Section 416.974a - When and how we will average your earnings(a) To determine your initial eligibility for benefits, we will average any earnings you make during the month you file for benefits and any succeeding months to determine if you are doing substantial gainful activity. If your work as an employee or as a self-employed person was continuous without significant change in work patterns or earnings, and there has been no change in the substantial gainful activity earnings levels, your earnings will be averaged over the entire period of work requiring evaluation to determine if you have done substantial gainful activity.(b) If you work over a period of time during which the substantial gainful activity earnings levels change, we will average your earnings separately for each period in which a different substantial gainful activity earnings level applies.(c) If there is a significant change in your work pattern or earnings during the period of work requiring evaluation, we will average your earnings over each separate period of work to determine if any of your work efforts were substantial gainful activity. 65 FR 42790 , July 11, 2000