Disability Question??

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Allisa35

Member
First, I just want to say thank you to Julie who has been very helpful in answering my emails. I have a question that maybe someone else in the forum might be able to help me with. I am seriously thinking of applying for disability. My dilemma is that I am currently working, but only part-time (15 hours per week). I quit my full-time job back in 2003 due to the fact that it was impacting my health. I took a few months off from working at all. Then later that same year, I found this job that I am at now. I have been there 3 years (in October). I don't think I can work full-time again without it impacting my health.

Does anybody know if you can get or apply for disability if you are still working? I know that you can work once you are on disability with a limited amount of income per month. I like my job and don't want to quit, but I know that I can't work full time.
 
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Landy

New member
I had a story similiar to yours. I had worked full time years ago, quit and then years later went back to work part time.
When I applied for SSDI I was still working part time & continued to until I was approved (I didn't make over their 'limit' during this time).
What happened in my case was....I didn't have enough job credits from working part time (although you may) so I had to obtain medical records (PFT's, history from doctor, sputum culture's, etc) from shortly after I quit full time & according to these records, I was disabled under SSDI guidelines so I told SSDI that, although disabled technically, I did not realize that I could file back then because I think people have this idea that unless you're in a wheelchair or something, then you're not disabled. At least that was my way of thinking, so filing for SSDI was never something I even thought of until my social worker mentioned it.
So....a long answer to your question: Yes, you can be working part time when you apply.
 
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Giggles

New member
Yes you can be working part time. They have a definition as substantial gainful activity and as long as your are not doing that ( which is typically making over $860 a month) then your are okay. Go to the SSA.Gov website and that will answer a ton of questions for you.


Jennifer 34 years old with CF and CFRD
 
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Allisa35

Member
Thanks for the tips. I've been going back and forth with this disability issue since I quit my job back in 2003. I just can't seem to take that final step. I've thought about it before and pretty much had myself talked into it and then back out saying I probably don't qualify so why bother. But, I think this time I am going to go ahead and pursue it. Hope it works out!!
 
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Allisa35

Member
P.S. I also wanted to thank Lindsey who had answered some questions for me prior to me posting this question. Thanks all!!
 
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julie

New member
Allisa,

Here is some info from the SSA website, pretty much interiates what others have previously mentioned, and some of the specifics that Giggles touched on.

<i>We have special rules called "work incentives" that help you keep your cash benefits and Medicare while you test your ability to work. For example, there is a trial work period during which you can receive full benefits regardless of how much you earn, as long as you report your work activity and continue to have a disabling impairment.

The trial work period continues until you accumulate nine months (not necessarily consecutive) in which you perform what we call "services" within a rolling 60-month period. <b>We consider your work to be "services" if you earn more than $620 a month in 2006</b>. For 2005, this amount was $590. <b>After the trial work period ends, your benefits will stop for months your earnings are at a level we consider "substantial," currently $860 in 2006.</b> For 2005, this amount was $830. Different amounts apply to people who are disabled because of blindness.

For an additional 36 months after completing the trial work period, we can start your benefits again if your earnings fall below the "substantial" level and you continue to have a disabling impairment. For more information about work incentives, we recommend that you read the leaflet, Working While Disabled-How We Can Help (SSA Publication Number 05-10095).</i> Here's the link <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=317
">http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cg...d_adp.php?p_faqid=317
</a>
They word it tricky so if you have trouble getting what they mean, let me know. Lynda and I spent and entire day getting down to the nitty gritty of it a few weeks ago. Good luck and I think you should apply!
 
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Allisa35

Member
Thanks for the link Julie. I've been trying to read what I can on the website, but I haven't had much time the last couple of days. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to look at it some more. If things start getting too complicated and I think I'm going to start pulling my hair out (lol) , I'll certainly email you. Thanks again for all your help!!
 
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littledebbie

New member
So in what I'm reading on the SSA site and here (I'm
trying to figure this out too...yeah*sarcasm*) would I be correct
in saying that if you make more that $620 you need to report it to
them but they are not going to stop your benefits unless you hit
$860?<br>
<br>
So I could safely earn say $750 as long as I reported it?
 
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Allisa35

Member
If I'm understanding it right, the trial work period (of 9 months of working while receiving benefits) would be if you are making more than $620 or more a month. The $860 is the limit of "substantial" income that you can earn per month and still receive benefits (after the trial work period). Don't know if that's right or now. It's a bit complicated to me.
 
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julie

New member
Debbie, you've got the right idea. After 9 months of earning $750.00 (although in that 9 month period you could earn more without it affecting your benefits) you would be out of the trial work period. Then you would just need to make sure you earn below the "substantial level" every month to keep your benefits.

You've got the right idea to Allisa. I'll just re-write how I best came to understand it here, along with 1 question that is still unanswered and I am awaiting an answer for it.

For every month that you earn OVER $620 a month, they count that month as a "trial work period". So say over a 15 month period, you finally accumulate 9 months where you earn over $620 each month. Then you are out of the "trial work period" and can no longer earn an unlimited amount of money and STILL get your disability benefits (i.e. in this 9 month trial period you could earn $4000.00 a month+++ and you would STILL get your benefits).

After this 9 month trial period, you can earn up to $860 (this changes every year though) every month and your benefits will not be stopped. If you earn over $860 in a month, they will discontinue the disability benefits, but can re-start them if your income falls below that $860 in any given month.

Here is one thing I have NOT been able to recieve answers for and am currently awaiting a response to my email and letter from SSA.

#1. If after the 9 month trial preriod a person makes $855, they didn't reach the "substantial" level of $860 for 2006 so their benefits will NOT be stopped. However, are they still entitled to 100% of their disability benefits or is it pro-rated based on how much their income is?

It's kind of a silly question to ask because nowhere in their regulations does it state that this is the case, but I wouldn't put it past them to do something like this. So I am trying to find out if they pro-rate disability benefits if you are earning any sort of income under the substantial level, after the 9 month trial period.


Hope this helps a bit, but you guys have the right idea. The only part I'm unsure about is that question I've asked them.
 
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