How does SSDI convert to retirement at 62 during trial work period? Confused about repayment rules
My wife started receiving SSDI benefits in February 2024 at age 59. She's thinking about testing the waters with part-time work through SSA's trial work period program in a few months. The thing is, she turns 62 in June 2025, and I'm totally confused about what happens then. Does her disability automatically switch to early retirement benefits? If she's in the middle of a trial work period when she hits 62, does that affect anything? Also, would she need to pay back any money if she ends up being able to work permanently after June? The SSA website is so confusing, and I can't get anyone on the phone. Has anyone navigated this transition from disability to retirement age while doing trial work?
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Dominique Adams
This is actually a common question with some nuance. SSDI benefits do NOT automatically convert to retirement benefits when your wife turns 62. The conversion happens at her Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is probably around 67 depending on her birth year. The trial work period (TWP) allows 9 months of work above Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) within a rolling 60-month period. This doesn't change when she turns 62. After the TWP, there's a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility where benefits can be reinstated if earnings drop below SGA. As for repayment - she would not need to repay money earned during a proper trial work period, as that's exactly what it's designed for. But she needs to report all work activity to SSA to maintain compliance.
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Isabel Vega
•Thank you for explaining that! So even at 62, she'll still be on SSDI and not retirement benefits? That's not what her friend told her, so I'm glad I asked. Do you know if the benefit amount changes at all when she reaches 62?
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Marilyn Dixon
i had this exact issue last yr my disability didnt change at 62 stayed the same check amounts and everything. but my neighbor had hers switch over automtically so idk maybe it depends on how much work credits u have????? the SS people told me different things everytime i called
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Louisa Ramirez
•The confusion here is understandable. Your SSDI benefit will generally continue unchanged until you reach Full Retirement Age (FRA). At that point, SSA will automatically convert your disability benefits to retirement benefits, though the amount typically stays the same. What your neighbor might have experienced is either a voluntary early switch (which is rarely beneficial) or some other program transition. Some people confuse SSI (Supplemental Security Income) with SSDI, which have different rules. For trial work periods, the rules remain constant regardless of your age until you reach FRA. You get 9 trial work months in a rolling 60-month period, and only months where you earn above a certain threshold ($1,110 in 2024) count as trial months.
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TommyKapitz
The SSA system is COMPLETELY BROKEN when it comes to this stuff!! I went through this nightmare last year and got 3 DIFFERENT ANSWERS from 3 different SSA representatives!! One told me SSDI auto-converts at 62, another said at FRA, and a third said I had a CHOICE!! Then they messed up my payments for 4 months trying to fix their mistake. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and get names of who you talk to!!!
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Angel Campbell
•Your experience highlights why I always recommend having someone record the call when dealing with SSA. I went through months of confusion with my disability trial work period too. Have you tried using Claimyr? I found it on claimyr.com and it helped me actually reach an SSA agent in under 20 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to sort out my benefit confusion. The agent I spoke with confirmed SSDI continues until FRA unless you specifically request early retirement (which usually isn't beneficial).
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Payton Black
my cousin had disability then went back to work and they made him pay everything back because he didnt report it right be careful
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Dominique Adams
•This is an important warning. The key difference is whether someone properly reports their work activity. If your wife follows the rules and reports her work to SSA, she won't have to repay benefits received during a proper trial work period. Your cousin's situation sounds like he may not have reported earnings, which is different from a properly documented trial work period.
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Harold Oh
I just went through this! Here's what you need to know: 1) SSDI does NOT automatically convert at 62 - it converts at your Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for your wife) 2) Trial Work Period rules stay the same regardless of age until FRA 3) In 2024, only months where you earn over $1,110 count as trial work months 4) You get 9 trial work months in a rolling 60-month period 5) After the trial period ends, there's a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility 6) Your wife should track EVERYTHING and report all work promptly The most important thing is documentation and keeping SSA informed. My husband had issues because he wasn't keeping good records during his trial period.
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Isabel Vega
•Thank you for such a clear breakdown! This is really helpful. I'll make sure my wife tracks all her work hours and earnings carefully. Is there a specific form she should use to report her work activity to SSA?
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Marilyn Dixon
wait so does the payment amount change when u hit 62 on disability? cuz I heard u get less if u take ss retirement at 62 instead of waiting til later
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Louisa Ramirez
•Great question. This is a key reason why most people should NOT voluntarily switch from SSDI to early retirement at 62. If you're on SSDI and you stay on it until Full Retirement Age (FRA), your benefit amount stays the same when it converts to retirement. But if you voluntarily switch to early retirement at 62, your benefit would be reduced by about 30% permanently compared to your SSDI amount. That's a significant loss, which is why it's almost never advisable to switch early. The only rare exceptions might be if someone wants to start receiving spousal benefits that they can't get on SSDI, but even then, the math usually doesn't work out in their favor.
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Isabel Vega
Thank you all for the helpful information! I'll definitely make sure my wife stays on SSDI until her Full Retirement Age rather than switching at 62. And we'll be super careful about documenting all her work hours and reporting everything properly during her trial work period. It sounds like the most important things are: 1) Keep good records, 2) Report all work activity to SSA right away, and 3) Understand that the trial work period rules continue as normal even after turning 62. I'll check out that Claimyr service too - anything to avoid days of busy signals when trying to clarify questions with SSA!
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Harold Oh
•You've got it exactly right! One more tip - when your wife reports her work activity, use the SSA-821 form (Work Activity Report) and keep copies of EVERYTHING. I learned this the hard way when SSA lost my husband's work reports twice and we had to resubmit them.
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Andre Laurent
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - my husband is 60 on SSDI and considering a trial work period. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: make sure to keep track of not just earnings but also hours worked, even if you're paid hourly below the SGA threshold. SSA sometimes looks at work capacity beyond just dollar amounts. Also, if your wife does decide to pursue the trial work period, consider starting with very part-time hours to test the waters gradually. The 9-month trial period doesn't have to be consecutive, so she can spread it out over several years if needed. Good luck to both of you - navigating SSA rules is tough but this community really helps clarify things!
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Melina Haruko
•This is such great advice about tracking hours worked, not just earnings! I hadn't thought about that aspect. Your point about spreading out the trial work period over several years is really smart too - that gives more flexibility to test different types of work or adjust if health conditions change. It's reassuring to know the 9 months don't have to be consecutive. Did your husband end up going through with his trial work period? I'd be curious to hear how it went if you're comfortable sharing.
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