SSDI Trial Work Period: What Kansas Claimants Must Know

SSDI Trial Work Period: What Kansas Claimants Must Know

The Social Security Administration's Trial Work Period (TWP) is one of the most misunderstood—and most valuable—provisions available to SSDI recipients. For Kansans receiving disability benefits who want to test their ability to return to work, the TWP provides a critical safety net. Understanding exactly how it works can mean the difference between a successful return to employment and an unexpected loss of benefits.

What Is the Trial Work Period?

The Trial Work Period allows SSDI recipients to work and earn income for up to nine months within a rolling 60-month window without losing their disability benefits—regardless of how much money they earn during those months. This means you can test your capacity to work, earn a full paycheck, and still receive your full SSDI payment at the same time.

The nine trial work months do not need to be consecutive. The SSA looks back at any 60-month period and counts how many months qualified as trial work months. Once you've used all nine, your TWP is exhausted and a different set of rules applies.

For 2024, a month counts as a trial work month when your gross earnings exceed $1,110, or when you work more than 80 hours in self-employment. The SSA adjusts this threshold periodically, so it is important to verify the current figure with the Social Security Administration or an attorney.

How the Trial Work Period Applies in Kansas

Kansas SSDI recipients follow federal SSA rules for the Trial Work Period, as SSDI is a federal program. However, there are practical and local considerations that affect how Kansas claimants should approach returning to work.

Kansas's economy includes significant employment in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and government sectors. Many Kansans attempting a return to work will encounter seasonal employment, part-time positions, or physically demanding roles that may fluctuate month to month. This variability makes tracking trial work months particularly important. A month where you exceed the earnings threshold—even by a small amount—counts as a trial work month whether you intended it to or not.

Kansas does not have a separate state disability program that interacts with the TWP, so SSDI recipients in Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka, or rural counties all operate under identical federal rules. That said, Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation Services (Kansas VR) offers programs to assist individuals with disabilities in returning to work and can be an important resource during the TWP.

What Happens After the Trial Work Period Ends

After you've used all nine trial work months, the SSA evaluates your work activity under a different standard. You enter what is called the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), which lasts 36 months following the end of your TWP. During the EPE, your benefits can be turned on or off based on whether your earnings exceed Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) levels.

In 2024, SGA is defined as earning more than $1,550 per month (or $2,590 for blind individuals). If your earnings fall below SGA during the EPE, you continue to receive benefits. If they exceed SGA, your benefits stop—but can be reinstated relatively quickly if your earnings drop again without requiring a new application.

Once the 36-month EPE concludes, the rules become less forgiving. If you earn above SGA after the EPE ends, your benefits will terminate. Reinstatement then requires a new application or an Expedited Reinstatement request if you become unable to work again within five years.

• TWP duration: 9 months within any 60-month period
• TWP monthly threshold (2024): $1,110 gross earnings
• Extended Period of Eligibility: 36 months after TWP ends
• SGA threshold (2024): $1,550/month (non-blind)
• Expedited Reinstatement window: 5 years after benefits end

Reporting Requirements and Common Mistakes

One of the most serious errors Kansas SSDI recipients make during the TWP is failing to report work activity to the SSA promptly. You are legally required to report all work and earnings to your local Social Security office. Failure to do so—even if unintentional—can result in overpayments that the SSA will demand be repaid, sometimes years after the fact.

The SSA's Kansas offices are located in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, and several other cities across the state. You can report work activity by contacting your local field office, calling the national SSA number, or through your My Social Security online account. Keep records of every paycheck, every month you work, and every communication with the SSA.

Common mistakes to avoid include:

• Assuming that working part-time automatically means your earnings are below the trial work threshold—always calculate gross, not net, earnings
• Forgetting to report self-employment income, including freelance or gig work
• Misunderstanding that the TWP does not apply to SSI—the Trial Work Period is an SSDI-only provision
• Waiting until tax season to report work activity rather than reporting in the month it occurs
• Underestimating impairment-related work expenses (IRWEs), which can be deducted to reduce countable income

Strategies for Protecting Your Benefits During the TWP

For Kansas residents navigating the TWP, proactive planning is essential. Before you begin working, consider requesting a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from the SSA, which summarizes your current benefit status and work history. This document can help you and your attorney understand exactly where you stand before taking on employment.

Work with a Benefits Counselor or Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program. Kansas has WIPA providers who offer free counseling to SSDI recipients exploring a return to work. These counselors can walk through all available work incentives—not just the TWP, but also Impairment-Related Work Expenses, Subsidies, and the Ticket to Work program—to help you maximize your benefits while testing your ability to sustain employment.

Document your medical condition carefully throughout the TWP. If your condition worsens and you are forced to stop working, having contemporaneous medical records from Kansas providers will support any reinstatement request or new application. Do not assume that returning to work—even temporarily—won't affect how the SSA perceives your disability going forward.

If you receive a notice from the SSA questioning your work activity or initiating a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) while you are in your TWP or EPE, respond promptly and consider consulting with a Kansas disability attorney. The consequences of a missed deadline or an inadequate response can be severe.

The Trial Work Period is designed to help people with disabilities re-enter the workforce without the fear of permanently losing their safety net. Used correctly, it is one of the strongest work incentives in the Social Security system. Used without proper knowledge, it can trigger benefit terminations that are difficult and time-consuming to reverse.

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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