How Much Can I Earn While Drawing Disability

It'south not like shooting fish in a barrel to get approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits—peculiarly if you are not working with a Tampa Social Security inability chaser. In fact, over two-thirds of initial applications for SSDI benefits are denied. Even if you are approved for benefits, this does not mean that you will proceed to receive benefits forever. Your benefits may finish for a number of reasons, including how much coin you earn every month. If you earn too much coin, yous will no longer qualify for SSDI benefits.

Are you allowed to piece of work if you lot are canonical for SSDI benefits? How much money can you earn per calendar month if you lot have already been approved for SSDI benefits? Here'due south everything you demand to know:

What is Substantial Gainful Action (SGA)?

The SSA will merely approve your application for SSDI benefits if information technology is adamant that your disability prevents you from engaging in what is called "substantial gainful activeness," or SGA. The SSA defines SGA as any type of work that brings in a sure amount of coin every calendar month.

This monthly income limit is adjusted annually. In 2020, it is $1,260 for non-bullheaded disabled applicants and $2,110 for blind applicants. This means if you lot are a non-blind disabled private, you volition not qualify for SSDI benefits if you earn more than $1,260 from work per month.

It'south important to note that the SSA volition only look at how much you earn from working, not from other sources of income. For example, the SSA volition not count money earned from investments or involvement toward your monthly income. The SSA will too not await at how much your spouse earns per calendar month when determining your eligibility for SSDI benefits.

What Happens If Yous Engage in SGA While Receiving SSDI Benefits?

If you lot are approved for SSDI benefits, you are required to notify the SSA of whatever changes to your employment. This includes:

Starting or stopping work
Pay changes
Hour changes
Duty changes

Why does the SSA need to know this employment data? If you showtime working after existence approved for SSDI benefits, yous may no longer be eligible if you earn more than than $1,260 per calendar month from your work. This is considering the SSA would no longer consider you disabled since you are performing enough work to earn more than than the SGA monthly limit, which is $one,260.

If you return to piece of work and earn less than $1,260 per month, the SSA would not consider your work to be SGA. Therefore, you would non lose your benefits every bit a result of your decision to return to work.

What is the Trial Work Period?

There is one exception to the SGA monthly income limit rule: the trial piece of work period. If y'all are currently receiving SSDI benefits, the SSA gives y'all an opportunity to test your ability to work during a trial work period that lasts for a period of at least ix months.

If you lot participate in the trial work catamenia, you will continue to receive the full amount of SSDI benefits regardless of how much yous are earning from work. There is no limit on the amount of money you lot are able to earn during this menstruum—yous will not lose your benefits.

The trial work period volition end once you have earned more $910 per month for nine months in a 60-month period. If you are self-employed, the trial piece of work menses volition end once yous accept earned more than $910 or worked more than than 80 hours per month for nine months in a 60-month menstruation.

After your trial work period ends, you volition enter an extended period of eligibility.

What is the Extended Catamenia of Eligibility?

The extended period of eligibility is a 36-month period following your trial work period. During this time, you lot can continue to receive SSDI benefits for any month in which your earnings from work are not considered "substantial."

For example, say January is the final month of your trial work period. In Feb, you earn $i,500 from work, but in March, yous only earn $900. You would non receive SSDI benefits for February since your earnings are over the SGA monthly limit of $1,260. Nevertheless, you would receive SSDI benefits for March since your earnings are below this limit.

You won't need to reapply in order to go benefits for every calendar month yous authorize during the extended menstruum of eligibility. Every bit long as you are inside this 36-month period—and earning less than the SGA monthly limit—you will receive SSDI benefits.

What Should You Do If Y'all Are No Longer Able to Work Later Your Benefits End?

Many people who receive SSDI benefits successfully return to work, which means they will no longer qualify or need benefits. But if you cannot go along to work and your benefits accept already stopped, you need to have action right away to reinstate your SSDI benefits.

You accept five years to ask the SSA to reinstate your benefits if you cannot keep to work due to your disability. Fortunately, y'all will not be required to submit a new application or wait for months to hear whether or non y'all are canonical. However, you must make sure that y'all request an expedited reinstatement inside this 5-year flow.

Let Our SSDI Attorneys Help Y'all Obtain Benefits

The rules regarding your monthly earnings and eligibility for SSDI benefits are complex. That'due south why yous should seek legal representation if you need legal advice regarding your benefits.

Furthermore, if you are unable to work as a outcome of a disability, let our SSDI attorneys in Tampa guide you through the procedure of applying for benefits. If your application has already been denied, our team can as well assistance with the process of appealing the SSA's decision. Nosotros know what it takes to get approved. Let usa piece of work tirelessly to ensure you are awarded the benefits you demand and deserve.