Getting Back to Work: SSDI Employment Supports

16 Feb Getting Back to Work: SSDI Employment Supports

Posted at 09:15h in Disability Insurance, Employment by Triage Cancer

triage-cancer-blog-return-to-work Returning to work after being out because of a serious medical condition can be a scary prospect. It usually takes a person quite a long time to get approved for SSDI benefits, so the thought of giving up those benefits is alarming if you are not 100% sure you’re ready to work. The Social Security Administration understands that fear, and has you covered, with what they call “employment supports.”

This is a quick overview of SSDI employment supports and how they work together:

Step 1. The Trial Work Period (TWP)

This is an opportunity for you to test your ability to work, during which time you will continue to receive SSDI payments, no matter how much you earn as long as you still have a disability and are reporting your work to the SSA. The details:

The TWP lasts for 9 months
The 9 months do not have to be in a row
The 9 months must take place within a 60 month timeframe

Step 2. The Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)

This period begins the month after your TWP ends. So, if you’ve worked and received benefits for 9 months, on your 10th month you would be in your EPE. This means you might be eligible for another 36 months of benefits depending on how much you are earning. This one is a little trickier:

During your EPE, you will receive benefits for any month you work and your earnings are not considered a substantial gainful activity (SGA).
During your EPE there is a grace period. Meaning, if you suddenly get a raise or get more hours at work and your earnings are considered substantial, you will receive benefits for that month and the following 2 months.
Your benefits will end if your earnings are substantial in any month after the EPE ends.

Step 3. Expedited Reinstatement (EXR)

Step 3 only comes into play if you have returned to work and your SSDI benefits have ended because your earnings are considered substantial. EXR is a safety net, meaning it’s there for you when everything is going great, you’re back to work, and then all of a sudden your medical condition flairs up. The details:

If your benefits ended within the last 5 years due to an increase in your earnings, but you still have your original medical condition, you do not have to reapply for benefits.
Instead, you will receive 6 months of temporary benefits while your case goes under medical review. Also, if you are found not to be eligible for benefits after that review, you don’t have to pay back the temporary benefits you received.

Please visit www.ssa.gov/redbook/documents/TheRedBook2016.pdf to get a full understanding of the rules surrounding going back to work.