Can You Continue Working if You Are Applying to Get Social Security Disability Benefits?

In some instances, it is possible to continue working even after applying for Social Security disability benefits. However, this is highly case-specific and dependent on the details of your situation. To understand the details regarding your case and the benefits provided by the government, you should speak to disability lawyers phoenix for assistance.

Substantial gainful activity

Substantial gainful activities refer to employment that requires the performance of important work-related tasks and payment of salary as per the limits set by the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration does a Special Assessment to check if the tasks done by the applicant are substantial and gainful. To check if a particular task is substantial, it is assessed if it requires a significant amount of physical and mental strength to perform the task. The amount of work put into the task for completion is not utilized for deciding if the work can be considered a substantially gainful task. Any type of job, whether full-time or part-time, can be deemed a substantial activity if the income generated from the employment pass is the limit set for a month. Even the work done in a self-employed job can be considered a substantial activity if it generates income surpassing the SSA limit.

However, the income considered by the Social Security Administration only includes the money generated from the performance of the actual activity. Any gifts or interests and passive income sources like investment and retirement funds are not counted in substantial gainful activities.

Guidelines of SSA

The Social Security Administration uses the earning guidelines to evaluate work tasks at substantial and full activities. The guidelines are subject to change. As per the latest limit by the Social Security Administration, the SGA amount for non-blind recipients is $1350 in 2022. If the recipient of SSDI or SSI benefits is generating more than $1350 monthly, they may not be allowed to seek the benefits anymore. The yearly guidelines can be read on the official website of the social security administration.

Self-employed recipients

The determination among entrepreneurs regarding the substantial gainful activity levels of a task is done by checking the activities and value of The establishment. Being self-employed does not guarantee that their task passes the definition of substantial gainful activity as decided by the social security administration. The owners of businesses are allowed to reduce the normal income generated through their establishment and other expenses due to their impairment.