Temple Hills, MD asked in Workers' Compensation and Social Security for Maryland

Q: Can you invest in stocks while collecting workers compensation and SSDI? I know they send a 1099 at the end of the year.

Does this count towards substantial gainful employment? I want to invest my money but I don't want it to be counted against me. I am also collecting SSDI and I don't want to lose my benefits.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: No. Investment income is "unearned income" and there is no limit on the amount of unearned income you can generate for yourself. SSDI and workers' compensation benefits are only affected by actual employment/work income. Self-trading your own investments is not considered employment.

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