One of the most frequent questions we receive at our disability law office is related to collecting Social Security disability benefits while working. There are specific rules in placed related to work-related income and receiving benefits that a beneficiary should be aware of and it is important to keep Social Security informed of your current work situation. In this blog we will go a bit more in-depth about a beneficiary’s responsibilities when working and receiving disability benefits.
What To Report If You Work And Receive Social Security Disability
If you receive Social Security because of a disability, you or your representative must tell Social Security right away if:
- You start or stop work;
- Your reported your work, but your duties, hours, or pay change;
- You start paying expenses for work because of your disability.
If you need to report changes to your work, you can do so by phone, mail, or in person. You can find your local office at www.socialsecurity.gov. Social Security will provide a receipt to confirm your report. Make sure to keep the receipt with all other important papers from Social Security.
If You Los Your Job
If you lost your job during a trial work period, your benefits will not be impacted. If you lost your job during the 36-month extended period of eligibility, make sure to inform Social Security because your benefits can be reinstated as long you still meet the medical disability requirements.
How Your Earnings Impact Your Benefits
During a trial work period, there are no limits on our earnings. During the 36-month extended period of eligibility, you usually can make no more than $1,170 a month or your benefits will stop. Social Security will deduct work expenses a beneficiary has, which could allow for earnings to be higher than $1,170 before they affect benefits. Work expenses may include the costs of any items or services you need to work, even if they are also useful in your daily living. Examples include co-payments for prescriptions, counseling services, transportation to and from work (under certain conditions), a personal attendant or job coach, a wheelchair, or any specialized work equipment.
What Is The Trial Work Period?
The trial work period allows beneficiaries to test their ability to work for at least 9 months. During the trial work period, a beneficiary will receive their full disability amount regardless how much is earned, as long as the beneficiary reports the work to Social Security and continues to meet the medical disability requirements. In 2017, a trial work period consists of having total earnings over $840 in any month. If you are self-employed, you have a trial work month when you earn more than $840 (after expenses) or work more than 80 hours in your own business. The trial work period continues until a beneficiary has worked 9 months within a 60-month period.
Keeping track of these rules will be important if you receive Social Security disability and working, but you should always keep up with the latest rules related to work because things can change from year-to-year.
