The Social Security Administration can help provide financial support to people in Las Vegas who become disabled through an accident or a health condition and are unable to support themselves. However, what many people may not realize is that it is possible for people to collect Social Security Disability benefits and still work.
Special rules
The SSA has a substantial gainful activity limit that allows people on disability to collect benefits if they make under a certain amount each month. This year, people who are blind can earn no more than $1,800 while other disabled people have a limit of $1,070. The SSA, however, must first make an evaluation of whether the work the person is doing is worth the amount they are receiving. If the SSA determines that a person’s employer is paying that person more than their work is worth, due to the person’s disability, then that will affect the amount of income that can considered substantial gainful activity.
For instance, if a person is physically disabled and needs special equipment in order to work, the money paid for the equipment is taken from the monthly income. Therefore, it is possible for a disabled person to actually make more money than the limit, but the decision is based on individual factors.
Work incentives
People on disability sometimes want to see if they can still work with the condition they have. The SSA encourages disabled people in this by offering work incentives. These work incentives offer the following perks:
- Trial work period – The SSA offers disabled people the opportunity to see if they can return to work with a nine-month trial period. The nine months do not have to be worked consecutively, but they do need to be done within a 60-month period.
- Medicare Part A coverage remains – Should a person on disability decide that they are able to return to work, they still receive their Medicare insurance for 93 months after the trial work period officially ends.
- Expedited reinstatement of disability – If the person needs to return back onto disability within five years, the person can ask the SSA to reinstate their benefits without having to file a new application. Furthermore, the person will receive benefits immediately, rather than having to wait for the SSA’s review to be completed.
The SSA suspends the income limit on people receiving disability benefits if they engage in the trial work period. However, people should understand that if they do make more than the allowed amount, the higher income can have an impact on how much they receive from the SSA each month. If people have questions about the trial work period incentives, they should contact an experienced disability attorney.
