Can I Do Seasonal Work and Keep My Disability Benefits?

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Content Reviewed by:

Gene Riddle

Content Last Updated:

July 17, 2026

A common misconception is that disability benefit recipients can’t work
The “Trial Work Period” lets disability recipients earn unlimited income for nine calendar months out of any rolling five-year period
The Trial Work Period only applies if the underlying disability hasn’t medically improved

How Seasonal Work Can Benefit People with Disabilities

Many of our disability clients – especially those at the younger end of the age scale – ask us how and when they might go back to work once their disabling conditions improve, but still protect their benefits. A recent article in Forbes addresses this issue, in the context of “seasonal employment” over the holidays.

How Disability Recipients Can Use the “Trial Work Period”

There is a common misconception that once you are approved for disability benefits, you are not allowed to work. In fact, the Social Security Disability system encourages disability recipients to return to work and offers incentives for them to ease back into full-time employment without putting their disability benefits at risk. They do this by a provision called the “Trial Work Period.” Very basically, a person collecting disability benefits can work and earn a decent amount of income (anything over $940/month, as of 2021) for nine calendar months out of a five-year period. And, that five-year period is a “rolling” five years, so you get nine months of unlimited earnings every five years while keeping your benefits.

Now, bear in mind, the applicability of the Trial Work Period assumes that the person’s disabling conditions have not improved. If you show “medical improvement” under the SSA’s rules, most likely your benefits will be terminated whether or not you actually return to work.

A Way to “Try Out” a Return to Work for Disability Recipients

Seasonal work as described in the Forbes article about holiday seasonal employment offers more opportunities to give working a try than might be available at other times of the year.