Monday, March 25, 2024

Can You Work While Applying For Disability

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So Sorry To Hear About Your

Social Security Disability FAQ: Can I Work while applying for Disability?

So sorry to hear about your situation Cathy. You& #039 ve been given some good advice, but some of it isn& #039 t 100% accurate. I was in an accident back in 2013 that left me with lower back issues, so I& #039 m VERY familiar with the whole process. Firstly, at this point the deadline for filing a personal injury suit has definitely passed, so unfortunately in that regard to my knowledge there& #039 s nothing you can do, but I recommend calling some personal injury attorneys just to be sure. Secondly, as far as insurance is concerned, your insurance would give you a difficult time in covering anything since you were in a freind& #039 s car at the time. Your friend& #039 s insurance is who you should get in contact with, as insurance coverages have amounts for passenger coverage. Had you been in your vehicle, that would be entirely different, it would have been a no-fault claim provided that evidence indicated that the person who hit would was entirely at fault. However, no-fault works on a state by state basis so if that were the case, your insurance company may not even provide no fault coverage.

Report The Death Of A Social Security Or Medicare Beneficiary

You must report the death of a family member receiving Social Security or Medicare benefits. The Social Security Administration processes death reports for both. Find out how you can report a death and how to cancel benefit payments. In addition to canceling SSA and Medicare benefits, find out what other benefits and accounts you should cancel.

Can I Work While I Wait For Ssdi Or Ssi Disability

The same rule applies when you are waiting to hear whether your disability benefits are approved: you cannot work over the substantial gainful activity amount. Since it will take months or even years to get a decision, it can be very difficult to not be able to earn income during this time.

If you do attempt to go back to work and you work more than the SGA amount, but then you have to quit because of your disability, you might qualify for an exception to the SGA rule. If you had to quit because of your medical disorder and the limitations it causes, your time working might count as an unsuccessful work attempt, and then Social Security wouldnt use it as evidence that you can work. To qualify, your illness or condition must have caused you to stop working within six months because you couldn’t physically or mentally do the work, because your doctor said you werent allowed to do the work, or because the job changed so that it no longer accommodated your disability .

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Can You Get Approved For Disability While Still Working

Interestingly, the answer to this question is both yes and no.

Once you qualify for disability, you arent forbidden from working. Instead, the Social Security Administration sets a substantial gainful activity limit that regulates how much money you earn each month.

What does this mean for you? In most cases, it means that you can be on disability and still work part-time. However, the Social Security Administration will pay close attention to how many hours you can work.

Why Ssdi Requires Work Credits

Can You Work While Applying for Social Security Disability ...

As the acronym indicates, SSDI is an insurance program. You pay the premiums of this program through the Social Security deductions that your boss takes out of your paycheck and sends to the government on your behalf. That money helps to fund the monthly Social Security disability and retirement checks that people receive.

On the other hand, the source of funding for SSI benefits is general revenues, like income taxes and additional money that the government collects. Because SSI does not use payroll deductions for Social Security taxes as its source of funding, you do not have to pay into the system and accumulate work credits to be eligible for these benefits.

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Can You Work While On Social Security Disability Yes But Use Caution

Social Security Disability benefits are for individuals who genuinely need financial help and cannot maintain full-time work. Can you work while on Social Security Disability? Yes! However, its important not to abuse the system. Use caution and make accurate earning reports when choosing part-time work to supplement your disability benefits from the SSA.

If you need help navigating the rules of your disability benefits, we can help! Contact our team or call us 617-825-0965.

Filling Your Position In Your Absence

There may be the potential that your position could be filled on a permanent basis while you are on leave without pay. This generally happens if your period of leave exceeds one year. Your manager will be in contact with you if this occurs.

Your manager will regularly re-examine your situation to ensure that continuation of leave without pay is warranted by current medical evidence. Such leave without pay situations are to be resolved within 2 years of the leave commencement date, although each case must be evaluated on the basis of its particular circumstances.

Refer to Appendix B of the Directive on Leave and Special Working Arrangements for additional information.

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So What Happens If I Lose My Job While On Disability

Typically, long-term disability benefits can be paid through age 65 or 67. However, this does not mean that you will keep your employment throughout your disability. Indeed, we inform our clients receiving LTD benefits that their employment is likely to be terminated at some point.

It is natural to wonder if a termination of employment will affect their monthly disability payments. Namely, we are regularly asked whether benefits will stop if employment is terminated. The answer to this question is as follows:

  • If disability benefit payments are made by an insurance company, the simple answer is no, benefits will not cease.
  • If disability payments are made by an employer, benefit payments may cease upon the loss of employment in rare situations. A review of the disability insurance policy is required to determine whether your benefits are at risk.

If you have any concerns regarding the effects of a termination of benefits, please give our experienced disability insurance lawyers a call. Consultations are free.

Your Duty to Continue Medical Treatment

If your employment is terminated you may also lose your health insurance coverage. This may make it difficult for you to continue to see your doctors on a regular basis. However, it is imperative you continue to treat with your doctors. Indeed, disability insurance policies generally require you maintain regular treatment with a physician. If you do not, your disability benefits may be terminated.

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What Is The Difference Between Social Security And Va Veterans Disability Benefits

Can I Work While Waiting for my Social Security Disability Benefits?

Social Security has two types of disability benefits. Social Security disability insurance benefits require that you have worked. Unlike SSDI, Supplemental Security Income benefits dont require that youve worked. However, you must meet certain financial requirements. The VA offers veterans disability benefits only for individuals who have served in the armed forces.

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Working While You Receive Benefits

The same approach applies to working while you receive Social Security Benefits. For as long as you need to continue receiving benefits, your monthly income cant exceed the substantial gainful activity thresholds. If you do, you risk losing your benefits.

Think of working a part-time job as supplemental to your disability benefits. The SSA doesnt want you to live without the ability to pay for your basic needs. However, they also dont want to pay out benefits to anyone who can work full-time or earn enough money to afford a reasonable standard of living.

Your Social Security benefits might not be enough to cover your monthly expenses without the help of additional income. The SSA understands this and allows you to earn supplemental income while maintaining your benefitsas long as you continue to meet the requirements.

Your Work Activity Moves The Focus To Your Ongoing Work Away From Your Disability

Think about how a social security disability decision-maker, such as an Administrative Law Judge, would consider the typical disability case in which the claimant is not working.

For the non-working claimant, the ALJ simply must assess why that person can no longer work. The focus is on the medical conditions that you have. But if you are continuing to work, the ALJ will naturally focus on your work activity.

In particular, she will be considering the following:

  • Have you restricted your work activity so that you will not exceed the substantial gainful activity amount?
  • How did you decide on the work level you are performing?
  • Is there a medical basis and evidence to support your inability to perform substantial gainful activity, given that you are in fact able to work part-time?

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How A Lawyer With Our Firm Can Help You Apply For Disability Benefits

An attorney from our firm can offer assistance as you prepare an application for Social Security disability benefits. We can help you determine whether you have enough work credits for SSDI or should apply for SSI benefits. The law does not require you to work with a lawyer on the application and evaluation process for disability benefits, but having someone guide you can make the process go smoother.

Every year, thousands of qualifying individuals are denied Social Security Disability benefits because of errors they made on their applications. Many people have to appeal a denial of benefits to get the assistance they need. Our team can help you avoid this costly mistake or represent you during your appeal if you have already received a denial.

What Is Substantial Gainful Activity

Can You Work While Applying For Social Security Disability ...

Work is substantial if it involves significant physical and/or mental activities. Its gainful if it is done for pay or profit.

So how much do you have to make to engage in SGA? The amount changes nearly every year to keep up with inflation. It consists of a persons gross monthly income minus any impairment-related work expenses.

Work is substantial if it involves significant physical and/or mental activities gainful if it is done for pay or profit.

In 2019, SGA is $1,220 a month for non-blind individuals and $2,040 for individuals who are statutorily blind.

That means that if your gross monthly income is more than $1,220 , then you will likely be denied for disability benefits.

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Your Responsibilities When Illness Or Injury Prevents You From Working

Administering sick-leave benefits is complex. You need to work closely with your manager, your departmental human resources team and the Pay Centre to ensure that:

  • leave records are accurate and up-to-date
  • you receive information of your options and benefits
  • forms are filled out accurately
  • forms are sent to the appropriate organization in a timely manner

How To Qualify For Ssi Benefits

You can get Social Security Disability benefits even if you do not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. The SSA offers the SSI program to disabled adults and children who have limited financial resources. It is a safety net so that people who cannot work for a living but do not qualify to collect SSDI can pay for essential items, like food, clothing, and shelter.

To qualify, you have to meet the same medical disability standards as a person does for SSDI. In addition, your income must be low, and your countable assets cannot exceed certain limits. Specifically, you could qualify for SSI benefits if:

  • You have a severe illness or injury that meets the benchmarks of the SSAs Listing of Impairments, also called the Blue Book.
  • Your disability prevents you from supporting yourself through gainful employment.
  • You have very little income. This income limit can change every year. In addition, the income limit tends to vary by location because SSI is a joint program of the federal and state governments.
  • Your countable assets do not exceed the SSI limit. This number can also change every year. Your home and the land it is on do not count as assets. Most cars also do not count toward your resources.

You must satisfy all of these elements to be eligible for SSI benefits. If you are struggling to understand the qualifications for SSDI or SSI, our firm can help you navigate these matters and apply for the benefits you may be entitled to because of your medical condition.

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Extended Period Of Eligibility

So how does SGA affect a personâs eligibility to continue receiving his or her SSDI check? After the individual has accumulated 9 months of a TWP, he or she then has a 36- month period referred to as an âextended period of eligibilityâ . During the EPE, Social Security looks at whether earnings in any given month exceed the applicable SGA amount, after taking into account any gross wage reductions for IRWE or work subsidies. If adjusted net earnings exceed the applicable SGA amount, Social Security will make a determination of cessation of disability. The SSDI benefit amount will be terminated after the third month from the cessation of disability month. If wages drop below the SGA amount in any given month during the 36-month EPE, the SSDI benefit amount will be reinstated.

The importance of the EPE is that an individual can again receive the SSDI benefit amount in any month during the 36-month period when countable earnings fall below the SGA amount.

Are Your Social Security Benefits Taxed If Youre Still Working

Can I Work While my Disability Case is Pending?

If you have earnings from working or you have other taxable income, such as distributions from a retirement plan, part of your Social Security may be taxed.

Whether youre still employed or youre a retiree, youll pay taxes on up to 85% of your Social Security benefit if:

  • Youre single with a taxable income of $34,000 or higher.
  • Youre married filing jointly with a combined taxable income of $44,000 or higher.

Youll pay taxes on up to 50% of your Social Security benefit if:

  • Youre single with a taxable income between $25,000 and $34,000.
  • Youre married filing jointly with a combined income between $32,000 and $44,000.

If your income is below these limits, you wont owe taxes on your Social Security.

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Are My Benefits Subject To Income Tax

If you qualify for benefits under the Plan, the amount you receive will be subject to income tax. At the end of each year, the Insurer will send you a form indicating the total amount of benefits paid to you during that particular year. Prior to January 1, 2015, withholding income taxes from DI benefit payments was an option a Disability Insurance Plan member could select. Effective January 1, 2015, the Canada Revenue Agency has made it mandatory for income taxes to be withheld from all DI benefits. Therefore the ensurer, in accordance with the Canada Revenue Agency, will automatically deduct income taxes at source. The monthly premiums you pay while you are employed are not tax deductible from earnings. If you become eligible for benefits, the total amount of the premiums you have paid from the time you became a member of the Plan may be deducted for tax purposes from the amount of the disability income you received from the Plan. If the total amount of premiums you have paid under the Plan exceeds the benefits you receive during the first taxation year in which your benefits begin, you can carry over the excess amount to the following year.

Working Part Time After You’re Approved For Benefits

After you start receiving benefits, the rules change a bit as to whether you can work part time. For Social Security disability insurance , technically the SGA limit still applies, but you have what’s called a “trial work period.” This is a period of nine months during which you can more than the SGA limit. For more information, see our article on the trial work period.

If you’re receiving SSI, the $1,310 SGA limit applies only during your first month of benefits. After that, the SSI income limit applies instead. Because of the way earned income is counted , there is no set SSI income limit for those who work part-time. But the more you earn, the lower your SSI payment will be. And when you start making upwards of $1,600, your SSI payment will be reduced to zero. To understand how this works, see our article on the SSI income limit.

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If You Go Back To Work

If you’re like most people, you would rather work than try to live on disability benefits.

There are special rules that help you keep your cash benefits and Medicare while you test your ability to work. We call these rules “work incentives.” For more information about Social Security work incentives, read Working While Disabled: How We Can Help.

Disclaimer: Changes In Your Work Or Life Situation

Can You Work While Applying for Social Security Disability ...

The information on this page applies to departments and agencies served by the Pay Centre. If your department or agency is not served by the Pay Centre, contact your departmental compensation unit.

Please request additional guidance from your manager, departmental human resources and finance, as pay-related information and processes are subject to change.

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Is Applying For Disability While Working Risky

The unspoken truth behind much of this process is that appearances matter quite a bit. What you do and how much you earn can significantly affect how your disability looks to the SSA and determine whether you qualify for benefits. With that in mind, many potential applicants wonder if they are taking a risk by applying for disability while still working.

Once more, there is no one size fits all answer. It may take two or three years after you apply to receive a verdict on whether you qualify. And it is up to individual claims representatives and judges to review your case and ultimately make the decision.

With that in mind, you can improve your chances by earning less than the SGA and working less than 32 hours per week. If you are earning more and working more, the powers that be may later determine that you have no difficulties working full-time with a disability and deny you benefits.

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