Can I Work and Still Get Disability Benefits?

This can be a complicated question, as are most questions regarding the subject of Social Security disability. Can you work and still get disability benefits? The answer is possibly. It is possible, but it depends on the amount of money you make and when you are doing it.

The national limit, or SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity), in 2007 has been $900 gross income (for the non-blind--see your SSA for details). That means before taxes are taken out, an applicant or recipient of disability cannot earn more than $900 or the case will be denied (or benefits will be discontinued). The SGA goes up each year, so in 2008 the SGA will be $940/mo.

This is very strictly enforced. If you are applying for Social Security disability and need to work to get by, be sure not to accept work shifts that will put you over this limit, or your case will be denied. It is that simple. If you are receiving disability benefits already and still need to work to get by, the same applies. It is always sad to hear of applicants who earned just a little too much one month and got cut off from their benefits. It is very difficult to get those benefits back. One example is a man who worked and received just a few dollars over the limit, but did it over a period of months. He didn't hear from Social Security, so he thought it was fine. Suddenly his benefits were discontinued, and he got a letter demanding that he repay the past eight months of disability pay because he had gone over the SGA limit. Don't risk it.

However, that does mean that you CAN work up to the SGA limit. Many individuals do it, if not to supplement their benefits and to help support the family, to contribute to society and feel needed. Even those deemed "disabled" by the government need to feel that they are of worth to their community. Just be sure to do it without risking that which you have waited for, for so long. For more information, or to apply for disability, contact an experienced disability law center. Best of luck.

Becca has been involved in the Social Security world since 1995 and enjoys watching the program change peoples' lives.

Source: www.isnare.com