts as a service month regardless of profit).
• Assuming TWP months reset. Your nine TWP months are counted within a rolling 60-month window. They do not reset with a new disability period if the new period is connected to the same or related impairment.
• Failing to request a Ticket to Work. Kansas recipients can assign their Ticket to Work to an Employment Network or the Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation program, which may provide additional work support and, when properly used, can suspend continuing disability reviews during active participation.
• Stopping work abruptly to avoid counting a TWP month. This strategy rarely works and may raise questions about the legitimacy of your work attempts.

Kansas also has a Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) program through which Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) counselors can review your specific situation at no cost. These counselors help you model the financial impact of returning to work before you accept a job offer, which is one of the most valuable — and underused — free resources available to Kansas SSDI recipients.

Protecting Your Benefits While Testing Your Ability to Work

If your Trial Work Period ends and SSA proposes to terminate your benefits based on SGA, you have the right to appeal. An appeal filed within 10 days of the termination notice allows you to continue receiving benefits while the appeal is pending — a critical protection when your income depends on that monthly check.

Medical improvement reviews are separate from work cessation decisions. Even if SSA terminates benefits due to work, a Cessation of Disability determination based solely on earnings does not mean SSA has found medical improvement. If your condition prevents you from sustaining work, documenting that inability with medical evidence and work history is essential to a successful appeal.

Kansas recipients who return to work, exhaust their Extended Period of Eligibility, and then become unable to work again due to the same impairment within five years of their original termination can file an Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) request rather than a new disability application. Provisional benefits can begin while SSA evaluates the request, providing critical short-term income protection.

The intersection of work, earnings, and disability benefits is genuinely complex. The rules that govern your specific situation depend on your onset date, earnings history, benefit type, and medical condition — factors that require individualized analysis.

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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