social security: 10095

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Working While

Disabled—HowWe Can Help2008



Contacting Social Security

Visit our websiteOur website, www.socialsecurity.

gov , is a valuable resource or inorma-tion about all o Social Security’s pro-grams. At our website, you also can:

• Applyforcertainkindsofbenets;

• GettheaddressofyourlocalSocialSecurityofce;

• Requestimportantdocuments,suchas a Social Security Statement, areplacement Medicare card or a lettertoconrmyourbenetamount;and

• Findcopiesofourpublications.Foradditionalinformationonworkincentives and other topics in thisbooklet, go to our special worksitepages at www.socialsecurity.gov/work .

Call our toll-ree numberIn addition to using our website,

you also can call us toll-ree at1-800-772-1213. We can answer spe-cicquestionsfrom7a.m.to7p.m.,MondaythroughFriday.Wecanprovideinormation by automated phone ser-vice 24 hours a day. I you are dea or

hard o hearing, you may call our TTYnumber, 1-800-325-0778.

Wetreatallcallscondentially.Wealso want to make sure you receiveaccurate and courteous service. That

is why we have a second SocialSecurity representative monitor sometelephone calls.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/


http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work






Getting disability benefts?We can help youget to work 4

Social Security workincentives at a glance 5

How your earnings aect yourSocial Security benefts 7

I you lose your job 8

Special rules or workerswho are blind 8

SSI work incentivesat a glance 9

How your earnings aectyour SSI payments 11

How long your Medicaidwill continue 12

Work Incentive Planningand Assistance program 13

What’s inside



you start or stop working, or i anyother change occurs that couldaffectyourbenets.

The Ticket to Work program mayalso help you i you would like towork. You can receive vocational

rehabilitation, training, job reer-rals and other employment supportservices ree o charge. You will notundergo medical reviews while youare using the ticket.

You can get more inormationon the Ticket to Work program bycalling 1-866-968-7842 toll-ree(TTY 1-866-833-2967). Or youcan call our toll-ree numberand ask or Your Ticket To Work (Publication No. 05-10061).

You can also visit theTicket to Work website atwww.socialsecurity.gov/work or more inormation.

Social Security workincentives at a glance

Trial work period—The trial workperiod allows you to test your abilityto work or at least nine months.During your trial work period, youwill receive your ull Social Security

benetsregardlessofhowmuchyouare earning as long as you reportyour work activity and you continueto have a disabling impairment.In 2008, a trial work month is any

month in which your total earningsare$670ormore,or,ifyouareself-

5w w w . s o c i a l s e c u r i t y . g o v

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10061.html












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employed,youearnmorethan$670(ater expenses) or spend more than80 hours in your own business.The trial work period continuesuntil you have worked nine monthswithin a 60-month period.

Extended period o eligibility—Ater your trial work period, youhave 36 months during which youcanworkandstillreceivebenetsor any month your earnings are

not “substantial.” In 2008, earningsof$940ormore($1,570ifyouareblind) are considered substantial.No new application or disabilitydecision is needed or you to receive

aSocialSecuritydisabilitybenetduring this period.

Expedited reinstatement—Ateryourbenetsstopbecauseyourearnings are substantial, you haveveyearsduringwhichyoumayaskustostartyourbenetsimme-diatelyifyoundyourselfunableto continue working because o your

condition.Youwillnothavetolea new disability application andyou will not have to wait or yourbenetstostartwhileyourmedicalcondition is being reviewed to make

sure you are still disabled.Continuation o Medicare—I

your Social Security disabilitybenetsstopbecauseofyour earnings, but you

are still disabled, yourree Medicare Part A

S o c i a l S e c u r i t y



coverage will continue or at least 93months ater the nine-month trialwork period. Ater that, you can buyMedicare Part A coverage by payinga monthly premium. I you haveMedicare Part B coverage, you must

continue to pay the premium. I youwant to end your Part B coverage,youmustrequestitinwriting.

Work expenses related to yourdisability—I you work, you may

have to pay or certain itemsand services that people withoutdisabilitiesdonotpayfor.Forexample, because o your medicalcondition, you may need to take

a taxi to work instead o publictransportation. We may be able todeduct the cost o the taxi romyour monthly earnings beore wedetermine i you are still eligibleforbenets.

How your earnings aectyour Social Security benefts

During the trial work period,there are no limits on your earnings.During the 36-month extendedperiod o eligibility, you usually can

make no more than $940 a monthoryourbenetswillstop.But,thework expenses you have as a resulto your disability are deductedwhen we count your earnings to

see i they can help you keep moreofyourbenets.Ifyouhaveextra


http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/11017.html






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work expenses, your earnings couldbe substantially higher than $940beforetheyaffectyourbenets.Thissubstantial earnings amount usuallyincreases each year.

We deduct work expenses related

to your disability rom your earn-ings beore we determine i youarestilleligibleforbenets.Theseexpenses may include the cost oany item or service you need to

work, even i the item or servicealso is useul to you in yourdaily living. Examples includeprescription drugs, transportationto and rom work (under certain

conditions), a personal attendantor job coach, a wheelchair or anyspecializedworkequipment.

I you lose your jobI you lose your job during a trial

workperiod,yourbenetsarenotaected. I you lose your job duringthe 36-month extended period o

eligibility,callusandyourbenetswill be reinstated as long as you arestill disabled.

Special rules or workerswho are blind

I you are blind and you workwhile receiving your Social Security

benets,therearespecialrules.








• Youcanearnupto$1,570amonth in 2008 beore your earn-ingsmayaffectyourbenets.

• Ifyouearntoomuchtoreceivedisabilitybenets,youarestilleligible or a disability “reeze.”

This means that we will notcount those years in which youhad little or no earnings becauseofyourdisabilityinguringyourfuturebenets.

This can help you because yourbenetsarebasedonyourhighestearningsoveryourworklife.Formore inormation on special rulesor blind persons, ask or I You AreBlind Or Have Low Vision—How We Can Help (Publication No.05-10052).

SSI work incentives ata glance

Continuation o SSI—SSIpayments are made to people age

65, blind or disabled and havelittle income or resources. I youare disabled and work despiteyour disability, you may continueto receive payments until your

earnings, added with any otherincome, exceed the SSI incomelimits. This limit is dierentin every state. Even i your SSIpayments stop, your Medicaid












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coverage usually will continue iyour earnings are less than yourstate level.

Expedited reinstatement—I westopped your payments becauseo your earnings and you become

unable to work again because oyour medical condition, you mayask us to start your payments again.Youwillnothavetoleanew disability application i you make

thisrequestwithinveyearsafterthemonthyourbenetsstopped.

Work expenses related to yourdisability—I you work, you mayhave to pay or certain itemsand services that people withoutdisabilitiesdonotpayfor.Forexample, because o your medicalcondition, you may need to takea taxi to work, instead o publictransportation. We may be able todeduct the cost o the taxi romyour monthly earnings beore wedetermine i you are still eligible

forbenets.Plan to achieve sel-support—I we approve your plan or awork goal that will reduce yourdependence on SSI or help you

leave the SSI rolls, any money youuse or this purpose will not becountedwhenwegureouthowyour current income and resourcesaffectyourpaymentamount.For

more inormation, ask or Working






While Disabled—A Guide ToPlans For Achieving Sel-Support (Publication No. 05-11017).

Students with disabilities—Wedo not count up to $1,550 o yourearnings a month in 2008 (maxi-

mum o $6,240 or 2008) when wecompute your SSI payment amounti you are under age 22 and go toschool or are in a training programon a regular basis.

How your earnings aectyour SSI payments

The amount o your SSI payments

is based on how much other incomeyou have. When your other incomegoes up, your SSI payments usuallygo down. So when you earn morethan the SSI limit, your paymentswill stop or those months. But,your payments will automaticallystart again or any month yourincome drops to less than the SSI

limits. Just tell us i your earningsare reduced, or i you stop working.

I your only income besides SSIis the money you make rom yourjob,thenwedonotcounttherst

$85 o your monthly earnings. Wededuct rom your SSI payments 50cents o every dollar you earn aterthe $85 deduction.








12

Example: You work and earn$1,000 in a month. You receive noother income besides your earningsand your SSI.

$1,000

-$85

$915dividedby2=$457.50

Wewoulddeduct$457.50fromyour SSI payment.

You may be eligible or a “plan to

achieve sel-support” which allowsyou to use money and resources oraspecicworkgoal.Thesefundsdonotcountwhenwegureouthowyour current income and resources

affectyourbenetamount.

How long your Medicaidwill continue

In general, your Medicaidcoverage will continue, even ateryour SSI payments stop, until yourincome reaches a certain level.That level varies with each state

and refects the cost o health carein your state. (We can tell youthe Medicaid level or your state.)However, i your health care costsare higher than this level, you canhave more income and keep yourMedicaid. In most states, or yourMedicaid to continue, you must:• Needittowork;• Beunabletoaffordsimilar

medicalcoveragewithoutSSI;• Continuetohaveadisablingcondition;and




• MeetallotherSSIeligibilityrequirements.

IfyouqualifyforMedicaidunderthese rules, we will review your caserom time to time to see i you arestill disabled or blind and still earn

less than your state’s allowable level.

Work Incentive Planning andAssistance program

Social Security has a WorkIncentive Planning and Assistance program (WIPA) that will helpanswerquestionsaboutSocialSecurity’s work incentives and help

you make a decision about working.Community-based organizations

provide inormation and workincentives planning and assistanceto people who are receiving Social

SecurityorSSIdisabilitybenetsand who are working or consideringwork. Their community workincentive coordinators can help youunderstand how work aects your

payments and explain what otherederal, state and local supportsthere are or people with disabilitieswho want to work.

To locate the WIPA project nearest

you, please call 1-866-968-7842 (TTY 1-866-833-2967). You also canndalistwithcontactinformationon our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/work/

ServiceProviders/ WIPADirectory.html .


http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/ServiceProviders/WIPADirectory.html











Social Security Administration

SSA Publication No. 05-10095ICN 468625Unit o Issue - HD (one hundred)January 2008 (Destroy prior editions)

social security: 10095

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