I have been on social security disability for about 3 years. I got approved the first time out, which I hear is rare for MS.

I might be forced to get a part time job to help out and wonder this...

HOW MUCH CAN I EARN WITHOUT IT EFFECTING MY SSI?

AND

DO THEY START LOOKING AT YOU WHEN YOU START WORKING PART TIME?

Thanks for helping out.

I'm not 100% sure but I think I read somewhere that it was $900 per month. You can look on the SS website and I'm sure it will have the answer. www.socialsecurity.gov

I think it's $940.00 per month. Here's a link.

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/sga.html

I've been told it's $900.00 per month and you have to send in your pay stubs for proof of what your employer is paying you. If you make over that then SSD starts deducting the overages from your monthly payments you receive from them. Hope this helps.

If you follow OldSteve's link, you'll see that he is correct regarding the 2008 limit of $940 per month. For 2009, it increases to $980 per month.

You may wish to look into the Ticket to Work program. SSDI beneficiaries will receive a “Ticket” they can use to obtain employment services from a state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency or another approved provider of their choice. For Ticket to Work information, contact them at 1-866-YOURTICKET (1-866-968-7842). You can also find current information about the Ticket to Work Program at "http://www.ssa.gov/work/Ticket/ticket_info.htm".

My understanding is that they will not initiate a medical review on your claim if you are working with the Ticket to Work program. But, I don't know about a work review, and how that might apply. Some people have recommended not getting too close to the $940 income limit.

I spoke with our county's Voc Rehab counselor last month, and she said her schedule was busy until mid-December, so she plans to call me back to set up an appointment. So, I don't know a whole lot about it yet.

~ Faith

You have been given bits and pieces of correct and incorrect answers. Even your question is incorrect. The Social Security Administration administers TWO, (2!!!) separate and distinct disability programs with TWO (2!!) separate and distinct rules regarding work activity. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). One based on paying into the Social Security system enough years and the other based on being needy. One is welfare. One is not.

Your question asks about Social Security Disability in the first paragraph and Supplemental Security Income in the third paragraph. The answers you have been given are partially correct and partially incorrect. Therefore, reliance on the answers you've been given is a dangerous course of action.

Go to ssa.gov and read the entire Red Book. Take notes. It should answer all your questions. But first, figure out what program is sending you checks every month. Your award notices should give you a clue. One will have a title Supplemental Security Income and the other Social Security Disability, Retirement and Survivor's benefits.

I heard that any work under the ticket to work triggers a medical review. I believe it is more focused on what you can do for work and how much you can work. When we got approved, it was because SS accepted our doctors word that we were/are totally disabled. SSDI wants to know what changed that you can now work part time. Has you condition improved ?

Short term, I think it's just that you can't make over the $980/month. Long term, I think it becomes more of an issue of.....if you can work 20 hours a week every week (say at $10/hr, so $200/week, $800/month), I believe they can then say "you are not totally disabled, so you are off SSDI" If someone else made $100/hour doing intermittent consult work for a total of 9 hours a month for $900/month......but found they were too weak to continue to do that and couldn't work at all the next month...they would be allowed to stay on SSDI.

To be clear...........these are NOT facts. This is just the impression that I have of how it works....compiled from what I have read, stories I've heard, tidbits from my lawyer, etc



Did you have a lawyer when you applied ? If so, I would call and ask for guidance.

Obviously, if you can work a lot of hours, you (or anyone) shouldn't be fraudulently collecting SSDI. But.....if you are going to really push it for a short spell because of severe financial need, I just caution you to make sure that you get the correct information first. I'd hate to see you do something to jeopordize your benefits AND trigger an MS flare, landing you in a bigger financial mess

Hi Earl, just found this on the SSDI website:

"We have special rules called "work incentives" that help you keep your cash benefits and Medicare while you test your ability to work. For example, there is a trial work period during which you can receive full benefits regardless of how much you earn, as long as you report your work activity and continue to have a disabling impairment.

The trial work period continues until you accumulate nine months (not necessarily consecutive) in which you perform what we call "services" within a rolling 60-month period. We consider your work to be "services" if you earn more than $700 a month in 2009. For 2008, this amount was $670.

After the trial work period ends, your benefits will stop for months your earnings are at a level we consider "substantial," currently $980 in 2009. For 2008, this amount was $940. Different amounts apply to people who are disabled because of blindness. The monthly substantial amount for statutorily blind individuals for 2009 is $1,640; for 2008 this amount was $1,570.

For an additional 36 months after completing the trial work period, we can start your benefits again if your earnings fall below the "substantial" level and you continue to have a disabling impairment. For more information about work incentives, we recommend that you read the leaflet, Working While Disabled-How We Can Help (SSA Publication Number 05-10095)."