Will I Lose My Disability if I Work Part-Time?

You may not lose your disability if you work part-time in South Carolina as long as you keep your income below an upper limit set by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The upper limit for allowable earnings can change on a yearly basis. 

A Charleston personal injury lawyer can review your situation and help you decide if going back to work will impact your disability benefits before you make a final decision. An attorney can also answer any other questions you have about your benefits and getting compensation after an accident.

Can You Work Part-Time and Keep Disability Benefits?

You may keep your disability benefits through the SSA while working part-time as long as you control your income level. Typically, the SSA only allows you to draw benefits if you cannot partake in substantial gainful activity (SGA).

Generally, the SSA adjusts the amount you can earn while still drawing benefits every year, so it’s essential that you speak to a lawyer about current income limits. A lawyer can help you determine if you will lose your disability if you work part-time. 

Additionally, the SSA allows blind individuals to earn more money while working part-time and maintaining disability benefits. Generally, blind individuals can earn around $1,000 more a month than other disabled individuals. 

You Can Engage in a Trial Work Period 

The SSA allows you to participate in a trial work period where you receive earnings and collect benefits. Sometimes, this trial period may last up to three years. 

Your trial period may last up to three years. An attorney can tell you more about your trial period and answer other questions, like, “Will I lose my disability if I work part-time?” 

Deductions Impact How Much You Can Earn While Working Part-Time

The SSA may offer you deductions for job-related expenses while you work part-time. These deductions may allow you to bring in more base pay while maintaining your benefits. For example, you may deduct the costs of:

• Assistive medical devices used on the job
• Job and personal coaching
• Transportation costs for reaching your job

An attorney can help you calculate all the deductions that apply in your specific situation so you know how much you can earn while working part-time to maintain your disability benefits.

You Must Report Your Part-Time Job to the SSA

You need to tell the SSA when you go back to work, even if you only intend to work part-time. If you do not provide the SSA with relevant information about your job and the organization finds out through other means, it can have consequences for your benefits. 

In addition to notifying the SSA about changes to your employment status, you need to provide the agency with information about: 

• Changes to your work hours
• Changes to your pay rate 
• Any work-related expenses you accrue 

You should inform the SSA if you lose your part-time job while in your trial work period. Your attorney can provide more details about what to tell the SSA to protect your disability benefits. 

How Long Can You Stay on Disability? 

The time you can stay on disability will depend on how long it takes you to recover enough to resume your job duties. In some cases, you may need to continue receiving disability benefits for the rest of your life. 

For example, a severe accident resulting in an amputation may prevent you from ever returning to your prior job. You may find that you can only perform part-time work due to the restrictions associated with your injury. 

In this situation, you may remain on disability indefinitely as long as your wages fall below the threshold established by the SSA. 

What if You Go Back to Work Full-Time?

If you go back to work full-time, you will no longer receive disability benefits. Even working too many hours or earning too much money while working part-time can impact your benefits, so it’s important to discuss this step with your lawyer. 

What if Your Condition Worsens After You Go Back to Work?

The SSA offers expedited reinstatement of benefits for individuals who go back to work full-time and then have to stop working again due to the same health condition. The agency offers this protection for up to five years after you go back to work. 

The SSA will still review your condition in this situation but won’t make you file a new application or wait before restarting your benefits. If you want to get back to work but worry about your condition worsening, you can learn more about this protection. 

Talk to Us About Working Part-Time on Disability 

Will you lose your disability if you work part-time in South Carolina? In many cases, you can maintain your disability benefits through the SSA if your income is below an acceptable level. 

Our team at The Thumbs Up Guys can provide you with more information about your options in this situation. You can learn more about us and our results before you reach out for help.