June 28, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Ask Rusty – SSDI and the Ticket to Work Program

Dear Rusty: I am 60 and currently getting Social Security Disability, but I would like to return to work as much as possible. I am concerned with how my earned income would affect my Social Security at age 65 (or even at age 70).  I understand that Social Security has a “trial work” program that allows me to keep receiving disability for a while, to allow me to test my physical limits. I wish to make sure that my Social Security Disability does NOT automatically convert to the standard (early) benefit at age 62 (Ouch!). I read something about a 96 month period that is crucial. So many factors involved, so I wish to make the right decision.
Signed,
Wanting to Work While Disabled.
Dear Wanting:  Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, provides eligible disabled workers with a financial lifeline in return for the insurance premiums they’ve paid into the program during their working years.  Although the criteria are stringent, once awarded the benefit provides income to partially replace earnings that are lost due to a long term disability.  Social Security encourages those receiving SSDI benefits to eventually return to the workforce and offers a “Ticket to Work” program to help achieve that goal.  This program gives you the chance to test your ability to work for at least nine “trial work months” during a 60 month period, and during this trial work period you’ll receive your full SSDI benefit regardless of how much you earn.  Briefly, any month you earn more than $840 (for 2017) counts as a trial work month.  After you have reached nine trial work months, you can still receive your SSDI benefits for another 36 months, except that you won’t receive benefits for any month that your earnings exceed what Social Security considers “substantial”, which for 2017 is $1,170 (note that these dollar amounts can change annually).  If your benefits stop because your earnings regularly exceed “substantial”, and within 5 years you are again unable to work due to your disability, your disability benefits can be restarted (without having to re-apply). You can get full details about the Ticket to Work program by going to https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf, but this program should allow you to work and test your physical limits without a negative impact to your Social Security benefits.
To address a few of your other concerns:  Your earnings from attempting to return to work while disabled shouldn’t negatively affect your future Social Security retirement benefit at your full retirement age. Your disability benefits will not automatically convert to early retirement benefits at age 62, but they will automatically convert to retirement benefits when you reach your full retirement age (which is 66 years plus 6 months if you were born in 1957).  However when they convert, your benefit amount will remain the same as you were receiving in disability benefits.  If you are on Medicare and your benefits stop as a result of exceeding the substantial earnings limit, as long as you are still disabled your free Medicare Part A coverage will continue for at least 93 months after the 9 month trial work period.  However, you will still have to pay a Medicare Part B premium in order to receive Part B coverage.
Related Posts

Captain America Hits the Skirball Big Screen for Heroic Outdoor Movie Night

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Museum-Goers Can Also Catch a Superhero-Themed Drawing Session The Skirball Cultural Center will host an outdoor screening of Captain America:...

Demolition Underway at Beverly Grove Squatter Site After Mystery Fire Renews Safety Fears

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Crews Begin Tearing Down Long-Vacant Apartments on First and Flores  Demolition has begun at a group of long-abandoned apartment buildings...

(Video) Welcome to the Urban Jungle — where nature meets the city and style meets soul

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Whether you’re chasing that gritty city energy or carving out a green oasis in your space, we’re here to help...

Man Arrested in Shooting That Disrupted Vigil for Slain Teen at Culver City High, Police Say

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Gunfire Erupted During Memorial Attended by Hundreds at Culver City High School The Culver City police department announced that a...

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Culver City Leaders Address Youth Safety Crisis After Teen’s Death, Gunfire at Vigil

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Leaders Respond Following Tragedy and Shooting at School Vigil Culver City officials convened a press conference Wednesday morning to confront...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Culver City Pride Rolls In with Sunset Ride and Rally June 28

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Celebrate With a 6-Mile Pride Ride and Free Block Party Culver City will mark its fifth annual Pride celebration on...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...