If a person JUST got on SSI, they shouldn't work?

Question

If a person JUST got on SSI, they shouldn't work?

Answer 1

Another person who is asking the same question again.



You won't necessarily be cut off but if you earn more than $85 a month your SSI benefit will be reduced. Example: You earn $500-$85=$415. Half of that amount reduces your SSI. Half of $415=$207.50. The SSI benefit will be reduced by $207. Even though it reduces your SSI benefit you are still financially ahead.



If your benefit amount is usually $733 then you would have to earn $1551 a month before you are cut off. If your benefit amount is usually $480 then you would have to earn $1045 a month before being cut off.



Volunteer work won't reduce your SSI benefit but when they do a medical review (your award letter which tells you what your reporting responsbilities are also tells you how often you are scheduled for a medical review) they will have to determine the VALUE of your volunteer work and if it equals $1090 a month or more it will terminate your entitlement. So you might just as well get paid for any work you do.



You are required to report changes in income, resources and/or living arrangements within ten days of the change. Keep the award notice; you won't get another one because even social security doesn't keep copies of computer generated notices. If you don't have your award notice then go to ssa.gov and print out what your SSI reporting responsbilities are - and set up a folder to keep notices in.



NOTE: One of the requirements for entitlement to disability benefits is that you must be unable to work and earn $1090 a month for at least a year. If someone returns to work within a year of disability onset date and they earn $1090 a month or more, Social Security will reopen the approval to a denial and any monies received will be considered an overpayment.



Source: I was a social security claims rep for 32 yrs.

Answer 2

Once you are on the SSI program you can earn up to $60 a month with no reduction in benefits. Above that if you live in your parents’ household SSA will deduct $1.00 of benefits for every $2.00 you earn so you can earn almost twice your benefit amount and stay on the program.



But SSA is very tricky about counting income. Assume you carefully calculate out your weekly salary and know you will still get $25 a month from SSI and then when you go back to school you will quit your job and get the full benefit. But then you hit a month with 5 paydays. Wham. SSA will stop your benefits and punish you by not allowing you to get benefits for 2 more months.



It sounds to me like your grandmother is familiar with SSA and knows how tricky and deceptive the agency often is. She is trying to protect you from that and that is a wise decision. But technically she is not correct here. If you do work be very, very careful.

Answer 3

SSI and SSDI are different. It depends on what you are receiving.



If you are receiving disability, you are allowed to make a few dollars (usually about $500) in a month without worry.



Call and speak with someone at Social Security. There are special exceptions for autism, which can be found here: http://www.myasdf.org/site/media-center/articles/successfully-receive-social-security-disability-benefits-autism/

Answer 4

Just make a call to Social Security and ask them. They are usually prettying helpful.

Answer 5

There's also something else you need to consider... the kind of work you do can count against you when they do your review. They consider heavily the kind of skills it requires for you to be able to do the jobs you pick, and they ask themselves whether or not those skills are transferable to another job... or, if you're working 6 hours a day... why can't you work 8?



So context matters! Does your job grant you leniency, do they offer you shortened daily hours to accommodate your disability, can you stand for an entire shift, and depending on your answers, these factors can either work for you, or be the reason they end your SSI benefits, even if you have a life-long condition such as Autism. You need to be very careful, even if you only work 12 hours a week or less then part time. If your employment doesn't provide you challenges, they may deem you able-bodied to participate in SGA activity and revoke your benefits.



So protect yourself. Ask that your employer make accommodations for your disability. Such as asking that you work in the back away from customers, or giving you more frequent breaks to gather yourself if you panic attacks, etc, and have them put it into writing if you can, and if not, at least have an understanding with them over these accommodations with others as witness to them.