What will happen to my SSDI benefits if I go back to work?
It is a common misconception that those who receive Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits are lazy and don’t want to work. This is far from true. In fact, SSDI only provides a small monthly cash benefit which is hardly enough for one person to live on without any other income. For this reason, and many others, a large number of SSDI recipients want to get back into the workforce. But, many of these people are confused about what will happen to their benefits if they decide to re-enter the workforce. Here is how it works.
As long as a person has not already worked while collecting SSDI benefits, he or she is entitled to these benefits for a 12-month period after returning to work. The period is 12-months because the person is entitled to a 9-month trial work period followed by a 3-month grace period. It does not matter how much the person earns during this 12-month period. After the 12-months is up, if the person continues to work and earns over a certain amount per month (currently $1,330), his or her benefits are suspended. The person is still considered eligible for benefits during this extended period of eligibility, but benefits are determined on a month-by-month basis. Therefore, if the person earns less than $1,330 in a month, he or she will be provided with benefits for that month.
Many SSDI recipients are also worried about their eligibility for Medicare after returning to work. Medicare benefits are provided after the age of 65. If the person is younger than 65 and he or she was once eligible for these benefits, he or she will remain eligible for 7 years after returning to work.
If you have become disabled but are considering retuning to work, you need an experienced disability attorney by your side.At the Fresno, CA offices of Peña & Bromberg we regularly assist our clients in demystifying the SSDI process.
