Working While on SSDI: What You Need to Know

Many Social Security Disability Insurance recipients in North Dakota wonder whether earning any income will cost them their benefits. The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. The Social Security Administration has established a structured set of rules that govern work activity for SSDI recipients — and understanding those rules can mean the difference between keeping your benefits and losing them unexpectedly.

The Trial Work Period: Your Protected Window to Test Employment

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 disability benefits. In 2025, a month counts toward your TWP if you earn more than $1,110 in that calendar month (or if you are self-employed and work more than 80 hours).

These nine months do not need to be consecutive. You could work for three months, stop, return six months later, and pick up where you left off. During every TWP month, your full SSDI check continues regardless of how much you earn. North Dakota recipients should track these months carefully — once all nine are used, different rules apply.

Substantial Gainful Activity and the 36-Month Grace Period

After exhausting your Trial Work Period, the SSA evaluates whether your work constitutes Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). For 2025, the SGA threshold for non-blind individuals is $1,550 per month. If your countable earnings exceed this figure, Social Security may determine you are no longer disabled and terminate benefits.

However, you are not left without protection after the TWP ends. A 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) follows. During this window, any month your earnings fall below the SGA level, you remain entitled to receive your SSDI payment without re-applying. This safety net is particularly valuable for North Dakota workers in seasonal industries — agriculture, oil field services, and construction — where income fluctuates significantly throughout the year.

Key points about SGA calculations:

• The SSA may deduct impairment-related work expenses (IRWEs) from gross earnings before comparing to the SGA threshold
• Subsidies provided by a supportive employer (extra supervision, modified duties) may also reduce your countable earnings
• Self-employment income is evaluated differently, using a three-test system rather than a straight earnings comparison

Ticket to Work: North Dakota's Vocational Support Program

The SSA's Ticket to Work program is a voluntary initiative that assigns SSDI recipients a "ticket" they can use with approved Employment Networks (ENs) or State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies. In North Dakota, the Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation division participates as a VR provider and can connect recipients with job training, assistive technology, and job placement services.

Assigning your ticket to an approved EN or VR agency while making timely progress toward employment goals suspends most SSA Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) — the periodic re-examinations of whether you still qualify as disabled. This provides meaningful protection for North Dakotans who want to explore returning to work without the fear that the attempt itself will trigger a review that strips their benefits.

Participation in Ticket to Work is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw your ticket assignment at any time. There is no penalty for simply exploring the program.

Reporting Requirements and Avoiding Overpayments

One of the most costly mistakes SSDI recipients make is failing to promptly report work activity. The SSA requires you to report:

• Starting or stopping a job
• Changes in pay rate or hours worked
• Beginning self-employment
• Receiving employer-provided subsidies or accommodations

Failure to report creates overpayments — situations where Social Security paid you benefits you were not entitled to receive. The SSA will demand repayment, sometimes years after the fact, and can withhold future benefits to recover the debt. North Dakota recipients who receive an overpayment notice have the right to request a waiver if repayment would cause financial hardship and the overpayment was not the result of fraud. They also have the right to appeal the underlying determination.

Report all work activity in writing and keep copies. Online reporting through your my Social Security account creates a timestamped record that can protect you in a dispute.

What Happens If Social Security Terminates Your Benefits

If the SSA determines you are performing SGA and terminates your SSDI, you are not necessarily out of options. You have 60 days from the date of the notice (plus five days for mailing) to file an appeal. Filing a timely appeal and requesting continuation of benefits pending appeal allows most recipients to continue receiving payments while the appeal is processed.

At the first level — Reconsideration — a different SSA examiner reviews the decision. If denied again, you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). North Dakota claimants are assigned to the SSA hearing offices serving the region, and ALJ hearings can be conducted by video conference, which reduces travel burdens for recipients in rural areas of the state.

If you stopped working because your medical condition worsened and your benefits were previously terminated due to SGA, you may qualify for Expedited Reinstatement (EXR). Under EXR, you can request reinstatement within five years of termination without filing a new disability application, and provisional benefits can begin while SSA evaluates the request.

The interaction between work activity, medical evidence, and SSA administrative rules is complex. A small error in reporting — or a misunderstanding about what counts as SGA — can produce enormous financial consequences. North Dakota residents navigating these decisions deserve clear, personalized guidance tailored to their specific work history and medical situation.

Need Help? If you have questions about your case, call or text 833-657-4812 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

Related Articles

• Social Security Disability in Kentucky
• Average SSDI Payment in North Carolina
• Can You Work While Receiving SSDI Benefits?