The purpose of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is to provide living benefits to people who have become unable to work due to injury or disease. If someone has a qualifying Social Security disability condition and passes the review process, they will typically be able to receive funding for as long as they need it to stay alive.
However… what if someone wants to work, while receiving benefits? Or what if they find part-time or freelance work they can handle? Many believe that this is not allowed, but that’s a myth. In fact, the government encourages SSDI beneficiaries to look into doing what work they can, via the Ticket To Work program.
So let’s take a moment to debunk some other myths related to Social Security disability conditions and working while receiving benefits.
1 – Going back to work will NOT automatically trigger a medical review.
When someone receives SSDI benefits, they will need to periodically demonstrate that they still qualify for the program, through a medical review. This can discourage people from seeking work, fearing that a medical review would take away their benefits. However, if someone is using the Ticket To Work system, that does not automatically trigger a review.
If someone is part of the Ticket To Work program and following its rules and regulations, they won’t receive extra medical reviews.
2 – Going back to work will NOT endanger your Medicare or Medicaid by itself.
When someone is receiving SSDI benefits, they typically automatically receive Medicare or Medicaid health benefits as well, to help with their treatments. This is true as long as they receive any SSDI benefits at all, regardless of amount.
Further, even if the person successfully returns to work and begins making enough money that they no longer qualify for SSDI, that still won’t cause their health insurance to go away. Medicare can continue for up to 93 months after that point, depending on the amount of money being made.
Either way, you will have plenty of time to find alternative health coverage if you stop receiving SSDI benefits due to increased work.
3 – Going back to work, then having to stop again, does NOT necessarily mean reapplying for benefits.
So what if you attempt to go back to work, but find that your disability is still too severe to allow full-time work? Many fear that this means re-applying for SSDI from the beginning, but that’s not the case. If you have received SSDI within the last five years for the same condition, you should qualify for an Expedited Reinstatement which makes it much easier to start receiving SSDI benefits again.
Do you have any other questions about Social Security Disability conditions or qualifications, or need help navigating the SSDI system? Merryl Jones, the Second Chance Lawyer, is here to help people in the Waco area! Contact us for a free case evaluation.
