- Each year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sets a level of monthly income that, if surpassed, should be reported so it can be counted as a trial work month. For 2011, that amount is slightly more than $1,000. For all practical purposes, a person receiving SSDI has nothing to worry about if his part-time income does not exceed that amount. Keep in mind that certain impairment related expenses (medications or necessary equipment) are deductible from your monthly earnings.
- The concept of a trial work period has been developed to allow a disabled person to attempt to return to work without fear of losing her disability insurance and Medicare coverage. You are allowed nine trial work months within a five-year period, after which you will be rolled over into another classification, called extended eligibility. During your trial work period, you can earn any amount of income and not have your disability benefits reduced at all.
- After successfully completing a trial work period of nine months, the SSA will place you into what is called extended eligibility, which allows you to continue to work at the level of which you are capable. During this period, which lasts three years, your SSDI monthly check is reduced proportionately each month you earn more than $1,000 from your part-time work. This is called substantial gainful activity and is the gauge by which Social Security determines if you are progressing towards self-support.
- Ticket to Work is a voluntary program created by Social Security to help disabled people get the help they need to return to work. Subcontracted to a private corporation, Maximus, any SSDI recipient can present his Ticket to Work to members of a network of vocational rehabilitation agencies, public and private, to qualify for job training, education or other skill development that helps them return to the world of work and self-sufficiency.
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