Working on SSDI, earning "too much".

[Matthew74]

I'm on SSDI, which means that I can earn approximately $1,300 a month without loosing my benefits. I'm also receiving temporary rental assistance, which cuts off at about $1,400 a month. I'm working part time, and "unfortunately" I'm earning a little "too much". What is going to happen is that I'll earn not much more than my rent, loose my benefits, have to repay my rental assistance, have to pay Medicare, and then I'll have to start paying school loans again, and I will be almost worse off than without a job. The problem is that the income limits are completely unreasonable. SSDI doesn't even cover half my expenses - a huge chunk of it is blown just with medication.

I actually like my job. Working fewer hours per week doesn't seem to be an option (at least not without big problems). If I can keep working and keep receiving benefits, I will actually be ok, and probably afford to live. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

 

[Janus]

Hi. I have a similar issue. I am on SSDI. I have recently started a job source placement' thing offered by the state here.. I am with my caregiver 24/7 so a regular, scheduled break is worth m more than money for me. I need to get out. Butt it's tricky with uncontrolled epilepsy. But the point is. I meant to say. I find that losing my medicare will make my meds way out of reach$$. But I'll be able to earn about 1100 per month and keep social security but loose meds coverage.. the only option is if I buy a health program from my employer, to get meds. But that costs about half my income. So we want to know if I can afford to work.

 

[Army Vet]

Catch-22

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Took me long enough to get the benefits and now I’m being "investigated" (CDR) I understand making sure people aren't gaming the system, but don't make it so damn stressful! I feel like it's going to come back confirmed to continue to receive benefits, but the fact that I have to even worry about it is a bad thing (ie my status hasn't changed, but I might have not said something "lawyer-ish" enough for them and then get sucked into appeals). Oh, but the lawyers love it

How about this government. You promise to take away my seizures forever, and I'll never even look at disability for Epilepsy ever again. Deal? What's that? Who cares if I continue to have them, but not often enough? Does that mean I can drive whenever I want and if I have an accident then, oh well, I don't have them often enough to lose my license for 6+ months nor responsible for any damages, right? I say if the clock gets restarted on you getting your license back then that means you're having "enough" seizures to get disability.

Thankfully I have the VA helping me out with my medical situation, but still the VA isn't the best place by any means. Took me over two and a half years to get them to approve my need for a VNS.

Anyway, didn't mean to go on a rant, but I feel your pain with SSDI and being limited yet expected to work like nothing is wrong.

 

[Music36]

Matthew,

You said that you can earn approximately $1,300 a month without losing your benefits. I have a few questions. First of all, is that gross or net? Secondly, do you know if that same amount would apply to SSI? Third, does the amount vary depending on what state you live in?

 

[Matthew74]

Gross. I think it’s based on the median income. The limits are here (scroll down): https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10003.pdf I have received contradictory information from Social Security about exactly how this works, but you can see how absurd it is. Unless your award is very large (because you earned a lot before you were declared disabled), and your rent is very low, OR you can depend upon someone supporting you, it’s basically impossible IMO. My rent alone is higher than the maximum allowable earnings. You can’t live on that. For single men who live alone, I don’t see any long-term alternative to working full time with a good salary. The reality of your condition doesn’t matter. Disability back payments allowed me to get out of credit card debt, and helped me sort-of subsist for a time, but it’s not what people think it is. I would be incredibly grateful, and in a sense I am, but you feel like you are always being threatened or punished. Every positive effort counts against you. I just hope I can figure it out until I can get hired full time.

 

[Music36]

Matthew,

Thanks. Yeah, I know it’s tough. Wish you luck. I’m trying to figure out what would be the best steps for me to take because I would really like to go back to work. I’m bored out of my mind and need more money.

 

[Music36]

Also, my disability is about to end soon and I would have to reapply and don’t even know for sure if I’ll get reapproved.