SSDI to full-time work transition at 57 - need advice on keeping benefits if job doesn't work out

First, congratulations on your health improvements! This is a significant milestone. The Ticket to Work program does provide some safety nets including the Trial Work Period (9 months where you can earn any amount without affecting benefits), then a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility where benefits are reinstated for any month you fall below SGA. After that, you have 5 years of Expedited Reinstatement rights where you don't need a new application if your condition worsens. I suggest: 1. Contact your local WIPA (Work Incentives Planning and Assistance) program for free benefits counseling 2. Keep detailed records of your work hours and earnings 3. Report ALL changes to SSA promptly 4. Ask your employer for accommodations if needed The key is knowing exactly where you stand with your TWP months - have you used any already with your part-time work?

I transitioned from SSDI to full-time work 3 years ago at age 52. The key was working with an Employment Network through Ticket to Work rather than trying to navigate it alone. They helped track my Trial Work Period months and guided me through the Extended Period of Eligibility. Biggest advice: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Every call to SSA, every letter, every pay stub. The system isn't perfect and sometimes your earnings info gets processed incorrectly. I had to prove several times that I properly reported my work activity. Oh, and if you're on Medicare through SSDI, remember you can keep it for 8.5 years after your TWP ends, even if your cash benefits stop due to work. That was a huge relief for me with my medical conditions.

i tried working full time after 6 years on disability. big mistake!!! SSA cut me off even though i reported everything. took me 22 months to get benefits back and almost became homeless. just be careful!!!

The Social Security Administration is NOTORIOUS for dropping the ball on SSDI return-to-work cases. I've seen so many people fall through the cracks because SSA doesn't process their work reports properly or loses documentation. And good luck getting anyone on the phone when there's a problem!! If you do try working full-time, my advice is to send EVERYTHING by certified mail with return receipt, keep copies of EVERYTHING, and follow up constantly. Don't trust that they're tracking your TWP months correctly - in my experience, they often aren't!

Why not just try incresing your hours graduly? Like go from 20 to 25 hours a week and see how your body handles it, then 30, etc. That's what my cousin did with her ms and it worked out ok for her.

To find out how many TWP months you've used, you need to call Social Security directly or schedule an appointment with your local office. They don't make this information easily accessible online, which is frustrating. Request a "BPQY" (Benefits Planning Query) which will show your TWP status along with other important details about your benefits. This is essential before making any decisions. Also, consider that the monthly SGA amount for 2025 is $1,550 for non-blind individuals (higher if you're legally blind). As long as you earn below that after your TWP/EPE ends, you could potentially work AND keep benefits. Sometimes a high part-time arrangement can be the best of both worlds.

Dont forget about health insurance!!! If your on Medicare from SSDI make sure the new job has good insurance before giving up Medicare. My husband works full time now after SSDI but his work insurance is terrible compared to what he had with Medicare and now were paying way more for his medical stuff.

i tried the expedited reinstatement when i had to stop working but SSA said i needed a new medical review anyway and that took forever!!! they said my file was lost or something and i had to start over with all new doctor reports. so much stress!!

what about just trying the job and not telling social security? that's what my brother in law did for like 6 months

I tried going back to work full-time after getting SSDI for 5 years. It was a nightmare trying to get accurate information! I called the SS office like 20 times and got different answers every time about how the Trial Work Period worked. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to someone who actually knew what they were talking about. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. The rep I finally talked to explained that I still had 4 TWP months left and helped me plan exactly when to start full-time. Honestly wish I'd known about this service years ago instead of wasting days on hold.

my sister told me the secret is to be super careful with the trial work period to make sure you dont use them all up at once. use maybe 1 month here and there if you can so they dont all get used up together and then your not stuck without a safety net

To answer your question about my transition - yes, I did have a couple of payment gaps around month 10-11 after my TWP ended. I earned above SGA for those months, so my benefits were supposed to stop, but then I had a medical setback and my earnings dropped below SGA the following month. SSA was supposed to automatically reinstate my benefits for that month, but I had to make multiple calls to get it resolved. This is where documentation saved me - I had proof of my earnings drop and proof that I'd reported it. Eventually I did fully transition off SSDI, but knowing I had that 36-month safety net of the Extended Period of Eligibility made it much less scary to try. Best decision I ever made, but I wouldn't have done it without understanding all the protections available.