Generally, you’ll receive your full monthly Social Security benefit for a year after you return to work. If you continue to work beyond that while still disabled, your eligibility for monthly cash benefits will continue for at least another 36 months. Here’s how it works:

You usually can have a trial work period of nine months (not necessarily consecutive) during which your benefits will not be affected by your earnings regardless of how much you earn. A trial work month is any month in which your total earnings are more than $570 or, if you are self-employed, you earn more than $570 (after expenses) or spend more than 80 hours in your own business. When nine trial work months are successfully completed within 60 months, we review your work to see if your earnings are "substantial." (Generally, more than $800 per month is considered "substantial" earnings.) If they are, your benefits would continue for a three-month grace period and then stop.

However, if you are still medically disabled and continue to work in spite of your disability, your benefits can be reinstated anytime during the next 36 months. During this time, you will receive your full Social Security benefit for any month your earnings fall below $800. Benefits would continue as long as you remain disabled and your earnings do not exceed $800 a month.