The common misconception about Social Security disability pension beneficiaries is that they can no longer earn income while they are receiving the benefits. Social Security encourages disabled Americans to work and become fully integrated into the job market again. If your condition isn’t that serious, you will be put in trial tests during which your condition will be assessed and reevaluated every 60 months.
Your eligibility for a disability pension depends on the severity of your medical condition. If you are seeking Crohn’s disease treatment in Lehi or other cities and are unable to work full-time, you can apply for a supplemental disability pension. This will be given to you until such time that you can earn a living again.
Important Considerations for Disability Pension
There are many considerations that Social Security measures when granting disability pension to anyone. They will evaluate and assess your medical condition, age, work history, contributions, and substantial gainful activity (SGA). The last one refers to your ability to earn the money you need to live decently for a month. This year, SGA is $1,220 and $2,040 if you are blind. If you are making less than these amounts, you are eligible for disability benefits.
But SGA is just one component of several other factors that Social Security considers to measure your eligibility for the pension. They will also look at your work history, at what age the disability started, and your total contributions. If you have worked until your retirement years, you will get the full benefit of your pension. However, if you applied for disability in your early 30s, for example, your pension would be much lower.
In 2018, the average retired worker got $1,407.96 from Social Security, while the average disabled worker got only $1,197.14. You can get more information about your pension and possible disability benefits by getting a statement of your contributions. It will have a computation of your current standing and what you might receive if you are to apply for a disability pension this year.
Working and Receiving Disability Benefits
You can still work and receive your disability benefits as long as you don’t earn more than $880 a month. You can even subtract the money you spend on impairment-related activities from your reported earnings. For example, instead of walking, you have to take a taxi to work because of your disability. You can deduct the amount you pay to the cab from your reported monthly income.
Once you have been approved for a disability pension, your trial work period starts. This means that for 60 months, you should not earn more than $880 for nine consecutive months. Once you do, Social Security will feel that you can make a living and will stop your pension. That’s why it is important to deduct from your monthly income all the impairment-related charges that you incur in relation to doing your job.
Studies have shown that one out of four of today’s 20-years-olds will be unable to work before they hit their retirement ages. This puts everyone in a vulnerable position when it comes to your financial abilities in the future. Engage in gainful employment today and make sure that you’re saving and investing enough money for your future needs. Know your rights, too, so that you can use them and apply for social benefits once you need them.
