To apply for Social Security Disability, most people have to stare the fact that they cannot work in the face. It is a hard truth for a lot of people. For many, they don’t foresee being out of work permanently, and hope to eventually heal from their conditions and rejoin the workforce. A common question amongst claimants is whether this mindset knocks them out of Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income. Simply put: It does not.
When someone applies for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income, they are asserting to the US Government that they are so disabled that they cannot work for a period of not less than 12 consecutive months. Many people apply because they withstood a catastrophic injury that took 12+ months to heal, and are only seeking disability for the fixed period of time that they were out of work, because of their conditions. This is called a closed period.
Many other claimants file because they are looking for better means to get treatment that can provide more permanent fixes to their conditions and get them back to work. Many claimants feel that this is a misuse of the Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income programs. This is, in fact, one of the main reasons these programs exist: Getting claimants better so they can rejoin the economy.
If a claimant is on Social Security and wants to try to go back to work, they simply need to report their earnings to Social Security, so the necessary adjustments can be made to their benefits. Failure to do so can result in a notice of overpayment, and the claimant could owe the US Government money down the road, which is undesirable.
Furthermore, many claimants attempt to go back to work while their claim is pending, give an honest attempt for 3-6 months, and then have to quit, or be terminated, as a result of their conditions. Under Social Security Administration’s policies and procedures, this is an Unsuccessful Work Attempt, and is further evidence of a disability under Social Security’s rules.
Many claimants see the Social Security Disability and Supplement Security Income programs as a means to get back to work, so they can make their lives better. This is a major policy reason behind Social Security, and claimants with this mindset are encouraged to keep it.
