• 07
  • November
    2011

Many people assume that they cannot work at all if they receive Social Security disability benefits. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has programs and incentives for Social Security disability benefit recipients to encourage them to go back to work and to help them do so. While a person's earnings will affect the amount of a person's monthly payments, the work incentives ensure that the recipient will not lose all of his or her benefits or experience an overall decrease in monthly income.

Work Incentives

The SSA offers people receiving SSDI and SSI incentives to try to go back to work. Some of the incentives that those on SSDI or SSI may qualify for include:

  • Impairment related work expenses (IRWE): the SSA will deduct costs of special services or equipment that a person needs to go to work from a person's gross monthly earnings
  • The SSA might deduct subsidies and special conditions from a person's monthly gross pay
  • The SSA might deduct unincurred business expenses, or goods or services that would have cost the recipient money but the recipient did not actually pay for, from a person's gross monthly pay
  • Unsuccessful work attempts lasting less than six months do not affect benefits
  • Continued benefit payment while in a vocational rehabilitation program that will lead to a person becoming self-supporting
  • Expedited reinstatement of benefits without a new application if a job does not work out
  • A nine-month trial work period for those on SSDI before earnings affect benefits
  • Earned income exclusion for those on SSI
  • Continued Medicare or Medicaid coverage

Ticket to Work Program

The SSA established the Ticket to Work program to assist people receiving disability benefits find jobs and have more options in the types of jobs they hold. When the SSA issues a person a Ticket, he or she can redeem the Ticket with an Employment Network (EN) that he or she chooses. The EN will provide the person with services such as vocational rehabilitation and other support services with the aim of obtaining and holding employment. The EN coordinates the services and assists the person with finding and keeping a job.

Both SSI and SSDI beneficiaries are eligible to participate in the program, as long as they are over 18 years old.

As an added bonus for those who participate in the Ticket to Work program, the SSA does not conduct continuing disability reviews for those involved.

If you receive Social Security disability benefits and are wondering how going back to work might affect those benefits, talk to an experience attorney who can advise you of your options.