Posts under ‘Work/Employment’

Terry Petterson of DisablogND recently posted about changes in the Social Security rules which now let you report earnings to SSA by telephone:
Beneficiaries, deemors and representative payees reporting a change in wages can report their monthly wages to SSA by telephone. These instructions explain what beneficiaries, deemors, and representative payees need to do in order [...]

As discussed previously, impairment related work expenses (IRWEs for short — pronounced “Eer-whee’s”) are a way of reducing an individual’s earnings below the substantial gainful activity threshold, and thereby preserve eligibility for disability benefits.
Social Security has a great chart showing examples of which IRWEs are deductible (can be used to reduce income) and which are [...]

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits you have to show that your disability prevents you from being able to work. In Social Security’s words, you have to show that you are unable to engage in a substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA translates into a maximum dollar amount you are allowed to earn and still be potentially eligible [...]

This is a particularly tough question. I previously wrote about how earning more than the Substantial Gainful Activity amount may cause your benefits to be stopped in Social Security Disability Insurance cases. 
In SSI cases, I just learned that you can earn more than the SGA amount and still keep your SSI benefits.
WARNING: I do not pretend to be a understand [...]

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits you have to show that your disabilities prevent you from being able to work. In general, you have to show that you are unable to perform a substantial gainful activity (SGA).
However, there are exceptions to this general rule, including Subsidized Wages or Sheltered Work environments.
Social Security can only consider the money you earn in deciding [...]

I previously wrote about the various exceptions which may allow you to keep your Social Security disability benefits even if you return to work. The most common of these is an Unsuccessful Work Attempt (UWA). 
If you work for 6 months or less at a substantial gainful activity (SGA) level, your work may qualify as an Unsuccessful Work Attempt and not affect [...]

Social Security encourages you to try to go back to work to see if you can do it. A Trial Work Period (TWP) lets you work and still be considered disabled by Social Security.
A beneficiary receiving Social Security disability benefits may test his or her ability to work and still be considered disabled. We do not consider [...]

The long wait for a Social Security hearing is a massive financial drain for most people.  With no money coming in, or just minimal state aid, a lot of people wonder how to pay for rent, utilities, and groceries.  
A number of my clients have asked me if they can try to get a job. 
Attorney Jonathan Ginsberg [...]

A number of people responded to my prior post about “substantial gainful activity” amounts. To briefly review: the general rule is that you cannot earn more than the substantial gainful activity amounts to be found disabled.
What do I do if I am earning more than the substantial gainful activity amount? Does than [...]

Social Security defines disability as the inability to engage in a “substantial gainful activity” (SGA).
A simplified way of putting this is to say that in order to be found disabled, you have to show that you are unable to work.  BUT, this can be misleading. Not all work qualifies as a substantial gainful activity.
So, how [...]

Under Social Security regulations, disability is the inability to engage in a “substantial gainful activity.” This means that to win a Social Security disability case, you have to show that your impairments prevent you from being able to work.
More specifically, you have to show that you are unable to perform the duties of any work [...]