What specific 2026 SSDI rule changes affected trial work periods and how?
Executive summary
The Social Security Administration updated earnings thresholds for 2026 that directly change how Trial Work Period (TWP) months are counted: any month with earnings over $1,210 now counts as a TWP month, and the related Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) levels also rose to $1,690 for non‑blind beneficiaries and $2,830 for blind beneficiaries (SSA/Federal Register) [1] [2]. These are formula‑driven, annual adjustments tied to wage indices and cost‑of‑living determinations that give some beneficiaries more room to test work while leaving the underlying nine‑month TWP structure intact [2] [3].
1. The concrete rule change: the TWP monthly earnings threshold rose to $1,210
For 2026 the SSA set the monthly earnings amount that defines a "trial work month" at $1,210, meaning any month a beneficiary earns more than that amount counts as one of the nine allowed TWP months [1] [2]. The Federal Register explains this change follows statutory regulatory methodology—either indexing a base year amount to the national average wage index or adopting the prior year’s dollar amount, whichever is larger [2].
2. How the SGA increase interacts with the TWP change
The SGA amounts that determine when work constitutes substantial gainful activity also increased for 2026: $1,690 per month for non‑blind disabled beneficiaries and $2,830 for people who are blind [2] [1]. Practically, beneficiaries may have months that count toward the TWP (because earnings exceed $1,210) without immediately losing benefits so long as other TWP rules apply, but once nine TWP months are accumulated the SSA evaluates ongoing eligibility against the higher SGA thresholds [3] [4].
3. What stays the same: nine months, rolling period, and protections
The TWP remains a nine‑month allowance (not necessarily consecutive) to test work without losing full SSDI benefits, tracked automatically by SSA over a rolling 60‑month (five‑year) window; after the nine months beneficiaries enter a 36‑month extended period of eligibility when SGA rules govern benefit payments month‑to‑month [3] [2] [4]. The 2026 adjustments change dollar cutoffs but do not alter the structure—beneficiaries still receive full benefits during TWP months and retain other safeguards such as grace periods and extended Medicare protections tied to return‑to‑work efforts [4].
4. Practical effects and risks for beneficiaries testing work
Raising the TWP threshold to $1,210 gives some beneficiaries modestly more leeway before a month counts toward their nine allowed work months, but it also creates a new trigger point beneficiaries must monitor: hitting $1,210 in a single month now consumes one of the finite trial months [1] [5]. After using nine TWP months, continued earnings above the SGA level ($1,690 non‑blind) can lead to termination of benefit payments during months classified as SGA, so careful tracking of pay stubs and consultation with SSA or benefits counselors remains essential [6] [4].
5. Context, reactions, and reporting pitfalls
These adjustments are routine, formulaic changes tied to wage growth and the annual cost‑of‑living determinations [2] [7]; advocates and attorneys frame them as modest but meaningful — offering "breathing room" for beneficiaries attempting to return to work while preserving the program’s anti‑poverty safety net [5] [8]. Reporting has sometimes amplified the change as dramatic by focusing on rounded or earlier estimates (examples in secondary outlets citing "above $1,100") rather than the official $1,210 figure in SSA materials and the Federal Register, producing confusion that benefits counselors need to correct [5] [9] [1]. The underlying agenda in SSA’s public language is to encourage work without abrupt loss of protections, while advocacy groups emphasize the real‑world fragility of beneficiaries’ finances if thresholds are misread or mismanaged [3] [7].