Post Disability Benefits!!

You have been found disabled and are currently collecting social security disability benefits (DIB/SSDI). It has been a period of time since the finding of disability. You have been treating with a doctor, physical therapist, etc., and over time your condition has improved and you would like to try to return to a job. Although you have this desire, you are terrified of starting a job, then losing benefits and later finding out you cannot continue to work.

If you have a strong desire to attempt to return to work, successful or not, there is important information you need to understand about social security disability and benefits available to assist you in a return to work.

Social security’s rules allow a trial work period. When you first start working, you get a period of time to try to ease back into the job market. During the trial period, you get full SSDI benefits no matter how much you earn. In 2013, each month that you earn $750 or more counts as a trial work month. After nine trial work months, consecutive or not), your trial work period ends.

Are you left adrift after the nine months? Once your trial work period is up, you can get another 36 months where you can work and still get SSDI benefits. These 36 months are called the extended period of eligibility, or EPE. During the EPE, you get SSDI benefits each month unless your earnings for that month are "substantial", i.e. if you earn over $1,040.00 your earnings are considered “substantial.” (2013 values)

After the extended period of eligibility, you lose your SSDI benefits for any month in which your earnings exceed the 'substantial' amount. If that happens, you get "grace period" benefits for three more months, but then your SSDI benefits stop, and social security will no longer consider you disabled.

At this point in time, your social security SSDI benefits have stopped, and you are no longer considered disabled by social security. There are still benefits available. You have a five year period of time to make sure that you can keep working. If during these five years, you can not work because of your disability, not that you lost your job for some other reason, you can ask social security to reinstate your SSDI benefits.

Aside to just work benefits, another important benefit is the continuation of Medicare coverage. We all know how expensive medical care has become, having Medicare coverage can remove a lot of anxiety.

Most persons with disabilities who work will continue to receive at least 93 consecutive months of Hospital Insurance (Part A); Supplemental Medical Insurance (Part B), if enrolled; and Prescription Drug coverage (Part D), if enrolled, after the 9-month Trial Work Period. You do not pay a premium for Part A.