Working While on Social Security Disability- Is This Allowed?
No one wants to get disabled at work but when it happens, remember that help is always available through the benefits provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Today, the agency offers assistance and help to disabled individuals, provided certain rules and conditions have been met. Once these rules have been met, the disability payment and assistance is released to the individual, often after five months of reporting the disability. The benefit shall be validated by a notice from the agency, and also explains the amount to be received and manner in which the benefit will be given. Also, the agency shall explain the length of time a person will enjoy the benefit, often until the disability or condition has not improved. One concern or issue that is not covered by the notice is the option to work- can a recipient start working while on Social Security disability? If this is your primary concern today, keep in mind that it is inherent upon the agency to review the case periodically, and offers rules concerning work while receiving the benefits.
Working while on Social Security disability and the rules
The general principle adopted by the agency is that individuals who are receiving the benefit are not allowed to engage in a substantial gainful activity (SGA) or employment. Under the rules of the agency, one is technically doing SGA if the income per month is at least $1,180 monthly for 2018, or $1,970 if the person is blind. For someone who is concerned by working while on Social Security disability, it should be kept in mind that there are exemptions to the set rules. Pursuant to the rules, there exists a trial work period where a person can work and earn beyond the set limit without losing the benefits provided by SSA. The recipients of the benefits can test their abilities to work, and this is allowed for the next nine months. For 2018, the agency will consider any month a beneficiary has earned at least $850 for the trial month. And for those who are self-employed, the agency considers worth of more than 80 hours as a ‘trial work month’.
According to the rules, once the 9-month work trial period has been completed, within 36 months, the individual can still receive the benefits for the months where the earnings are way below the set SGA. The agency calls refers to this as its extended period of eligibility’. This means that a person who will net less than $1,180 monthly, then he can still enjoy the disability benefits provided by the agency. But if the earnings monthly has exceeded the SGA on a monthly basis, then the person can no longer enjoy the benefits as provided by the law.
Now, after undergoing the trial work period and the benefits have stopped because you earned a substantial income, the agency will still give you another five years to reinstate the benefits. This can be done if work has been stopped because of the disability. During this time period, the agency will not require the filing of another application.
