Should You Work While You Apply For Disability Benefits?

Work and Disability? There is no “one size fits all” answer to the question of whether or not you should work while your disability application is pending.

Here are some considerations about work and disability:

• If your doctor says it isn’t safe for you to work, you should listen to your doctor.
• Your application may be approved in 4 months, but it might take 2 years. What are you and your family going to do in the meantime to put food on the table?
• If you get a job, and you earn more than SGA for more than a few months, it is likely that you will not be found disabled BECAUSE YOU ARE WORKING AND EARNING MORE THAN SGA. If you can work, will you earn more than you will get from social security disability benefits? What about medical insurance?

If someone asks me if they should work, I often answer this way: If you get a job, one of three things will happen:

1. You will find you are able to work and that will likely improve your mental health and your physical health, and probably your financial health. (Will you have medical insurance if you work?)

2. You will get a job and fail. This is good evidence for your social security disability case because it backs up your testimony that you cannot work. You will be able to tell the judge why you failed the job or jobs, and how that failure is linked to your diagnosed medical impairments.

3. If you work while your disability application is pending, and you can only do part time work, earning less than SGA, then your case will be a little more complicated. You and your disability lawyer or attorney will have to answer this question: “Why,” the judge will want to know, “couldn’t you work a few more hours a month and earn more than SGA?”

A turtle can withdraw its neck and legs into its shell. Of course, it doesn't get anywhere when it does this. You, like the turtle, will have to stick out your neck to finish the race. If working is something you need to do, then you need to do it. Discuss your work and disability in advance with your advocate.