Benefits While You Work

If you're like most people, you would rather work than try to live on disability benefits. There are a number of special rules that provide cash benefits and Medicare while you attempt to work. We call these rules work incentives. You should be familiar with these disability work incentives so you can use them to your advantage.

If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits, the following work incentives apply:

• Trial Work Period -- For nine months (not necessarily consecutive), you may earn as much as you can without affecting your benefits. (The nine months of work must fall within a five-year period before your trial work period can end.) A trial work month is any month in which you earn more than $200. After your trial work period ends, your work is evaluated to see if it is substantial. If your earnings do not average more than $700 a month, benefits will generally continue. If earnings do average more than $700 a month, benefits will continue for a three-month grace period before they stop.
• Extended Period of Eligibility -- For 36 months after a successful trial work period, if you are still disabled, you will be eligible to receive a monthly benefit without a new application for any month your earnings drop below $700.
• Deductions for Impairment-Related Expenses -- Work expenses related to your disability will be discounted in figuring whether your earnings constitute substantial work.
• Medicare Continuation -- Your Medicare coverage will continue for 39 months beyond the trial work period. If your Medicare coverage stops because of your work, you may purchase it for a monthly premium.

Different rules apply to SSI recipients who work. For more information about Social Security and SSI work incentives, ask for a copy of the booklet Working While Disabled ... How We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10095).

For More Information

You can get more information 24 hours a day by calling Social Security's toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213. You can speak to a service representative between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days. Pre-recorded information and services also are available during and after normal business hours.

If you want to speak to a representative, it's best to call later in the week and later in the month. When you call, have your Social Security number handy.

Hearing-impaired callers using TTY equipment can reach Social Security between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays by calling 1-800-325-0778.

The Social Security Administration treats all calls confidentially -- whether they're made to our toll-free numbers or to one of our local offices. We also want to ensure that you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some incoming and outgoing telephone calls.

Other Booklets Available

Social Security has a number of publications that contain information about other Social Security programs. Contact Social Security to get a free copy of any of these publications. They include:

Understanding The Benefits (Publication No.05-10024) A comprehensive explanation of all the Social Security programs.

Retirement (Publication No. 05-10035) -- Explains Social Security retirement benefits.

Survivors (Publication No. 05-10084) -- Explains Social Security survivors benefits.

Medicare (Publication No. 05-10043) -- Explains Medicare hospital insurance and medical insurance.

SSI (Publication No. 05-11000) -- Explains this program, which provides a basic income to people who are 65 or older, disabled, or blind and have limited income and resources.

Benefits For Children With Disabilities (Publication No. 05-10026) -- Explains benefits available to children with disabilities.

Working While Disabled . . . How We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10095) Explains work incentives for Social Security and SSI beneficiaries.

If You Are Blind . . . How We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10052) -- Explains benefits available to persons who are blind.

Most of these publications are also available in Spanish. Social Security information is also available to users of the Internet. Click here http://www.ssa.gov to access Social Security information on the Internet.

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Social Security Administration
SSA Publication No. 05-10029
May, 1996
ICN 456000