(a) Definition of the trial work period. The trial work period is a period during which you may test your ability to work and still be considered disabled. It begins and ends as described in paragraph (e) of this section. During this period, you may perform services (see paragraph (b) of this section) in as many as 9 months, but these months do not have to be consecutive. We will not consider those services as showing that your disability has ended until you have performed services in at least 9 months. However, after the trial work period has ended we will consider the work you did during the trial work period in determining whether your disability ended at any time after the trial work period.
(b) What we mean by services. When used in this section, services means any activity (whether legal or illegal), even though it is not substantial gainful activity, which is done in employment or self-employment for pay or profit, or is the kind normally done for pay or profit. We generally do not consider work done without remuneration to be services if it is done merely as therapy or training or if it is work usually done in a daily routine around the house or in self-care. We will not consider work you have done as a volunteer in the federal programs described in section 404.1574(d) in determining whether you have performed services in the trial work period.
(1) If you are an employee. We will consider your work as an employee to be services if:
(i) Before January 1, 2002, your earnings in a month were more than the amount(s) indicated in Table 1 for the year(s) in which you worked.
(ii) Beginning January 1, 2002, your earnings in a month are more than an amount determined for each calendar year to be the larger of:
(A) Such amount for the previous year, or
(B) An amount adjusted for national wage growth, calculated by multiplying $530 by the ratio of the national average wage index for the year 2 calendar years before the year for which the amount is being calculated to the national average wage index for 1999. We will then round the resulting amount to the next higher multiple of $10 where such amount is a multiple of $5 but not of $10 and to the nearest multiple of $10 in any other case.
(2) If you are self-employed. We will consider your activities as a self-employed person to be services if:
(i) Before January 1, 2002, your net earnings in a month were more than the amount(s) indicated in Table 2 of this section for the year(s) in which you worked, or the hours you worked in the business in a month are more than the number of hours per month indicated in Table 2 for the years in which you worked.
(ii) Beginning January 1, 2002, you work more than 80 hours a month in the business, or your net earnings in a month are more than an amount determined for each calendar year to be the larger of:
(A) Such amount for the previous year, or
(B) An amount adjusted for national wage growth, calculated by multiplying $530 by the ratio of the national average wage index for the year 2 calendar years before the year for which the amount is being calculated to the national average wage index for 1999. We will then round the resulting amount to the next higher multiple of $10 where such amount is a multiple of $5 but not of $10 and to the nearest multiple of $10 in any other case.
Table 1 - For Employees
| For months | You earn more than |
|---|---|
| In calendar years before 1979 | $50 |
| In calendar years 1979-1989 | 75 |
| In calendar years 1990-2000 | 200 |
| In calendar year 2001 | 530 |
Table 2 - For the Self-Employed
| For months | Your net earnings are more than | Or you work in the business more than |
|---|---|---|
| In calendar years before 1979 | $50 | 15 hours. |
| In calendar years 1979-1989 | 75 | 15 hours. |
| In calendar years 1990-2000 | 200 | 40 hours. |
| In calendar year 2001 | 530 | 80 hours. |
(c) Limitations on the number of trial work periods. You may have only one trial work period during a period of entitlement to cash benefits.
(d) Who is and is not entitled to a trial work period.
(1) You are generally entitled to a trial work period if you are entitled to disability insurance benefits, child's benefits based on disability, or widow's or widower's or surviving divorced spouse's benefits based on disability.
(2) You are not entitled to a trial work period -
(i) If you are entitled to a period of disability but not to disability insurance benefits, and you are not entitled to any other type of disability benefit under title II of the Social Security Act (i.e., child's benefits based on disability, or widow's or widower's benefits or surviving divorced spouse's benefits based on disability);
(ii) If you perform work demonstrating the ability to engage in substantial gainful activity during any required waiting period for benefits;
(iii) If you perform work demonstrating the ability to engage in substantial gainful activity within 12 months of the onset of the impairment(s) that prevented you from performing substantial gainful activity and before the date of any notice of determination or decision finding that you are disabled; or
(iv) For any month prior to the month of your application for disability benefits (see paragraph (e) of this section).
(e) When the trial work period begins and ends. The trial work period begins with the month in which you become entitled to disability insurance benefits, to child's benefits based on disability or to widow's, widower's, or surviving divorced spouse's benefits based on disability. It cannot begin before the month in which you file your application for benefits, and for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses, it cannot begin before December 1, 1980. It ends with the close of whichever of the following calendar months is the earliest:
(1) The 9th month (whether or not the months have been consecutive) in which you have performed services if that 9th month is prior to January 1992;
(2) The 9th month (whether or not the months have been consecutive and whether or not the previous 8 months of services were prior to January 1992) in which you have performed services within a period of 60 consecutive months if that 9th month is after December 1991; or
(3) The month in which new evidence, other than evidence relating to any work you did during the trial work period, shows that you are not disabled, even though you have not worked a full 9 months. We may find that your disability has ended at any time during the trial work period if the medical or other evidence shows that you are no longer disabled. See § 404.1594 for information on how we decide whether your disability continues or ends.
(f) Nonpayment of benefits for trial work period service months. See § 404.471 for an explanation of when benefits for trial work period service months are not payable if you are convicted by a Federal court of fraudulently concealing your work activity.
[45 FR 55584, Aug. 20, 1980, as amended at 49 FR 22273, May 29, 1984; 50 FR 50130, Dec. 6, 1985; 54 FR 53605, Dec. 29, 1989; 65 FR 42787, July 11, 2000; 65 FR 82910, Dec. 29, 2000; 71 FR 66866, Nov. 17, 2006]