Disability and working question????

[KidneySinger]

Was wondering if anyone knows if you can continue to work and collect disability in certain circumstances.
I will be starting dialysis soon and want to do nocturnal.  My wife faints at the sight of blood so can I work in order to pay a caretaker and collect disability at the same time?
Thanks!

[jbeany]

Yes, although if I remember correctly, there's some fuzzy logic (oooh, there's  a shock from the government) that you have to quit work completely for so many months (6?) in order to get disability.  Then, once you are on it, they start sending you all kinds of things related to "Ticket to Work" that will let you earn an amount below what you make in disability without losing your full check.  You can't just drop to part time work and start collecting it.

You have to calculate it very, very carefully, though.  One of my friends is still working after her heart transplant, but the cancer drugs she had to take for the cancer she got while on immunosuppresants caused kidney failure.  She's about to start dialysis, and she just had some scrambled mess where they tried to stop her disability.  Because of the way the calender days landed, she had one month where she officially got 5 paychecks - and it was just a little too much money for their monthly totals, so they told her they were stopping it all.  She had to fight them for months to convince them she was still disabled, even if she was working part time.

[jeannea]

I believe you cannot earn more than $900/month and still collect your Social Security disability. If you have private disability, forget it. If you earn anything they'll tell you to work full time.

[jbeany]

Since I'm applying for jobs, I suppose I should look this up, huh?  If I work somewhere part time to get some experience, I should probably find out what it's going to do to my disability and medicare....

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/workincentives.htm

[jbeany]

Stuff from the website...all these have links to more details.  http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/detailedinfo.htm#SASC


Trial Work Period

SSDI -- The trial work period allows you to test your ability to work for at least 9 months. During your trial work period, you will receive your full disability benefit regardless of how much you earn as long as your work activity has been reported and you continue to have a disabling impairment. The 9 months does not need to be consecutive and your trial work period will last until you accumulate 9 months within a rolling 60-month period. Certain other rules apply.

Extended Period of Eligibility

SSDI -- If your disability benefits stop after successfully completing the trial work period because you worked at the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level, we can automatically reinstate your benefits without a new application for any months in which your earnings drop below the SGA level. This reinstatement period lasts for 36 consecutive months following the end of the trial work period. You must continue to have a disabling impairment in addition to having earnings below the SGA level for that month.

Continuation of Medicare Coverage

SSDI- Most persons with disabilities who work will continue to receive at least 93 consecutive months of Hospital (Part A); Supplemental Medical Insurance (Part B), if enrolled; and Prescription Drug coverage (Part D), if enrolled, after the 9-month Trial Work Period. You do not pay a premium for Part A. Although cash benefits may cease due to work, you have the assurance of continued health insurance. (93 months is 7 years and 9 months.)

Medicare for People with Disabilities Who Work

SSDI- After premium-free Medicare coverage ends due to work, some persons who have returned to work may buy continued Medicare coverage, as long as they remain medically disabled. Some persons with low incomes and limited resources may be eligible for state assistance with these costs under various Medicare Savings Programs. Your state Health and Human Services agency makes the determination about whether you qualify for this help.

Earned Income Exclusion

SSI- We do not count the first $65 of the earnings you receive in a month, plus one-half of the remaining earnings. This means that we count less than one-half of your earnings when we figure your SSI payment amount.  We apply this exclusion in addition to the $20 general income exclusion. The $20 general income exclusion is first applied to any unearned income that you may receive.

Geez, I should be printing this stuff out.  It looks to me like I can get a full paycheck and my benefits for 9 months, and my insurance for 7 years, or until they remember to review me and one of my docs decides my guts are stable and not going to fall out again.  Personally, I'd be happy with long enough to get on my employer's benefits program.  I want to considered healthy enough to get off this crap!

[KidneySinger]

I'm sure I read somewhere that if you pay for medical expenses, such as a kidney tech, with ALL of the money you earn - that it would not count towards a salary?  Maybe I am wrong but I thought for sure I read it somewhere??? Thus - if I earn $3,000 per month and pay the tech $3,000 per month, it was as if I was not making anything?
Thanks again

[jbeany]

Maybe you are thinking of this?

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)

SSDI & SSI -- We deduct the cost of certain impairment-related expenses that you need in order to work from your earnings when we decide if you are performing substantial work. Examples of impairment-related expenses are things such as a wheelchairs, certain transportation costs and specialized work-related equipment.

SSI -- We also exclude IRWE from your earned income when we figure your monthly SSI payment amount.

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If you can convince them that you need the tech in order to work, maybe.  You'd have to call SSD and research it.

[KidneySinger]

Ah, yes...thank you.  Hopeing to hear from someone that does this.  Thanks again!

[kporter85db]

Was wondering if anyone knows if you can continue to work and collect disability in certain circumstances.
I will be starting dialysis soon and want to do nocturnal.  My wife faints at the sight of blood so can I work in order to pay a caretaker and collect disability at the same time?
Thanks!

If you are able to continue to work, you are not disabled.

[jbeany]

If you are able to continue to work, you are not disabled.

It's called SGA - substantial gainful activity.  If you are working, but not making enough to come close to supporting yourself, then yes, you can work and be disabled.  An extra $100 or $200 here and there from some part-time, non-stress job a day or two a week makes a huge difference in a $700 SSDI per month budget, it's hardly going to support you. 

[Lexxtech18]

When I was on SSDI, I was still working PRN. I had to send in all my paycheck stubbs each months and for every $2 I made, the took off $1 of SSI money. If I went over I didn't get a check and they threatened to take my Medicaid. That's all I remember. It was a constant hassle.