Title 20
SECTION 220.170
220.170 The trial work period.
§ 220.170 The trial work period.(a) Definition of the trial work period. The trial work period is a period during which the annuitant may test his or her ability to work and still be considered disabled. The trial work period begins and ends as described in paragraph (e) of this section. During this period, the annuitant may perform “services” (see paragraph (b) of this section) in as many as 9 months, but these months do not have to be consecutive. The Board will not consider those services as showing that the annuitant's disability has ended until the annuitant has performed services in at least 9 months. However, after the trial work period has ended, the Board will consider the work the annuitant did during the trial work period in determining whether the annuitant's disability has ended at any time after the trial work period.
(b) What the Board means 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.
(1) If the claimant is an employee. The Board will consider the claimant's work as an employee to be services if:
(i) Before January 1, 2002, the claimant's earnings in a month were more than the amount(s) indicated in Table 1 of this section for the year(s) in which the claimant worked.
(ii) Beginning January 1, 2002, the claimant's 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) The amount established by the Social Security Administration for such year as constituting the amount of monthly earnings used to determine whether a person has performed services for counting trial work period months.
(2) If the claimant is self-employed. The Board will consider the claimant's activities as a self-employed person to be services if:
(i) Before January 1, 2002, the claimant's net earnings in a month were more than the amount(s) indicated in Table 2 of this section for the year(s) in which the claimant worked, or the hours the claimant 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 the claimant worked.
(ii) Beginning January 1, 2002, the claimant worked more than 80 hours a month in the business, or the claimant's 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) The amount established by the Social Security Administration for such year as constituting the amount of monthly earnings used to determine whether a person has performed services for counting trial work period months.
Table 1 - For Non Self-Employed
| 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 (hours) |
|---|---|---|
| In calendar years before 1979 | $50 | 15 |
| In calendar years 1979-1989 | 75 | 15 |
| In calendar years 1990-2000 | 200 | 40 |
| In calendar year 2001 | 530 | 80 |
(c) Limitations on the number of trial work periods. The annuitant may have only one trial work period during each period in which he or she is disabled for any regular employment as defined in § 220.26.
(d) Who is and is not entitled to a trial work period. (1) Generally, the annuitant is entitled to a trial work period if he or she is entitled to an annuity based on disability.
(2) An annuitant is not entitled to a trial work period if he or she is in a second period of disability for which he or she did not have to complete a waiting period before qualifying for a disability annuity.
(e) Payment of the disability annuity during the trial work period. (1) The disability annuity of an employee, child, or widow(er) who is disabled for any regular employment will not be paid for any month in the trial work period in which the annuitant works for an employer covered by the Railroad Retirement Act (see § 220.160).
(2) The disability annuity of an employee who is disabled for any regular employment will not be paid for any month in this period in which the employee annuitant earns more than $400 in employment or self-employment (see §§ 220.161 and 220.164).
(3) If the disability annuity for an employee, child, or widow(er) who is disabled for any regular employment is stopped because of work during the trial work period, and the disability annuitant discontinues that work before the end of the trial work period, the disability annuity may be started again without a new application and a new determination of disability.
(f) When the trial work period begins and ends. (1) The trial work period begins with whichever of the following calendar months is the later -
(i) The annuity beginning date;
(ii) The month after the end of the appropriate waiting period; or
(iii) The month the application for disability is filed.
(2) The trial work period ends with the close of whichever of the following calendar months is the earlier -
(i) The 9th month (whether or not the months have been consecutive) in which the annuitant performed services; or
(ii) The month in which new evidence, other than evidence relating to any work the annuitant did during the trial work period, shows that the annuitant is not disabled, even though he or she has not worked a full 9 months. The Board may find that the annuitant's disability has ended at any time during the trial work period if the medical or other evidence shows that the annuitant is no longer disabled.
[56 FR 12980, Mar. 28, 1991, as amended at 72 FR 21102, Apr. 30, 2007]