How Working Part-Time Can Complicate Your SSDI Claim

30 July 2021
 Categories: , Blog


When you are receiving disability benefits, you will be able to continue receiving these benefits as long as you are disabled. However, you might consider returning back to work and may wonder how this will affect your benefits. While many recipients of SSDI benefits have successfully gone back to work, you will always want to seek help from an attorney beforehand.

Working Part-Time

You are allowed to work part-time and continue to receive benefits through SSDI as long as you are still considered to be disabled. Whether or not you are considered disabled will depend on whether you are engaging in substantial gainful activity. 

However, even if you're earning less than what is considered to be a substantial gainful activity, you might still be unable to receive benefits if you are working almost full-time hours because it will be harder to convince the SSA that you are too disabled to work.

The Importance of Speaking to an Attorney

A disability benefits claim can take some time to process. In the meantime, you might not have enough savings and will need to earn an income. However, as you are earning an income performing work part-time that is somewhat demanding, the SSA might claim that you should be able to work a full-time job that is much easier than your current part-time job.

For example, if you are working a part-time job in which you must be on your feet all day, and this is very difficult with your disability, the SSA might argue that you could work a full-time job in which you are sitting all day. 

As a result, you may struggle to decide whether to work or not and you will need to speak with an experienced SSDI attorney who can give you more insight into this. An SSDI attorney can also assist you in crafting the best possible argument for why you deserve benefits.

Trial Work Periods

After you have received your benefits, you may choose to go back to work through a process known as a "trial work period." This is where you attempt to work for nine months and are able to earn more than the limit for substantial gainful activity. 

Complications That Might Arise While Working

While you are working at your job, you might be paid more than what your work is worth. For example, your employer might choose to subsidize disabled employees by paying you more than your work is worth. If the SSDI determines that your work is worth half of what you are being paid, you might still qualify for SSDI benefits.

Because qualifying for SSDI benefits can be a complex process, it's usually a good idea to ask for help from a disability benefits assistance business, such as Benefitsclaim.com.


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