Working Part Time and Still Getting SSD Benefits: Is it Possible?

Some Social Security disability claimants want to know if they can still work part-time and qualify for disability benefits. The answer to this question is complicated, and a Michigan disability lawyer can help you figure out how it applies to your case.

The question is especially complicated for claimants who own their own business, but can only work on a part-time basis for it. The Social Security Administration’s regulations allow that a person who is working part time in his or her own business might be found to be engaging in substantial gainful activity, and therefore ineligible for benefits. It is unusual for claimants to lose benefits on this basis alone, though it is possible. If you are working more than 80 hours per month, the work you do will be counted into your trial work period. Talk to your Michigan disability lawyer about the trial work period and how it affects your case.

When do I have to report my work income to SSA?

If you have qualified for SSI benefits, you are required to report the income you receive each month by the tenth of the next month.

If you have qualified for SSD benefits, the SSA will require that you notify them “promptly” if you start up your own business or begin work elsewhere. Make sure you send notice to them right away if you begin gainful employment.

You are also required to submit documentation of your wages such as check stubs, and proof for any impairment-related work expenses you are claiming as a deduction, but the SSA does not have any clear rules as to when you need to submit these. Different SSA representatives will tell you different answers about this. In general, you want to report your earnings early enough to avoid incurring an overpayment. However, if your income is below the substantial gainful activity level, you won’t have to worry about this.

When you call the SSA to tell them that you have begun employment, ask for an answer as to when you need to submit documentation by, and get the name and location of the representative you speak with.

For more information about how working impacts your claim for Social Security disability benefits, consult with an experienced Michigan disability lawyer. Call J.B. Bieske and Jennifer Alfonsi, Attorneys at Law, at 800-331-3530.