What if I’m not sure whether I’m capable of returning to work?
Because the SSA wants to encourage disability beneficiaries to at least try returning to work, it offers some incentives. You can return to work and earn as much as you can while still collecting disability benefits for up to nine months during any five-year period. If things don’t work out after a few months, you can leave the job and continue receiving disability benefits uninterrupted. If you want to try working again, you can do so and still receive benefits for a total of nine months during any five-year period. Moreover, if you return to work but your earnings fall below the “substantial work” threshold during any month in the ensuing three years, you can report your earnings and you will receive your full disability benefit for that month or months.
