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can you get disability benefits while working

by Blair Kiehn Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Can You Work While on SSDI? Generally, SSDI recipients can't do what's considered "substantial gainful activity
substantial gainful activity
Substantial gainful activity is generally work that brings in over a certain dollar amount per month. In 2022, that amount is $1,350 for non-blind disabled SSDI or SSI applicants, and $2,260 for blind SSDI applicants (the SGA limit doesn't apply to blind SSI applicants).
" (SGA) and continue to receive disability benefits
. In a nutshell, doing SGA means you're working and making more than $1,350 per month in 2022 (or $2,260 if you're blind).

Can you work part-time and still get disability?

Generally, Social Security will find you disabled if you can't sustain full-time work on a regular basis. But if your regular work before applying for disability was part-time work, and Social Security finds you can still do this work, your claim can be denied.

Can I work and receive TDIU benefits?

Yes, you can work and receive TDIU or VA 100. Can I Work and Get TDIU? Can I Work and Get TDIU? Many veterans are unable to support themselves because of service-connected disabilities. Congress decided to take care of these veterans with a special benefit called TDIU.

Can I work and still receive SSI benefits?

You can begin to work and continue to receive SSI benefits as long as your wages and other resources don't exceed the SSA's income limit for SSI; but your monthly benefit amount will be reduced in proportion to your income. Here's how the SSA reduces your income. Both the federal benefit amount and the SSI countable income limit are $794 (in 2021).

Can you work while receiving Social Security disability benefits?

The SSA wants you to work, so the amount of benefits they have to pay out is reduced. So yes, you can work while on social security disability. But, there are, of course, some rules and regulations that Uncle Sam has imposed for you to continue to receive payment if you’re working while collecting SSDI benefits. Let’s take a look at how this works.

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How long can you be disabled if you have a disability?

Your condition must significantly limit your ability to do basic work-related activities, such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting, or remembering – for at least 12 months. If it does not, we will find that you are not disabled.

What is disability under Social Security?

What We Mean By Disability. The definition of disability under Social Security is different than other programs. Social Security pays only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability. We consider you disabled under Social Security rules if all of the following are true:

What if the adult child is already receiving SSI benefits or disability benefits on his or her own record?

A disabled "adult child" already receiving SSI benefits or disability benefits on his or her own record should check to see if benefits may be payable on a parent's earnings record. Higher benefits might be payable and entitlement to Medicare may be possible.

How do we decide if an adult "child" is disabled for SSDI benefits?

We send the application to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) in your state that completes the disability decision for us.

How to speed up disability application?

To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.

What is the work incentive for Social Security?

There are also a number of special rules, called "work incentives," that provide continued benefits and health care coverage to help you make the transition back to work. If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits when you reach full retirement age, your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, ...

How long does a widow have to be disabled?

The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse has a medical condition that meets the definition of disability for adults and the disability started before or within seven years of the worker's death.

How to notify the SSA of changes to your work status?

Should that happen, you will need to notify the SSA via phone, mail, or visiting an office in person.

Can you work part time on disability?

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.

Do you have to stay under SGA if you are on SSDI?

What does this mean for you? If you are on SSDI benefits, you need to stay under the SGA. But if you are on SSI benefits, you may need to strongly consider whether it is worth staying at your job when every dollar you earn is effectively cut in half.

Can you lose SSI benefits if you earn more than SGA?

SSI offers a similar trial period, and you can similarly lose benefits entirely if you earn more than the SGA after the trial is over. But your SSI payment is also reduced by $1 for every $2 that you earn, which occurs both during and after the trial period.

Does appearance matter for disability?

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.

Can you apply for disability after having a medical condition?

There isn’t a definitive list of conditions that automatically qualify someone for disability. Instead, you must apply for disability after having one or more medical conditions that keep you from performing work.

Can an employer subsidize disabled employees?

In some instances, employers may subsidize the pay of disabled employees. In other words, the employees may receive pay worth more than the actual work they are doing. In these cases, you can have the SSA speak to your employer and analyze the situation.

How much can I earn on SSI?

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 (more than half of it doesn't count toward the limit), 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.

How long can you work on SGA?

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.

What is the SGA limit for Social Security?

In 2021, the SGA limit is $1,310 per month.

How much is the SGA limit for SSI?

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 (more than half of it doesn't count toward the limit), there is no set SSI income limit for those who work part-time. But the more you earn, the lower your SSI ...

Can disability be deducted from wages?

Similarly, some employers allow disabled employees to have special considerations to work that cost the employer money, which should be deducted from their wage in considering the true value of their work. In fact, the cost of any impairment-related work expenses can be deducted from a person's earnings to come up with their monthly work amount.

Can you be disabled if you work part time?

Generally, Social Security will find you disabled if you can't sustain full-time work on a regular basis. But if your regular work before applying for disability was part-time work, and Social Security finds you can still do this work, your claim can be denied. See our article on partial disability and part-time work.

Can a judge think you can work part time?

Or a judge may think that you are working part time only because you can't find full-time work, not because of a medical condition.

How many months of work can I do for SSDI?

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 (SSA) considers any month where a person has a monthly income of more than $940 to be a trial work month. If you're self-employed, any month where you work more than 80 hours can also be considered a trial work month.

How long do you have to work to get SSDI?

Once you have completed the nine-month trial work period (the months do not need to be consecutive), 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 during this period, you will get benefits, but if you earn more than $1,310 in any month, you won't get disability benefits for that month (after a three-month grace period).

How much is the SSA if you only earn from your job?

If your only income is from your job, the SSA does not include the first $85 you earn toward your countable income. After taking the $85 adjustment off of your income, the SSA will deduct, from your monthly benefits, 50 cents for every dollar you earn. For example, if you earn $1,000 a month from working, you have $457.50 of countable income.

How long does it take for SSI to reinstate?

If your SSI payments stop because you earn too much money (that is, if your countable income is over $794 per month), but you are subsequently forced to quit work because of your disability, the SSA will reinstate your benefits without the need for a new application for a period of five years.

How much is the SSI limit for 2021?

Here's how the SSA reduces your income. Both the federal benefit amount and the SSI countable income limit are $794 (in 2021). The SSA will reduce your benefit by the amount of your "countable income." Fortunately, not all of your income is countable income.

When do you report your wages to the SSA?

You must also report the amount of your monthly wages (if any) to the SSA. If you report your wages by telephone, it must be done by the 6 th of the next month; if you mail or bring in your paystub to your local SSA, it must be done by the 10 th of the next month. SSDI and SSI recipients can now report wages online using their Social Security account, and SSI recipients can now also report wages with a smartphone app. Social Security's website has more information on telephone wage reporting and online wage reporting.

Who must report to the SSA?

Both SSI and SSDI recipients must report to the SSA:

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