Working While on SSDI: What Indiana Recipients Must Know

Many Social Security Disability Insurance recipients worry that earning any income will immediately end their benefits. The reality is more nuanced. The Social Security Administration has specific rules that allow SSDI recipients to test their ability to work without automatically losing their benefits. Understanding these rules is essential for anyone in Indiana receiving SSDI who wants to explore employment.

The Trial Work Period: Your Protected Window to Test Employment

The SSA provides a Trial Work Period (TWP) that allows SSDI recipients to work for up to nine months within a rolling 60-month window without any reduction in benefits, regardless of how much they earn. In 2024, any month in which you earn more than $1,110 counts as a trial work month. Once you accumulate nine trial work months, the SSA evaluates whether your work constitutes Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).

For Indiana residents, this means you can take on employment, see how your body and condition respond to work demands, and continue receiving full SSDI payments during this period. The TWP is not a one-time use provision — it resets under certain conditions — but it must be used carefully and with full awareness of the timeline.

Substantial Gainful Activity and What It Means for Your Benefits

After the Trial Work Period ends, the SSA applies the Substantial Gainful Activity threshold to determine whether you remain eligible for SSDI. In 2024, the SGA limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,590 per month for statutorily blind recipients. If your earnings consistently exceed these thresholds, the SSA may determine you are no longer disabled under their definition.

It is important to distinguish between gross wages and countable income. The SSA allows certain deductions — called Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) — that can reduce your countable earnings. If you pay out of pocket for items or services that allow you to work despite your disability, such as specialized transportation, medication, or adaptive equipment, those costs may be subtracted from your gross earnings before the SGA calculation.

• Prescription medications necessary to control your disability symptoms
• Medical devices such as wheelchairs, prosthetics, or hearing aids used at work
• Attendant care services required at the workplace
• Transportation costs if your disability prevents use of standard transit
• Modifications to your vehicle required due to your impairment

The Extended Period of Eligibility: A Critical Safety Net

After your nine trial work months are used, you enter a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During this window, you will receive SSDI benefits in any month your earnings fall below the SGA threshold. If you earn above SGA in a given month, benefits are suspended — but not permanently terminated — unless you consistently earn above SGA or a formal cessation decision is made.

This structure provides Indiana workers with a meaningful safety net. If your condition worsens or your job ends, you can resume benefits without filing a new application, provided you remain within the EPE and have not had a formal medical cessation determination. This is an often-overlooked protection that gives working SSDI recipients significant flexibility during uncertain periods of employment.

Once the EPE concludes and you continue earning above SGA, the SSA will terminate your benefits. At that point, reinstating coverage requires either a new application or, within five years, an expedited reinstatement request if your disability recurs and prevents substantial work.

Reporting Requirements and Common Mistakes That Jeopardize Benefits

One of the most serious mistakes an Indiana SSDI recipient can make is failing to report work activity to the Social Security Administration. The SSA requires you to report:

• Any new job or self-employment activity
• Changes in pay rate or hours worked
• Stopping work for any reason
• Changes in job duties that may affect your disability status

Failure to report earnings accurately and promptly can result in overpayments, which the SSA will demand be repaid — sometimes years after the fact. Indiana residents have been assessed overpayments exceeding tens of thousands of dollars due to unreported wages. The SSA typically discovers these through wage matching with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and IRS records, so assuming earnings will go undetected is a serious miscalculation.

If you receive an overpayment notice, you have the right to request a waiver or appeal the decision. An attorney can help you demonstrate that the overpayment was not your fault or that repayment would cause financial hardship.

Ticket to Work and Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation

Indiana SSDI recipients have access to the federal Ticket to Work program, which connects beneficiaries with free employment support services. By assigning your Ticket to an approved Employment Network or to the Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services division, you can receive job training, placement assistance, and other supports while generally protecting yourself from certain continuing disability reviews during active participation.

Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services, administered through the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, offers individualized plans for employment, counseling, training funding, and assistive technology assistance. These resources exist specifically to help people with disabilities transition into sustainable employment without losing their financial footing.

Participating in Ticket to Work does not use up your Trial Work Period months, which makes early enrollment particularly advantageous. Recipients who engage with vocational services while still in their TWP often have the smoothest transitions into the workforce because they receive structured support during the period when their benefits are fully protected.

Understanding how work affects SSDI benefits requires careful planning and accurate record-keeping. Keep documentation of all earnings, medical expenses related to your disability, and any communications with the SSA. If your employer offers a reduced-hours or accommodated position due to your condition, document the accommodation in writing, as this may support your continued disability status if your earnings approach the SGA threshold.

Indiana workers navigating the intersection of employment and disability benefits often face complex decisions that carry long-term financial consequences. Acting on incomplete information — or assuming that the SSA will notify you before taking action — can result in benefit termination, overpayment demands, or gaps in healthcare coverage through Medicare, which is tied to SSDI eligibility.

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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