Questions about
Social Security
benefits and work:
Individuals who
receive
Supplemental
Security Income (SSI)
and
Social Security
Disability Insurance
(SSDI) often
have questions how
work will affect
their cash benefits.
Below are some
frequently asked
questions pertaining
to Social Security
benefit programs
Q: I am going to
work. What should I
tell the Social
Security Office?
A: Always report
your earnings to the
Social Security
Office, even if you
are receiving SSI or
SSDI. We recommend
you also talk to
your Social Security
claims
representative or a
Work Incentive
Liaison before you
start working, so
you’ll know exactly
what and when to
report. A new
regulation requires
Social Security to
provide you with a
receipt after you
report your earnings
to them. You may
want to request a
receipt for
reporting your
earnings in writing.
You can report your
earnings in person
by providing SSA
with your original
paycheck stubs. They
will make a copy and
return your paycheck
stub to you. You may
provide SSA with
your paycheck stubs
either in person or
by mail. It is a
good idea to report
your earnings at the
beginning of each
month after you
start working.
-
If you receive
SSI, Social
Security will
adjust your cash
benefit each
month based on
what you are
paid each month.
Your cash
benefit will
decrease by less
than half of
your earnings.
Social Security
will use a
countable income
formula to
determine how
much to reduce
your SSI check
based on how
much you are
paid each month.
Because of the
countable income
formula, people
who are SSI
recipients who
go to work
usually realize
they have more
income as they
return to work.
Additionally,
SSA
may also deduct
certain work and
disability
related expenses
from the income
they count. You
should contact
an
Indiana Works
Community
Work Incentives
Coordinator
to see
what
work-related
expenses and
work incentives
apply to you as
you work.
-
If you are a
SSDI
beneficiary,
Social Security
tracks what you
earn each month.
Your continued
eligibility to
receive SSDI is
dependent on
what you earn
after you
complete the
Trial Work
Period, and what
SSDI work
incentives apply
to your
situation. An
Indiana Works
Community Work
Incentives
Coordinator
can
show you how to
track your
earnings each
month and
determine when
and how to use
Social Security
Work Incentives
that apply to
SSDI and your
individual
situation, to
help you
maximize your
benefits and
work efforts.
Be sure to keep a
copy of any
information (such as
pay stubs) that you
give SSA. You may
also want to meet
with an Indiana Works
Community Work
Incentives
Coordinator. They can give
you details on how
work affects your
cash benefits, as
well as state,
health care and
housing assistance,
and can help you
identify any state
and federal work
incentives that
apply to you.
Q: If I am working,
and I have to quit
my job because of my
disability, what
happens to my
benefits?
A: Always report
your work activity
to the Social
Security
Administration. If
you stop working
while you are still
receiving cash
benefits from SSA,
your benefits should
continue.
If you have stopped
receiving SSDI or
SSI benefits
completely because
of your work
earnings, but then
you have to stop
working because of
your disability or
illness, you can ask
SSA for an
Expedited
Reinstatement of
Benefits.
If you feel that you
can no longer work
above SGA due to
your disability you
have to file the
request weithin 60
months of the month
after your benefits
end. While SSA is making
their decision, you
can receive
temporary benefits
for up to six
months. If they turn
you down because you
no longer meet the
SSDI / SSI
disability
definition, you will
not have to pay
these benefits back.
To find out if
Expedited
Reinstatement of
Benefits applies to
your situation,
contact a your local
Social Security
Office or ask an
Indiana Works
Benefits Planner.
Q: If I receive SSI,
and I report my
earnings, how long
does it take for my
SSI check to be
reduced based on my
additional income
from earnings?
A: It is best to
report your earnings
as early as possible
following the last
paycheck you receive
each month. Once
Social Security
calculates how much
your check should be
reduced, it will be
about two months
before you notice a
change in your SSI
cash payment.
Likewise, if your
check should
decrease because of
reduced work hours
or loss in your job,
it will be about two
months before your
check increases.
Reporting your
earnings as soon as
possible after your
last paycheck each
month is necessary
to ensure your SSI
check will be
adjusted in a timely
manner.
Q: I received a
Ticket to Work in
the mail. What is
this and what should
I do with it?
A: If you
received a Ticket to
Work in the mail,
this is an
opportunity for you
to get assistance
with finding
employment services.
You can take this
document to an “Employment
Network”
– an agency,
organization, or
group of
organizations – to
receive free
employment services
and supports.
Indiana’s Office of
Vocational
Rehabilitation is
one of the
Employment Networks.
To find additional
Employment Networks
in your area, call
MAXIMUS, the Ticket
to Work program
manager, at
866/968-7842, or go
to
Ticket to Work
web site.
Q. I heard that I
will lose my
benefits if I go to
work. Is that true?
A: You will not
necessarily lose
your benefits. There
are different rules
for SSDI and SSI.
People on SSI will
see a gradual
reduction in their
check. People on
SSDI may work and
not lose their check
at all depending on
how much they earn.
Additionally, there
are work incentives
for each program to
help you keep your
benefits as long as
possible as you work
toward self
sufficiency. The
work incentives are
tailored to meet
individual needs and
situations. It is a
good idea to explore
work incentives with
the
Social Security
Administration
and an
Indiana
Works Community Work
Incentives
Coordinator.
Q: I just received a
Work Activity Report
in the mail? What is
this?
A: The Work Activity
Report is a normal
part of the SSA
process in gathering
information for
people who are
receiving cash
benefits and
working. The Work
Activity report asks
questions about your
work, your wages,
and deductions you
claim against your
gross countable
monthly earnings. It
is very important to
fill out the
information to the
best of your
knowledge on the
Work Activity Report
form. This will
help Social Security
to update your
benefit records and
earnings.
Q: If I am
self-employed, what
happens to my
benefits?
A: There are
special rules that
apply to how Social
Security counts
earnings for
individuals who are
self-employed. The
Social Security
Administration (SSA)
counts
Net Earnings from
Self Employment (NESE).
This is your gross
receipts minus your
business expenses
x.9235. This way, a
portion of your net
earnings are counted
in determining your
income from
self-employment.
Social Security has
several work
incentives for
self-employed
individuals to use
while participating
in self-employment
and working toward
self-sufficiency.
