Originally Posted by Janke

Here's some any advice:

Keep your pay stubs. If you don't have them, get them. In order for SSA to make a decision that you had an unsuccessful work attempt, they will need to know exactly what day you started work and exactly what day you stopped. There is a definition of an unsuccessfull work attempt that SSA will use and the dates you stop and start work are a integral part of that decision. Generally, if you worked less than three months and stopped because of your medical condition, and had a break in work activity for a specified period of time (can't recall right now), it would be an unsuccessful work attempt. If you worked 3-6 months, it might be an unsuccessful work attempt. If it was over 6 months, it probably was not an unsuccessful work attempt.

But the dollar amount of money you earned each month will also need to be verified to determine if the work is Substantial Gainful Activity. Pay stubs can provide that data. A W-2 cannot.

Your earnings will be posted to your earnings record. SSA will find out whether you report it or not. These questions will have to be answered some day. If you take care of it now, the sword will not be haning over your head anymore. You may or may not like the outcome. But if you don't like it, you can always appeal that decision and provide new evidence.

Not going to attempt to give advice about the second issue.