Posts in:January, 2024

Working While Filing For Disability

Posted January 4, 2024 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

The wait for receiving Social Security disability benefits can be a long, exhausting wait. From filing the initial application to possibly waiting for a hearing, an appeal, or a federal claim, the process can take up to several years before you could see your benefits. In that time, it may be hard to make ends meet and you may feel that you need to tough out your impairments to go back to work. The good news is that there are several ways that you can go back to work and possibly still be found disabled.

            The first is the “Trial Work Period”. We discuss that ability in detail in another article, so feel free to read that one as well. In summary, so long as you go back to work at least 12 months after your initial date you were disabled and you don’t work for more than 9 months in total, it should not affect your ability to receive benefits.[1]

            The second is the “Unsuccessful Work Attempt”. If you go back to work at any time, it could be an unsuccessful work attempt because you couldn’t continue working for a long time due to your impairment.[2] There are other requirements, so please give us at Premier Disability Services, LLC a call to find out what the other factors are.

            The third is the “Sheltered Work Environment”. If you go back to work, your employer may be allowing you to work for them despite your disabilities.[3] There are several factors that the Social Security Administration will consider when figuring out if this rule would apply. Overall, the goal is to find that you are being paid more money than the actual value of the work that you provide. To find out if any of the factors apply today, call our office and we can help walk  you through it!

            Overall, the Social Security Administration has several rules and procedures that allow you to try to return to work or return to work with special conditions. The experts in our company are very familiar with these rules and are willing to help you navigate these complicated rules as your representative before the Social Security Administration.

[1] 20 CFR § 404.1592

[2] 20 CFR § 404.1574(c)

[3] 20 CFR 404.1573(c)