Social Security SSDI Trial Work Period: Does SSA count when wages are EARNED or RECEIVED for TWP months?

They go by when the money is RECEIVED, not earned. That's the rule for TWP months. So if your son worked in May but got paid in June, that counts for June's TWP calculation. This is actually helpful because it makes reporting simpler - you just report based on when the check arrived. My daughter went through this last year and we just reported the paystubs as they came in. SSA never asked about when the actual work was performed.

My brother has SSDI and his caseworker told us its when u EARN the money not when u get paid!! SSA is so confusing with all the rules, i hate it

You're asking a really important question that confuses many beneficiaries. For Trial Work Period purposes, SSA counts earnings in the month they were EARNED, not when they were paid. This is explicitly stated in their policy guidelines. However, here's the practical reality of how SSA handles this: 1. When you report wages, they typically look at the pay period end date on the paystub to determine which month to attribute the earnings. 2. If a pay period crosses months (like your May 26-June 8 example), they usually attribute all those earnings to the month containing the pay period end date (June in this case). 3. Only if the earnings are very close to the TWP threshold ($1,110 in 2025) would they typically request additional documentation to determine exactly which earnings belonged to which month. For safe reporting: 1. Submit all paystubs to SSA through your my Social Security account or local office 2. If a pay period crosses months AND the total is above the TWP threshold, include a note explaining which portion was earned in each month (if you want to be extra careful) 3. Keep timesheets as backup documentation in case questions arise later This is one area where the official rule (count when earned) and practical application (often counted by pay period end date) can differ depending on the SSA representative handling the case.

my nephew is on ssdi and we jus report what the paystub says. never had no problems with the trial work thingy.

I've been dealing with this exact issue! So according to all the OFFICIAL SSA rules, they count the money when EARNED, not when paid. BUT in real life when I call the SSA, half the reps tell me one thing and half tell me another!!! It's so frustrating I could scream! I've been on SSDI for 5 years and started my TWP in January. I take pictures of my paystubs and upload them to my SSA account every time I get paid. I've had THREE different SSA people tell me THREE different things about how they count my TWP months. Good luck getting accurate info from SSA directly - I spent 2 hours on hold last month just to get disconnected when I finally reached someone.

To directly answer your question about timesheets: While SSA's official policy is to count earnings when they're earned, in practice, they rarely request timesheets. They typically use the pay period end date on the paystub to attribute earnings to a specific month. If your son's earnings are consistently well above the TWP threshold each month (over $1,110 in 2025), then the exact attribution won't matter much because both months would count as TWP months anyway. However, if he's hovering right around the threshold and it makes a difference which month certain earnings are counted in, I recommend: 1. Keep detailed records of exactly which days/hours were worked in each month 2. When reporting wages to SSA, include a cover letter or note explaining how the earnings should be attributed if the pay period crosses months 3. Be proactive in explaining this situation to SSA when reporting wages And remember: The TWP is 9 months within a rolling 60-month period, not necessarily consecutive. So if your son has a month that unexpectedly counts as a TWP month, it's not a disaster.

There's no specific SSA form for breaking down cross-month earnings. A simple typed or handwritten note attached to your wage report is sufficient. I recommend something like: "For pay period 5/26/25-6/8/25 (paid 6/15/25), earnings were earned as follows: $X.XX earned in May and $X.XX earned in June based on attached timesheet." Keep copies of everything you submit. And when you report through the my Social Security portal, take screenshots as proof of submission. One important point nobody has mentioned: After the 9-month TWP is complete, your son will enter the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) for 36 months. During EPE, he can still receive SSDI benefits in any month he earns below Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level ($1,550/month for 2025). This is when precise tracking becomes even more important.

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. It sounds like officially SSA counts when the money is EARNED, but in practice they often go by the pay period end date on the paystub unless there's a specific reason to look more closely at it. I'm going to: 1. Keep detailed records of which hours my son works on which days 2. Submit all paystubs promptly through his my Social Security account 3. Include notes explaining the breakdown for pay periods that cross months 4. Keep all timesheets as backup documentation It's frustrating that something seemingly so simple is actually so complicated! But I appreciate all your insights and experiences.

As someone who's been through the TWP process with my daughter, I can confirm that the official rule is earnings count when EARNED, but SSA's practical application can be inconsistent. What worked for us was being overly cautious with documentation. For any pay period that crossed months, we created a simple spreadsheet showing: - Pay period dates - Total hours worked each day - Daily wage breakdown - Monthly totals We never had to use this detailed breakdown, but having it gave us peace of mind. SSA ended up using the pay period end date method that others mentioned. One tip: If your son's warehouse job has predictable shifts (like always working Mon-Fri), you can calculate the daily breakdown easily. But if his hours are irregular, definitely keep those timesheets! Also, don't stress too much about "accidentally" triggering TWP months - the TWP is designed to help people test their ability to work. Better to have accurate records than to avoid working because of fear of the rules.

I went through this exact same confusion when I started my TWP two years ago! The "earned vs received" question drove me crazy because different SSA reps gave me different answers. Here's what I learned from actual experience: SSA's official policy says they count earnings when EARNED, but in practice, they almost always use the pay period end date on your paystub to determine which month to count the earnings toward. For your son's situation with the May 26-June 8 pay period paid on June 15th - SSA would likely count all of that toward June since June 8th is the pay period end date. My advice based on going through this: 1. Report every paystub through the my Social Security portal 2. Keep screenshots of everything you submit 3. If you're worried about a specific pay period crossing months AND the amount is close to the $1,110 threshold, add a note explaining the breakdown 4. Don't overthink it too much - the TWP is meant to help, not punish The most important thing is consistent reporting. I've never been asked for timesheets, just paystubs. Your son is lucky to have you helping him navigate this - it's confusing even for adults who've been dealing with it for years!