Q: I am 28 years of age and currently work and collect SSDI due to my medical disability. I am looking into starting...
I am 28 years of age and currently work and collect SSDI due to my medical disability. I am looking into starting an online shirt business with print on demand. Due to my medical condition I have trouble holding a job. Would this effect my ssdi and my medicare benefits? Would I immediately lose my benefits if I do? I can not afford to lose these benefits. I live in nj hope that helps.
Thank you
Brandon
A:
You can do a limited amount of work and still get SSDI benefits and medicare.
Social Security Administration encourages work activity and there are special program rules and work incentives that help you try to return to work while still receiving monthly disability payments. Read the SSA publication Working While Disabled at https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf for more information. Be aware that there are specific rules for self-employment.
You need to let Social Security know when you begin and if you stop working. If you try to work but have to stop working because of your disability, SSA generally considers it an unsuccessful work attempt. However, if you are able to do substantial gainful work activity over the course of time, you could be found to be not disabled. While you are involved in work incentives, you receive your benefits.Two important work incentives under SSDI are:
Trial Work Period (TWP) – During the TWP, you can work and still keep your full monthly SSDI check. The TWP lasts for 9 months in a 60-month timeframe.
Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) – After the TWP, there is an EPE during which you can receive your full SSDI check for any month on which you were not able to earn substantial gainful activity. The EPE lasts for up to a 36-month timeframe.
For more information about work incentives and other work options, see http://www.ssa.gov/redbook and https://choosework.ssa.gov. You may also want to consult a disability lawyer before you start working. Good luck to you.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
