How much income are you allowed to make while drawing disabilty??

15 years ago

Anyone know?... My husband is on disability...and works ...He got a raise at work in July...making his weekly check jump to $220.00...Before that, it was $198.00.

He spoke to a Social Security employee over the phone today...From the main headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama...She told him that he was earning too much...that he could only make $967.00 a month.

Isn't his monthly earnings in "normal" range?..or, do they consider a month as having 5 weeks?

2 years ago, they said the same thing...and withheld money from his disabilty check...For 2 months we didn't even receive a check from them!...They claimed DH owed them almost $5,000...(Ouch)...Then, DH visited our local Social Security office, and was told that they didn't know why they (Social Security in Birmingham) was withholding that much money from him .....Shouldn't any Social Security office KNOW why or, at least find out why...?

Of course we could not afford a lawyer to look into it.

Now, it looks like we're in trouble all over again. (?)

We live in Georgia.

Anyone else have problems with them or know anyone in the same situation as us?...(Maybe not)

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Comments (8)

monica_pa Grieves
15 years ago
The link below is to the Social Security website, and answers your question.

Here is a link that might be useful: How much can you earn?
monica_pa Grieves
15 years ago
Probably...from what you said, he makes $44/day. General calculations use 22 workdays in the average month.
44X22=$968

Social Security has a lot of wage limits in order to collect when you are under full retirement age. When I was working, I had to pay back every year.
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Lindsey_CA
15 years ago
You have to bear in mind that to collect Social Security disability, you need to be disabled. Theoretically, if you're disabled enough to qualify for SS disability, you're too disabled to work. So, you shouldn't be earning much at all.

I know a couple of folks who are truly disabled, but Social Security won't qualify them for SS disability benefits, saying that "if you can use your hands, you're not disabled."

It's a screwy system, that's for sure.
mariend
15 years ago
There are special people in SS handling these problems. Make an appointment and go in and talk to them. If you do anything by phone/email/ document all---date, time, name, title and what they tell you. You will find out everytime you call, you will get a different answer. It is the way the people interupt the rules. You can get books also that will give you the information. Go to the Social Security web site and find out what phamplets they have for you.
But, if you are collecting disability, you many not be ablt to work much at all.
monica_pa Grieves
15 years ago
Lindsay....read the link on my post...it explains why people collecting disability are allowed to work, and how much.

Disabled does not mean total physical disability. My late DH collected SS disability when he was diagnosed with cancer, as did my BIL...neither was physically or mentally disabled, just that their medical treatment made them unable to reliably commit to a work schedule.
Lindsey_CA
15 years ago
I never said that people collecting disabilty are not allowed to work at all. I simply said that if you are considered disabled enough to qualify for SS disability, that you shouldn't be "healthy enough" to be working enough hours to earn too much.
Pooh Bear
15 years ago
There is SS Disability and then there is SSI.
With SSD there are no limits as to how much income a household can have.
With SSI, the limits vary. I am disabled (SSI) and my wife is
allowed to earn right at $1000 per month before they reduce
my check. At around $1600 my check is reduced to $zero.
And it hurts us when there are 5 paydays in one month.
They count all 5 paydays and reduce benefits accordingly.
We have to send in paycheck stubs to prove income.
SSI is a needs based program. SSD is not.

Before my son moved in with us, my wife was only allowed
to earn a little over $600 per month.
By my calculations it seems what we get and what we can earn
come out to be right around the federal poverty levels.

Pooh Bear
ashli
Original Author
15 years ago
I wrote about my DH's health problems, could of been on another forum...They were so terrible that there was no problem getting on Social Security Disability.
Of course, his health did improve enough so that for several years now, he has been working as a guard at a plant, where his job is mainly to sit in a little office/building, answer the phone, and watch the coming and goings' of people. (Keeping an eye on the place)
He started out working a few hours a week...Now, he works 39 hours a week...DH was always what you call a hard-worker...his health isn't good, he pushes himself, always has his walking cane nearby, but if he had to give his job up now,I'm sure he would really fall-apart.
He worked for 34 years at the same plant until the plant had to retire him because of his health.
I've never worked outside the home...(I should have)If I applied to collect wife's benefits...would that reduce DH's Social Security Disability check??

How much income are you allowed to make while drawing disabilty??

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How much income are you allowed to make while drawing disabilty??

Comments (8)

monica_pa Grieves

monica_pa Grieves

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