Do you work?

[angieskidney]

I just hated the worker I turned into.  Tired, no ambition, missing days.......... I wanted out.  I received disability retirement and that is about 40% of my salary.  I feel much better not having to go to a job.  When I can't sleep (like now) I don't worry because I can sleep in.

I want that.. and am working toward it....
I currently work part time. which is pretty damn close to full time.. 32 hours a week.. my province has no real disability assistance.. well, they do, but the form is about an inch thick and if you have one thing they don't like, you don't get it.. so I never really bothered... I'm working on the federal disability pension... you need to pay into Canada Pensions for 5 years before you qualify.. I've got another year and a half... hope my eyesight don't fail before that... I'm hoping to get a kidney soon too.. almost 2 and a half years for me now... I can't wait.. will have an automatic 3 month vacation and be able to eat chocolate again.. *L*

Ya I have barely been able to contribute and it will be years! I am glad I was accepted for O.D.S.P. (Ontario)

What province do you live in?

I found it is easier to fill out the forms with the dialysis unit's social worker Let them do it for ya 

[Zach]

Here in the States, I believe you can be on disability and still earn up to $700.00 a month doing part time work.
Can anyone verify that?

[goofynina]

I just got a letter not too long ago from Disability stating that i can earn no more than $9,000.00 per year, at least i think it was that much 

[jedimaster]

I do. I work Monday to Friday 6.5 hours a day during the day. Two days a week I go and teach at night...which I love. My issue is that my life is now: wake up, go to work, dialyze, go to sleep, wake up, go to work....etc....I have no life!

I guess that's why I want to do nocturnal....hope I can.

[Russ]

I just got a letter not too long ago from Disability stating that i can earn no more than $9,000.00 per year, at least i think it was that much 

Wow, is that true?   I never new you could work at all on SSD.  $9000.00 extra income would really help my family.  I don't feel well enough to work now but hope that will change once I start daily NxStage treatments in December.

[Sara]

I just got a letter not too long ago from Disability stating that i can earn no more than $9,000.00 per year, at least i think it was that much 

Wow, is that true?   I never new you could work at all on SSD.  $9000.00 extra income would really help my family.  I don't feel well enough to work now but hope that will change once I start daily NxStage treatments in December.

Don't quote me on this, but I think any income you earn will be basically subtracted from what you would get from disability.  I don't think they let you have both. 

[goofynina]

The way i understand it is that anything you earn above the amount allowed from them will be deducted but if you earn under the amount allowed then nothing would be deducted.  I will look for my paperwork to clarify that but that is what i have been told as well.  If you have questions regarding this i think your Social Worker can also help you out with finding info as well.   

[stauffenberg]

The data on dialysis population employment are restricted to those in the working age group, i.e., those under 65, of whom only 30% actually do work.  An otherwise healthy individual whose hemoglobin value suddenly dropped from a normal of 140 to the typical dialysis patient level of 110 might well be told to stay in bed until his levels came up, so the anemia of renal patients ALONE is a sufficiently serious problem to prevent work.  When you count the time lost on dialysis (for me it was about 21 hours a week on in-center hemodialysis, counting travel time, waiting time, and treatment time), the time for all the additional medical appointments that go with being a dialysis patient, the time and energy lost from nausea, vomiting, post-treatment hypotension, too much fluid being left on and too much being taken off, together with the anemia, then it is a wonder anyone can work.  If even the insanely ungenerous American social security system is willing to classify dialysis patients as unable to work, then you know working on dialysis is an unusual achievement.

[BigSky]

It is really hard to get info from SS on this stuff and they have some really goofy rules to it.  From my understanding of the work rule program.

With SSDI one can work.  However there is a thing called a trial work period.   The trial period lasts for 9 months plus a 3 month grace period.  These months do not have to be consecutive months either, they can be spaced out.

A trial work month is a month in which you make $200 or more a month before taxes.

During those 9 months you can make as much as you want and Social Security will not deduct it from your check nor will they not send you a check either.

But....

During that time they do a continuing disability review. (This is the same type of review they do from time to time on disability patients to make sure they are disabled.) They do this review to see if you are still disabled according to Social Security guidelines and is based on your medical history.  They are not suppose to use any income you make in this determination, only your medical history.  They determine if you have enough medical improvement to no longer qualify for SSDI by their guidelines.

If they say (Social Security) you are no longer disabled in that review your checks stop.  If you are still considered disabled, but make less than $700 a month before any taxes are taken out you still can collect your SSDI check from them.  However if you make over that $700 limit they will stop the SSDI payments. 

I imagine if you are working they will probably try to do a review every year or so just to see if you are medically improved or not so they can quit sending out a check.

So barring any state rules one could possibly make $699.99 a month without getting booted from SSDI so as long as they were still considered medically disabled by the Social Security review.

Also this does not take into account any other programs that one may be on.  ESRD programs and medicaid programs and what ever other state programs may limit what one can earn or boot the person entirely off the program if they are working at all.

Such as this state here limits people incomes for programs like medicaid.  They set the limit at $545.  Meaning that if your SSDI check or any income is over $545 a month and you need medicaid, you must pay whatever the excess is over 545  to the state in order to get medicaid.

[Zach]

The data on dialysis population employment are restricted to those in the working age group, i.e., those under 65, of whom only 30% actually do work.

You always have the most positive and uplifting information.  Could you please site your source of this data on dialysis population employment?

Many thanks.

[tubes]

When I called Social Security back in July.  I was told about the 9 month trial period.  I was told I could make as much money as I wanted.  After the trial period I can't make more then $840 a month.  If I did I would lose all benefits.
Sorry, thats all the info I cared to remember from that call. 

[angieskidney]

After the trial period I can't make more then $840 a month.  If I did I would lose all benefits.

I am very worried that my work's new contract signing bonus that I will be getting with get me kicked off my provincial disability I will get over $1000 Canadian and I only get $600/mth from Disability ....

But this grand is a ONE time thing!

[BigSky]

When I called Social Security back in July.  I was told about the 9 month trial period.  I was told I could make as much money as I wanted.  After the trial period I can't make more then $840 a month.  If I did I would lose all benefits.
Sorry, thats all the info I cared to remember from that call. 

Seems SS changes things all the time.  The $700 amount was for 2000. 

If a adult who becomes disabled before the age of 22 they can collect off their parents benefit statement if the parent is deceased at that time or if the parent is alive and collecting retirement or disability.

From what they say a person can earn up to $860 a month in 2006 and $900 a month in 2007. 

As to the trial work period that amount has changed also.  Now a trial work period month is considered a month when one makes over
$620 a month for 2006 and it goes up to $640 a  month for 2007.

Again you are given 9 months of this and again they do not need to be consecutive.  Only need to be 9 months in a 5 year period.  At that point when those 9 months are reached they then look at your record to determine if you are still disabled or not.

So depending on the state, one could pick up a part time job and just stay under those limits so as not to trigger a trial work months and keep from being hassled by SS over the matter.

[Russ]

When I called Social Security back in July.  I was told about the 9 month trial period.  I was told I could make as much money as I wanted.  After the trial period I can't make more then $840 a month.  If I did I would lose all benefits.
Sorry, thats all the info I cared to remember from that call. 

Seems SS changes things all the time.  The $700 amount was for 2000. 

If a adult who becomes disabled before the age of 22 they can collect off their parents benefit statement if the parent is deceased at that time or if the parent is alive and collecting retirement or disability.

From what they say a person can earn up to $860 a month in 2006 and $900 a month in 2007. 

As to the trial work period that amount has changed also.  Now a trial work period month is considered a month when one makes over
$620 a month for 2006 and it goes up to $640 a  month for 2007.

Again you are given 9 months of this and again they do not need to be consecutive.  Only need to be 9 months in a 5 year period.  At that point when those 9 months are reached they then look at your record to determine if you are still disabled or not.

So depending on the state, one could pick up a part time job and just stay under those limits so as not to trigger a trial work months and keep from being hassled by SS over the matter.

Wouldn't SS simply deduce that if you're working you're not disabled?



EDITED:  Fixed quote tag - Goofynina/Moderator Epoman, Owner/Admin 

[angieskidney]

is this part what Russ said?

Wouldn't SS simply deduce that if you're working you're not disabled?

[Russ]

Yep.

[BigSky]

Wouldn't SS simply deduce that if you're working you're not disabled?

One would think so but evidently not according to SS.

It is only after one shows they are gainfully employed that the benefits can end.  It is after the trial work period is completed that the review determines if one is still considered disabled or not.  If one is no longer considered disabled by this review they still have a 36 month window where they can collect some SS if one is not making substantial earnings, which are $860 a month.  Also after one is no longer considered disabled because of making substantial earnings there is a 60 month window from that point that if one feels they can no longer work because of their medical condition you may ask SS to start your benefits immediately without having to file a new SS application for disability.

[angieskidney]

Yep.

Ah Goofynina has to refix it then lol Or you can fix it yourself heheh .. Just put that part after the quote codes

Wouldn't SS simply deduce that if you're working you're not disabled?

One would think so but evidently not according to SS.

I know in Canada where I have Ontario Disability Support Program (I think that is what ODSP stands for anyway...) that I can work a little bit but they subtract my earnings. You used to be able to keep up to $100 per month but now you can keep 50% (no rules). But with the signing bonus I just got, it is on the pay stub so I am worried they will now cut me off even though it was a one time thing. But maybe they will only count 50%? Who knows .. guess I will find out next month. It is not the same as the States I know .. but still ... we depend on what ever coverage and help we can get .. especially when as poor as I am. I am slowly getting back into the work force but 4 hrs/week is NOT a lot.

[Russ]

Will my SS Disability be affected if my spouse's income increases substantially?

[angela515]

I currently don't work... but it' not because i'm not physically able too. I recently moved to Iowa with my parents, and so me and my 2 children live with my parents right now. My parents decided to buy a house 26 miles from town, so if I got a job I would have to somehow get a ride 26 miles everyday in town and then back home. I dont have a car and my license is suspended right now.

IF I did have a car and my license was ok.. I still couldn't work for financial reasons. I get 1300/month in SSDI for myself and my 2 children. That's hardly enough to live on, which is why I am living with my parents right now. My kids are 4 and 5 so when they get home from school, I have to be there, they can't come home to an empty house.. they are too young. So, if I did choose to work, I would have to at least make the 1300 I get now from SSDI b/c I will lose SSDI if I work, and then I would have to make enough for a babysitter on top of the 1300, and money for gas for whoever is willing to come pick me up and bring me home 26 miles everyday, unless I wanted to call a taxi but then I would have to make enough to pay $100's of bux everyday for a taxi.

I feel like I am stuck in a hard place with no way out.

[kitkatz]

How about looking into a home based business?  There are opportunities out there where you can work from home.  Just an idea.

[angela515]

Yah, I was thinking about that... only thing i can find is stuffing envelopes.. which I think is a scam, so im not gonna do that. Plus, I would have to make at least 1300 a month b/c if I make over 500/month I lose SSDi.... 

[goofynina]

How about looking into a home based business?  There are opportunities out there where you can work from home.  Just an idea.

Angela, right now i am looking into doing a an online college course to become a Medical Transcriber, i hear you can even work from home doing this, i have an appt on Tuesday to meet with a counselor so hopefully we can get this "party started" and i can get to crackin' them books.  They even have a program that if you are on disability they can pay (or help pay) for your schooling.  Just my   

[angela515]

Congrats on that I am already enrolled in an online college.. i'm getting my degree in Medical Billing and Coding. I dont know if I can do anything from home doin that, but I hope to have my transplant by the time I graduate so i can go to work.

School is awesome... I love it, and i think its great your learning something new 

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Yes I work 35 hour week Mon to Fri. 7 hour Days.