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Can SSD benefit recipients return to work on a trial basis?

On Behalf of | Apr 25, 2019 | Social Security Disability

Many people in Fayetteville who cannot work due to a disability may feel like part of their identity — their occupation — has been taken from them. Therefore, even though they may be receiving Social Security disability benefits, if their health allows them, they may want to try re-entering the workforce at some point. However, if they do so will they lose the SSDI benefits they need to get by financially?

The Social Security Administration encourages recipients of disability benefits to try to re-enter the workforce if possible. Therefore, it offers recipients Work Incentives that may help recipients try out working again without immediately losing their disability benefits.

One incentive the SSA offers is a “Trial Work Period.” If a person qualifies for this incentive, he or she can try working for at least nine months during which he or she will still receive the full amount of SSDI benefits he or she is entitled to. This is true no matter how much the recipient earns during the TWP. However, recipients must still have a disability and they must report their work activity to the SSA.

Another incentive is “expedited reinstatement.” This incentive comes into play if a person no longer receives SSD benefits due to his or her earnings level. In this situation, if a person finds that his or her disability is still preventing him or her from working, then he or she can have his or her benefits reinstated without having to go through the entire application process all over again.

These are only some incentives the SSA offers to encourage SSDI benefit recipients to try out working again. It is important that those who want to attempt to re-enter the workforce can do so without immediately losing their benefits or having to start the SSD application process all over again if their return to the workplace isn’t successful. Those who want more information about the trial work period or expedited reinstatement processes can seek legal advice so that they can better understand what options are available to them.

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