Ticket To Work Incentives: The Extended Period Of Eligibility

Read the rest of our “Ticket To Work Incentives” series:

• Returning To Work With Ticket To Work Incentives
• Trial Work Period (TWP)
• Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)
• Expedited Reinstatement (EXR)
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs)
• Medicare Continuation

Successfully completing your Trial Work Period (TWP) is a significant milestone on your journey back to employment while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). But what happens next? You might be concerned that once this initial protection ends, you'll be left without support if your health changes or if maintaining consistent work becomes challenging.

Understanding this concern, the Social Security Administration has designed a crucial second layer of protection: the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). This 36-month safety net acknowledges the reality that disability can be unpredictable, with good months and difficult ones. The EPE creates a flexible system where your benefits can adjust to your changing needs without requiring repeated applications.

As you walk the path toward more financial independence, the EPE serves as a bridge—allowing you to maximize earnings when possible while keeping your access to benefits during periods when your medical condition limits your ability to work. This balance helps you build confidence in your employment journey while providing security during the transition.

The Extended Period of Eligibility

After completing your nine TWP months, you automatically enter the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). Being tied to TWP, this incentive is also only for SSDI recipients. This is a 36-month safety net that helps handle any ups and downs with your health and income. During this period, you receive SSDI benefits for the months your earnings fall below the SGA level ($1,620 in 2025) but not for months when your earnings exceed it.

The first three months of your EPE serve as a grace period, during which you continue receiving benefits no matter what. This exists because it is understood that sustaining work can be unpredictable with a disability. After this grace period, your benefits become dependent on monthly earnings.

Example: You are a construction estimator with multiple sclerosis. During summer months when your symptoms are manageable, you work full-time earning $2,200 monthly (above SGA), and your benefits stop. During winter months when your symptoms worsen, you reduce your hours and earn $1,400 (below SGA), so your benefits turn back on without having to apply again. This flexibility allows you to maximize your income during good periods while keeping benefits during challenging times.

The Ticket To Work Program

The Ticket To Work program is a voluntary employment support program for SSDI and SSI recipients. It provides free employment services like career counseling, job placement, training, and benefits counseling through Employment Networks (ENs) or State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies.

• The program helps beneficiaries use these work incentives effectively while finding and keeping a job.
• Participation in TTW protects SSDI benefits while working and actively making progress toward financial independence.
• TTW participants may delay medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) while engaging in the program.

Learn more about each work incentive in our “Ticket To Work Incentives” series:

• Returning To Employment With Ticket To Work Incentives
• Trial Work Period (TWP)
• Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)
• Expedited Reinstatement (EXR)
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs)
• Medicare Continuation

Returning To Work With Allsup Employment Services

Allsup Employment Services (AES) is an SSA-authorized EN for the Ticket To Work Program. We have over 10 years of experience helping thousands return to work successfully. We can help guide you through the SSDI work incentives on your return-to-work journey.

The Ticket To Work Program helps you protect your SSA disability benefits, and working with AES you can:

• Earn More. Make as much income as you choose during the Trial Work Period and protect your full SSDI benefits.
• Stress Less. Avoid medical disability reviews and the worry that comes with them.
• Keep Medicare. While working, you can keep Medicare for over seven years.
• Avoid Risk. If you stop working anytime within five years, your SSDI benefits can resume through a reinstatement process.
• Pay Nothing. As a Social Security-authorized Employment Network, our services are provided at no cost.

Choosing AES means working with an EN who’s focused on your goals and will work with you every step of the way.

Get started with no cost and no obligation.

You can reach Allsup Employment Services today by calling 866-540-5105 or requesting a call.