Working While on SSDI in North Dakota

Many Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients in North Dakota worry that earning any income will immediately end their benefits. The reality is more nuanced. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has established specific rules that allow beneficiaries to test their ability to work without automatically losing coverage. Understanding these rules can mean the difference between financial stability and an unexpected loss of income.

The Trial Work Period: Your Protected Window

The SSA provides every SSDI recipient a Trial Work Period (TWP) — nine months within a rolling 60-month window during which you can work and earn any amount without affecting your benefits. In 2025, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a trial work month. These nine months do not have to be consecutive.

During your Trial Work Period, you continue to receive your full SSDI payment regardless of how much you earn. This protected window exists specifically to encourage beneficiaries to attempt a return to work without the immediate fear of losing benefits. North Dakota residents working seasonal or agricultural jobs — common in the state's economy — should track these months carefully, as high-earning harvest seasons can consume trial work months quickly.

Substantial Gainful Activity: The Critical Threshold

Once your Trial Work Period ends, the SSA evaluates whether you are engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). For 2025, SGA is defined as earning more than $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals, or $2,590 per month for blind individuals. If your earnings exceed the SGA limit after your Trial Work Period concludes, the SSA may determine you are no longer disabled and terminate your benefits.

Following the Trial Work Period, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During this window, your benefits are reinstated automatically for any month your earnings fall below the SGA threshold. This safety net is particularly valuable for North Dakota workers in volatile industries where income fluctuates seasonally.

Ticket to Work and Expedited Reinstatement

The SSA's Ticket to Work program offers SSDI recipients access to free employment services, vocational rehabilitation, and job placement assistance. Participation in Ticket to Work also suspends continuing disability reviews while you are actively working toward self-sufficiency, providing an additional layer of protection for your benefits.

If your benefits are terminated because your earnings exceeded SGA and you later become unable to work again due to the same disabling condition, Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) allows you to request benefits be restored without filing a new application — provided this occurs within five years of termination. During the EXR review period, you may receive up to six months of provisional benefits while the SSA processes your request. For North Dakota residents in physically demanding trades or agriculture, this provision is critical, as re-injury or condition deterioration is a realistic concern.

Work Incentives That Reduce Countable Income

The SSA does not simply count your gross wages against SGA. Several deductions can reduce your countable income and help you remain under the threshold:

• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE): Costs for items or services you need because of your disability — such as prescription medications, specialized equipment, or transportation — can be deducted from your gross earnings before the SGA calculation.
• Subsidies and Special Conditions: If your employer provides extra support or supervision because of your disability, the SSA may reduce the value attributed to your work when calculating SGA.
• Unsuccessful Work Attempts (UWA): If you attempt to work but stop or reduce below SGA within six months due to your disability, that period may not count against your Trial Work Period or be used to deny benefits.
• Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS): A formal SSA-approved plan that allows you to set aside income or resources toward a specific work goal, excluding those amounts from SGA calculations.

North Dakota beneficiaries should document all disability-related work expenses thoroughly. Keep receipts, prescriptions, and employer correspondence that demonstrates any accommodations or reduced productivity attributable to your condition.

Reporting Requirements and Avoiding Overpayments

One of the most common — and costly — mistakes SSDI recipients make is failing to promptly report work activity to the SSA. You are legally required to report any return to work, changes in earnings, and changes in work status. Failure to do so can result in overpayments that the SSA will seek to recover, sometimes years later.

North Dakota residents can report work activity by contacting the SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213, visiting the Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, or Minot field offices, or through your my Social Security online account. Report promptly — ideally before you begin work or within the same month earnings change.

If you do receive an overpayment notice, do not ignore it. You have the right to request a waiver of overpayment recovery if you were not at fault and repayment would cause financial hardship. You also have the right to appeal the overpayment determination itself if you believe the SSA made an error in calculating your earnings or applying the SGA rules.

Self-employment presents additional complexity. North Dakota has a growing number of self-employed SSDI recipients in trucking, farming, and skilled trades. The SSA applies a different test for self-employment — evaluating both your net earnings and the nature and value of your services — so consulting with a disability attorney before launching any business venture is strongly advised.

Working while receiving SSDI is possible, and in many cases the SSA actively encourages it through the programs described above. The key is understanding the rules, tracking your earnings and work months diligently, and communicating proactively with the SSA. A misstep in any of these areas can trigger a termination or overpayment that takes years to resolve.

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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