Getting Past the Myths: Myth 2

I Will Lose my SSI/SSDI Checks When I Offset to Work

Information technology is a mutual business organisation to be worried almost starting work and not earning enough money to pay your expenses and, at the same time, not getting your SSI/SSDI checks anymore.

Both SSI and SSDI have rules to protect your benefits so you can endeavour working and not worry nearly losing your cash benefits if you can't keep working, or yous need to work fewer hours. Some of these rules are the aforementioned if yous are on SSI or SSDI, but nigh of them are different. It is important to know if y'all are on SSI or SSDI, or both. If you are not sure, y'all may want to request something chosen a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from your Social Security office to detect out. For more than information on BPQY, click here. You can also read the get-go folio of this section, which has information on figuring whether y'all are on SSI or SSDI.

If you are on SSI:

  • SSI uses a Countable Income Adding to determine your cash benefits based on your monthly total countable income. Meet the SSI and Work section for details on how this calculation works. Important note: if you are only on SSI, yous will e'er make more than money by working.
  • Also, if you are nether historic period 22, are going to school, are on SSI, and are working, you may be eligible for the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE). This programme will let you work while going to school and earn up to $ii,040 per month without information technology reducing your SSI cash benefit. The maximum yearly exclusion is $8,230.
  • Impairment Related Piece of work Expenses (IRWEs) are inability-related expenses you lot pay out-of-pocket so that y'all can work. Some examples are: transportation expenses for persons with mobility disabilities, assistive technology, and specialized or modified office equipment (desks, phones, or computers). Click here for more examples of IRWEs. You may be able to deduct these expenses when calculating your income and so your countable income is lower and you can go on more of your SSI cash benefits. To be deductible, the expense must:

o Exist paid by you and not paid or reimbursed by another source

o Relate to a serious medical status, and

o Exist necessary; without it, yous will be unable to work

  • If you get SSI and accept a specific work goal, yous may be eligible for the Plan to Achieve Cocky-Support (PASS) program. This program volition let yous save your earnings or unearned income, like SSDI, for expenses related to your work goal. While using a Pass, you lot will keep getting your SSI benefits for living expenses. PASS funds accept to be kept carve up from your other money, and you have to keep records of your Laissez passer expenses.
  • The Social Security Assistants provides special staff people, called PASS Cadre, to help you sympathise and coordinate your Laissez passer. To learn more, read the DB101 article on Pass or contact a Pass Cadre.

If you are on SSDI:

  • The Trial Work Menstruation (TWP) will permit you lot earn income while you keep getting your SSDI benefits. You have 9 months of TWP to use; they do not need to be in a row. This year if you earn more than $970 in a detail month, information technology counts as a Trial Work calendar month. If you lot earn less than $970, it doesn't. Either mode, you keep getting your full SSDI benefits until you lot've used all 9 TWP months within a v-year flow. For more information on TWP, read DB101'southward SSDI and Work page.
  • You may also be eligible for an Extended Flow of Eligibility (EPE). The EPE begins the first calendar month afterwards your Trial Piece of work Period ends and it will continue for 36 months in a row. During this fourth dimension, if you earn less than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level ($1,350 per month in 2022; $2,260 if you are bullheaded) in any of the 36 months, yous will go your SSDI benefits that month. If you earn more than than the SGA, you lot will not get SSDI benefits, but you will yet be in SSDI eligibility status. That means if your earnings fall beneath SGA, your SSDI benefits tin can just be restarted. For more information on EPE, click here.
  • If you are on SSDI and take Impairment Related Piece of work Expenses (IRWEs), Social Security may allow you to deduct the value of these expenses from your gross earnings afterward the Trial Work Menstruation. Deducting your IRWEs may allow you to go along your SSDI benefits if information technology reduces your earnings below the SGA level.
  • If you get SSDI and have a specific piece of work goal, yous may want to look at the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) plan. This program allows yous to save earned income and unearned income to pay for expenses related to your work goal. Note that you must be eligible, or become eligible, for SSI to authorize for a PASS. While using a PASS, you will keep to get your SSI benefits for living expenses. To larn more, read the DB101 article on PASS or contact a Laissez passer Cadre.

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