While Social Security Disability(SSD) benefits can be a vital lifeline for disabled workers, often SSDI payments do not provide enough income for these workers to live on. As a result, it can be very important for SSDI beneficiaries to supplement their incomes either collecting other benefits they are entitled to or working a little if possible.
Income
Though the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides benefits to workers who are unable to perform their jobs due to a disability, the SSA recognizes that some SSDI beneficiaries, while hindered by their disabilities, are still able to do some work.
Due to this understanding, the SSA permits its SSDI beneficiaries to earn up to $1,090 a month. This amount is what the SSA considers to be its substantial gainful activity level. A beneficiary may earn income up to this amount each month, but if he or she earns more than this then the SSA may change its mind about whether the beneficiary is disabled.
Other Social Security benefits
While a SSDI beneficiary may be eligible for more than one Social Security benefit at a time, he or she is not allowed to collect both. For example, a SSDI beneficiary may be eligible for SSDI benefits as well as early retirement payments. In this scenario, the disabled worker may receive the higher of the two benefit amounts, but not both of the payments.
However, it is important to note a significant difference with Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI is a program that ensures that elderly, blind, and disabled people receive a minimum income each month. SSI benefits are not considered to be “other Social Security benefits” when making the determination of what additional benefits a SSDI beneficiary can receive. Thus SSDI beneficiaries can receive SSI benefits in addition to their SSDI benefits.
Benefits from the state
SSDI beneficiaries who qualify for other state benefits are permitted to receive the other state benefits at the same time as they receive SSDI benefits. For example, SSDI beneficiaries who also qualify for food stamps are permitted to receive those SNAP benefits while also collecting their SSDI benefits.
Medicare
Once SSDI beneficiaries have been entitled to disability benefits for 24 months, they become eligible for Medicare coverage even if they are not old enough for Medicare under its regular rules. This gives SSDI beneficiaries the ability to receive hospitalization coverage and medical insurance after paying a deductible.
Other disability benefits
SSDI beneficiaries are permitted to receive other disability payments at the same time that they receive SSDI benefits. These other disability benefits can include: private disability payments from insurance coverage, disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and workers’ compensation benefits.
If a SSDI beneficiary is also collecting workers’ compensation benefits there is one restriction. In this scenario, the total of the disability beneficiary’s workers’ compensation benefits cannot exceed 80 percent of the worker’s average wages before he or she became disabled. If they exceed this level, the beneficiary’s SSDI benefits will be reduced to meet the SSA’s 80 percent standard.
Do you have questions about SSDI benefits and eligibility? Consider getting a free case evaluation from the Law Office of Neil H. Good. Apply online or call #(847) 577-4476.
