Ask Larry

I am currently receiving SSDI. I am starting a part-time job and I want to limit my income below $880/month so as to not have it count as one of my 9 TWP months. Here's my question: I will be paid every two weeks. In some months, there will be 3 paychecks. Does SSA consider the month the work was performed or the month when I get paid when calculating whether I have exceeded the $880 limit?

Hi,

The countable amount used to determine a trial work month is the amount earned in a month, not the amount paid. So, for example, if you earned $80 per day you could work up to 11 days in a month without exceeding the 2019 monthly trial work amount of $880.

It's often difficult for Social Security to document a person's precise monthly earnings when they're paid on other than a monthly basis, so you'll want to keep your pay slips and a record of your days/hours worked so that you'll be able to present proof of your monthly earnings to Social Security.

Best, Jerry