Can You Work While Applying For Social Security Disability

What Do I Need To Know About Advance Designation

You should be aware of another type of representation called Advance Designation. This relates to the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018, which was signed into law on April 13, 2018.

Advance Designation allows capable adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Special Veterans Benefits to choose one or more individuals to serve as their representative payee in the future, if the need arises.

To help protect whats important to you, we now offer the option to choose a representative payee in advance. In the event that you can no longer make your own decisions, you and your family will have peace of mind knowing you already chose someone you trust to manage your benefits. If you need a representative payee to assist with the management of your benefits, we will first consider your advance designees, but we must still fully evaluate them and determine their suitability at that time.

You can submit your advance designation request when you apply for benefits or after you are already receiving benefits. You may do so through your personal account, by telephone, or in person.

Can I Work If I’m Approved For Disability

If you are approved for benefits, the impact of your work varies depending on the type of benefit you are receiving.; In the case of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits , the SGA limit continues to apply, but there is a “trial work period.; During this 9-month period of time, you can earn more than the SGA limit without it affecting your continued disability.; If you continue earning above SGA after the nine month period, your benefits may terminate due to your return to work.

In the case of Supplemental Security Income , income of any kind, whether earned or unearned, will affect the amount of your benefit.; The amount of the SSI payment will be reduced by $1 for every $2 of income and if you work at SGA levels beyond the trial work, you will no longer be considered disabled under the SSA rules.

Potential Benefits You Could Receive From Ssdi

If you are ultimately approved for SSDI, then you may receive financial assistance for various expenses.

According to the SSA, the amount and type of benefits that you could be eligible for may depend on:

• Whether you are currently working.
• The severity of your medical condition.
• Whether you have dependents, such as a spouse or children.
• Whether your condition is covered under the SSAs blue book listing of impairments.
• Whether you are able to work at your previous job or any other profession.

SSDI and Supplemental Security Income are two of the largest federal programs that offer aid to those living with a disability. If your application is approved, you could receive monthly cash payments and medical care.

For a legal consultation, call

Donât Miss: How Much Does Ca Disability Pay

Don’t Miss: Sample 504 Plan For Celiac Disease

Disability Help Group: Winning Case Study

George stopped working in 2013 because he had a car accident.; Unfortunately, he was unable to go back to work.; He suffered from chronic back pain.; George didnt know he could file for Social Security disability benefits when he stopped working.; He contacted Disability Help Group for assistance in 2019.; At that time, his date last insured had expired in December 2018.; George had to go to a disability hearing.; We were able to help George provide all of his medical records to the judge since his accident.; Therefore, George was able to show that his medical conditions kept him from working before his DLI.; He was approved for benefits.;;

Also Check: Va Retirement Pay Calculator

Cathy Try And Hang In There

Cathy try and hang in there, i am in current situation, have disc problems, surgery made it worse, it's been 4 years without money, worked in soda business 24 years straight, I'm about to lose my house in September due to back taxes, very suicidal as of late, I never dreamed that this can happen to people in America who paid into Social security for over 20 years, someone has to step in and stop these atrocities, an alj who has no background in medicine, in my case she admitted she never even read my reports, not to mention I waited 2 full years for my hearing, to have people losing evythng they own is just ashame. If I end up homeless I just can't see me continuing on, what do I tell my grandchildren, all I want Is what I paid into it for 24 years, good luck Cathy I hope you live a long happy life

Recommended Reading: How Much Does Sdi Pay In California

Working And Earning Money

You can earn up to a certain amount per year without losing your disability benefits. For 2021, this amount is $6,100 . You must contact Canada Pension Plan as soon as you make more than $6,100 .

If you delay in contacting us when you start making over the allowed amount, you might have to pay some money back.

We may be able to help you return to work through the CPP Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

Re-starting disability benefits for the same disability

If you return to work but are unable to continue working because of the same or a related disability, you can ask to have the benefit automatically restarted without going through the usual reapplication process.

Examples

Working part-time while on CPP disability

Joseph returned to work on a part time basis in March 2021. He earned $6,170 by June 2021. Joseph must call Service Canada to let them know he has earned $6,100.

Additionally, he needs to tell them:

• the date he returned to work
• the hours he worked per week/month
• his hourly wages
• if the job is full time, part time, seasonal or self employed

Service Canada staff will contact Joseph to see how he is doing.

Working while receiving CPP disability and making less than $6,100 a year

Working while on CPP disability and making more than $6,100 a year

You May Like: Is Benign Intracranial Hypertension A Disability

Can You Work While On Social Security Disability

Social Security Disability Benefits are designed to help those with disabilities stay financially afloat. A common question people have is Can I work while on social security disability?

When youre injured or unable to work for medical reasons, you can apply for Social Security Disability. We get questions about working while on workers compensation, but do the same rules apply to disability? Can you work while;on social security disability?

Its a good question with a complicated answer. Yes, you can work while receiving disability benefits. However, there are rules and limits to how much you can earn to continue receiving disability.

SSA disability isnt the same as receiving workers compensation benefits. Workers comp is typically short-term financial help to cover medical bills and lost wages while recovering from an on-the-job injury.;Social security disability is available to people with a long-term injury or health condition that prevents them from completing full-time employment.

Lets explore how you can work and earn some money without violating the rules of Social Security Disability.

Also Check: How Much Does Disability Pay In California

When To File For Social Security Disability If You Have An Eod

If you think your disability onset date can be proven to be far back enough, or that you might be eligible for disability benefits through the SSI program, dont hesitate to file for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration . The SSA will decide whether you qualify for SSDI, SSI, or both.

If You Become Disabled While You Are Employed

• There is a seven day waiting period for which no benefits are paid. Benefits begin on the eighth consecutive day of disability . If you have been disabled more than seven days, your employer must give you a Statement of Rights under the Disability Benefits Law within five days of learning that you are disabled .
• A day of disability is a day on which you were prevented from performing work because of disability and for which you have not received regular wages or remuneration. You are ineligible for disability benefits if you perform any type of work for which you receive wages or profit, even if performed at home.

Read Also: Military Retirement And Disability Calculator

Can You Work While On Disability

The only way an individual qualifies for Disability benefits is if they are able to prove they cannot engage in substantial gainful activity . This means that you make under a certain monetary amount each month, deemed substantial earnings by the Social Security Administration. Therefore, most recipients receive SSDI benefits in place of working. However, the following exceptions make working while on SSDI possible.

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.;

You May Like: How Do You Change Your Va Disability Direct Deposit

I Am A Surviving Spouse Can I Get Survivor Benefits

Yes, if all these are true:

• You were married for at least nine months immediately before your spouse died.

• Your spouse was fully insured according to Social Security, meaning he or she had worked and paid into the system long enough to qualify for benefits.

• You are one of these:

• 60 or older.

• 50 or older and disabled.

• Caring for a child who is under 16 OR getting Social Security disability benefits on your spouses earnings record.

*A surviving divorced spouse may also be eligible for survivors benefits if s/he was married to the eligible deceased person for at least ten years.

Can An Employer Cancel Health Insurance While On Disability

Can Your Employer Cancel Your Health Insurance while You Are Out on a Disability. Under the terms of the FMLA, you wont be terminated for sustaining an injury on or off the job. Under most circumstances, the Family and Medical Leave Act will protect your health insurance benefits until youre ready to return to work.

Also Check: What Is The Average Disability Check

Working And Ssdi Benefits

Generally, SSDI recipients can’t do what’s considered “substantial gainful activity” and continue to receive disability benefits. In a nutshell, doing SGA means you are working and making more than $1,310 per month in 2021 . To encourage SSDI recipients to go back to work, however, Social Security has created some exceptions to this rule. SSDI recipients are entitled to a trial work period during which they can make more than the SGA amount without losing benefits.

For the nine-month trial work period, SSDI recipients are entitled to test their ability to work and continue to receive full benefits regardless of whether they make more than the SGA amount. For 2021, the Social Security Administration considers any month where a person has a monthly income of more than $940 to be a trial work month. If you are self-employed, any month where you work more than 80 hours can also be considered a trial work month.

Once you have completed the nine-month trial work period , you can still receive SSDI for any month where your earnings fall below the SGA level, for a period of 36 months. This three-year period is called the “extended period of eligibility.” In other words, if you earn less than $1,310 in any month, you will get benefits, but if you earn more than $1,310 in any month, you won’t get disability benefits for that month .

For more information, see our article on the trial work period, the extended period of eligibility, and expedited reinstatement.

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?

Don’t Miss: Maximum Ssdi Benefit 2016

What Is The Difference Between Social Security And Va Veterans 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.;

Is It Risky To Work While Applying For Disability

As stated earlier, the decision to apply for disability is not a choice, but a last resort.; If you are able to work, then that work should be pursued if work activity on a regular and consistent basis is not possible, a disability benefits application should be filed.; Any work activity or attempts should always be reported to SSA if you have a disability case pending or are awarded benefits.; Failure to report your work activity is perjury and may be punishable by law.

The disability application process is lengthy most cases are not decided for two to three years after the initial application and many cases are denied even through all levels of appeal.; If part-time or occasional work can be found and if you are able to do that work, your case may or may not be impacted.;While it is;not prohibited;to work while remaining under the $1,310 amount per month, the Social Security Administration will take your ability to continue working into account when reviewing your disability case.;Claims representatives may simply be less inclined to believe that your disability precludes full-time employment if they see you working 32 hours per week without any problems.

You May Like: Can You Get Social Security Disability If You Have Copd

The Trial Work Period Incentive

You can continue to receive your Social Security disability benefits while working during whats referred to as a Trial Work Period . For 2014, if you earn more than $770 in any given month while receiving SSD, you will be automatically begin a TWP.

Under the TWP incentive, you can receive your full benefits for nine months in any five-year period while earning $770+ per month. If your income falls below $770 in any given month, it does not count toward your nine-month TWP.

Social Security Disability Insurance : The Basics

There are two basic rules for getting SSDI:

• You must have a disability that meets Social Securitys standards.The disability determination process looks at five things to see whether you have a disability.

You must meet both of these requirements to get SSDI benefits. However, there are some other situations where you may get similar benefits from Social Security:

• If you are an adult with a disability that began before you turned 22, you may qualify for Childhood Disability Benefits .
• If you havenât turned 19 yet, you may qualify for childâs benefits if one of your parents gets SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits, or if a parent died. You do not need to have a disability.
• If your spouse or ex-spouse qualifies for SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits, or qualified before dying, you may be able to get benefits.

If you qualify for SSDI or these other benefits, the amount you get each month is based on your Social Security earnings record . The more youve worked and the more youve paid in Social Security taxes, the higher your benefits will be.

After getting benefits for two years, you automatically get Medicare health coverage.

Social Security has two disability benefits programs with very similar names:

If you have questions about SSDI and need to talk with somebody, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 or visit your local Social Security office.

If you want to ask about how work might affect your SSDI benefits, try contacting:

You May Like: Is Borderline Personality Disorder A Disability

Can I Apply For Disability While Working

The short answer is, yes, you can apply for disability while working.

However, you need to be earning under a certain amount and the Social Security Administration may look at the number of hours you are working as well as the type of work being performed to ascertain whether you could be working full time.

The amount that you are not allowed to earn more than is called the substantial gainful activity or SGA limit. If you earn more than that amount, SSA assumes you can do a substantial amount of work and determines that you are ineligible for disability. The 2020 SGA limit is $1,260 per month.

I believe working part-time while you are seeking disability benefits is a very risky proposition, and I am not the only experienced disability lawyer who thinks so.

The SSA might also check how many hours you are working per week. If you are working more than part-time, it may be difficult to persuade the SSA that you cannot work and should receive disability.

As part of the disability claim process, the SSA will be looking into what type of work you are capable of doing. If you have regularly been doing work that you claim you cannot do, this will negatively impact your case.

For example, if you injure your back and are applying for disability while working, it wont help your case if you are working stocking shelves while you wait for approval of your claim.

So to those wondering can I work while applying for disability, the answer is yes, but you will need to: