If you choose to work rather than depend on disability benefits, there are special rules that provide cash benefits and Medicare coverage while you enter a trial work period. These benefits are called "work incentives."

Disability Benefits, But You Wish to Return To Work?

If you are receiving disability benefits, the Social Security’s work incentives program can help. Special rules, called work incentives, make it possible for people receiving Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income to work and still receive monthly benefit payments until they can work on a regular basis.If you cannot continue working because your trial work period doesn't work out, you might be able to continue receiving payments without filing a new application.

Available Work Incentives

Work incentives that are available are a continuation of cash benefits, Medicare or Medicaid and Help with education, training and rehabilitation for a time while you work.

Work Incentives Rules

The work incentives rules are different if you are receiving disability or SSI. If you need further clarification, visit the Social Security Website or contact one of our experienced disability attorneys.

• Trial work period—The trial work period allows you to test your ability to work for at least nine months. During your trial work period you will receive your full Social Security benefits regardless of how much you are earning. The trial work period continues until you have worked nine months within a 60-month period.
  
• Extended period of eligibility—After your trial work period, you have 36 months during which you can work and still receive benefits for any month your earnings are not “substantial.” In 2004, earnings of $810 or more ($1,350 if you are blind) are considered substantial. No new application or disability decision is needed for you to receive a Social Security disability benefit during this period.
  
• Quick benefit restart—After your benefits stop because your earnings are substantial, you have five years during which you may ask us to start your benefits immediately if you find yourself unable to continue working because of your condition. You will not have to file a new disability application and you will not have to wait for your benefits to start while your medical condition is being reviewed to make sure you are still disabled.
  
• Continuation of Medicare—If your Social Security disability benefits stop because of your earnings, but you are still disabled, your free Medicare Part A coverage will continue for at least 7½ years after the nine-month trial work period. After that, you can buy Medicare Part A coverage by paying a monthly premium.
  
• Work expenses related to your disability—If you work, you may have to pay for certain items and services that people without disabilities do not pay for. For example, because of your medical condition, you may need to take a taxi to work instead of public transportation.

Your Earnings Can Impact Your Benefits

During the trial work period, there are no limits on your earnings. During the 36-month extended period of eligibility you usually can make no more than $810 a month or your benefits will stop. But, the work expenses you have as a result of your disability are deducted when we count your earnings to see if they can help you keep more of your benefits. If you have extra work expenses, your earnings could be substantially higher than $810 before they affect your benefits. This substantial earnings amount usually increases each year.

The Social Security Administration deducts work expenses related to your disability from your earnings before they determine if you are still eligible for benefits. These expenses may include the cost of any item or service you need to work, even if the item or service also is useful to you in your daily living. Examples include prescription drugs, transportation to and from work (under certain conditions), a personal attendant or job coach, a wheelchair or any specialized work equipment.

Supplemental Security Income Benefits

Supplemental Security Income Benefit payments are made to people with disabilities who have little income or resources. If you work despite your disability, you may continue to receive payments until your earnings, added with any other income, exceed the SSI income limits. This limit is different in every state. Even if your SSI payments stop, your Medicaid coverage usually will continue if your earnings are less than your state level.

• Quick benefit restart—If we stopped your payments because of your earnings and you become unable to work again because of your medical condition, you may ask us to start your payments again. You will not have to file a new disability application if you make this request within five years after the month your benefits stopped.
• Work expenses related to your disability—As with disability under Social Security, if you work, you may have to pay for certain items and services that people without disabilities do not pay for. For example, because of your medical condition, you may need to take a taxi to work, instead of public transportation. We may be able to deduct the cost of the taxi from your monthly earnings.
• Plan for achieving self-support—If you develop a plan for a work goal that will help you leave the SSI rolls, any money you use for this purpose will not be counted when we figure out how your current income and resources affect your payment amount. For more information, ask for our publication, Working While Disabled—A Guide To Plans For Achieving Self-Support (Publication No. 05-11017).
  

Your Earnings Impact Your Supplemental Security Income Benefits

The amount of your SSI payments is based on how much other income you have. When your other income goes up, your SSI payments usually go down. So when you earn more than the SSI limit, your payments will stop for those months. But, your payments will automatically start again for any month your income drops to less than the SSI limits. Just tell us if your earnings are reduced, or if you stop working.

How Long Does Medicaid Coverage Continue After You Return to Work?

In general, your Medicaid coverage will continue, even after your SSI payments stop, until your income reaches a certain level. That level varies with each state and reflects the cost of health care in your state. However, if your health care costs are higher than this level, you can have more income and keep your Medicaid. In most states, for your Medicaid to continue, you must:

• Need it in order to work;
• Be unable to afford similar medical coverage without SSI;
• Continue to have a disabling condition; and
• Meet all other SSI eligibility requirements.

 

A "Ticket to Work"

With the Ticket to Work program, the Social Security Administration sends you a “ticket” you can use to obtain vocational rehabilitation, training, job referrals and other employment support services free of charge. You will not need to undergo medical reviews while you are using the ticket.

You can get more information on the Ticket to Work program by calling Maximus, Inc., the ticket program manager, at 1-866-968-7842 toll-free (TTY 1-866-833-2967). Or you can call the Social Security toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY number 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the publication, Your Ticket To Work (Publication No. 05-10061).

Social Security Disability Law Firm

Our Law Firm is experienced in the process of applying for Social Security Disability Benefits. We will help you navigate the difficult journey of getting the benefits you deserve.

Our lawyers can help you with denied claims, and more importantly, help you meet all the qualification guidelines so we can prove the extent of your diability to the Social Security Administration before your application is denied. We can help you throughout the entire disability benefits application process.

Help for Denied Disability Benefits

If your claim for Social Security Disability Benefits is denied, our lawyers will present your case at the hearings, providing a strong defense in an effort to reverse a denied claim.

Contact The Rasansky Law Firm for help with your Disability Benefits application or to fight a denied claim.