In the era of the side hustle, some people consider working even while they already receive a check, in order to supplement their income. For those receiving disability benefits, many wonder if their checks will be affected if they choose to work while receiving them. In California, there are federal guidelines that determine how Social Security Disability benefits could possibly be affected should a person also draw an income from a job.
The main reason that individuals would receive disability benefits is not because they are disabled, but that they are disabled and cannot work. The payments are designed to replace income from employment. That being said, it is possible to earn income while at the same time receiving government payments.
The Social Security Administration has created a book explaining all the policies in complete detail. It would be impossible to cover the book in a short article, but essentially a person can earn income for nine months, earning as much money as possible, without jeopardizing the benefits. After that point, if a person earns income in excess of $1,200 per month, they will likely stop receiving the SSDI payments.
Upon reaching retirement age, the disability benefits will change over and then be paid out as regular Social Security retirement income. A person in California will then be considered a retiree and also be able to work without endangering benefit payments. It can be difficult to understand all the ins and outs of government disability programs. A person wishing to learn more may wish to consult an experienced attorney for more guidance.
Source: tuscon.com, “Social Security and You: Working while receiving disability benefits“, Feb. 14, 2018