If you’re receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in Colorado, you may wonder whether working part-time or earning extra income is allowed without losing your benefits. The good news is that SSA has specific rules that let you test your ability to work while still receiving payments under certain conditions.
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1. Working While Receiving SSDI
You can work while on SSDI, but there are strict limits:
- Your work income must stay below the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold unless you are in a trial work period.
- For 2025, the SGA limit is $1,620 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,700 per month for individuals who are legally blind.
If your earnings exceed these limits after completing any work incentive programs, SSA may consider you no longer disabled, leading to a loss of benefits.
2. What Is the Trial Work Period (TWP)?
The Trial Work Period (TWP) allows SSDI beneficiaries to test their ability to work for at least nine months without losing benefits, regardless of how much they earn. Key points:
- In 2025, any month you earn over $1,160 counts as a TWP month.
- You can use up to nine TWP months within a rolling 60-month period.
- During these months, you receive your full SSDI benefits no matter how high your earnings are.
3. What Happens After TWP?
After completing your nine-month TWP:
- You enter an Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), lasting 36 months.
- During EPE, you can continue to receive SSDI benefits for any month your income is below the SGA limit.
- If you earn over SGA during EPE, you will not receive SSDI for those months, but your benefits can restart automatically in any month your income drops below SGA.
4. Reporting Your Earnings
It’s critical to report all work activity and earnings to SSA immediately to:
- Ensure you remain compliant with program rules
- Avoid overpayments, which you may have to repay later
- Maintain transparency and reduce the risk of penalties or benefit suspension
5. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs)
SSA may deduct Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) from your gross earnings, potentially lowering your countable income. Examples include:
- Specialized equipment
- Transportation costs related to your disability
- Certain medications or treatments needed to work
6. Risks of Returning to Work
While SSDI encourages beneficiaries to try working, it’s important to understand:

- Exceeding SGA after TWP and EPE can lead to termination of benefits.
- If you stop working again due to your disability, Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) may restore your benefits quickly without a new application within five years of termination.
How Hogan Smith Can Help
At Hogan Smith, we help SSDI recipients in Colorado:
- Understand complex SSA work incentive programs like TWP, EPE, and IRWEs
- Report income properly to avoid overpayments or penalties
- Plan work and earnings strategically to protect your benefits while increasing financial independence
Contact Hogan Smith Today
If you’re considering working while on SSDI in Colorado,
contact Hogan Smith today for a free consultation. We’ll guide you through SSA’s work rules to ensure you make informed decisions without risking your benefits.
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