Most of us in Indianapolis feel a sense of loss if we are injured or made seriously ill and can no longer work. Some people in such situations pursue Social Security Disability benefits, but once they begin to recover, they may want to return to work. However, by doing so, they may put themselves in danger of becoming ineligible for Social Security Disability benefits. If, after returning to work, they find they are still not physically ready for it, the loss of benefits could be a major problem. Is there a way you can test the waters of working again without immediately losing your SSD benefits?
The “ticket to work” program
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a “ticket to work” program for those who want to try working again. As long as you are making “timely progress” on your work goals, the SSA will not undergo a medical review your case to determine if you still meet their definition of “disabled.”
If you find yourself in a situation where you are earning enough that you no longer qualify for SSD benefits, you have up to five years to request a reinstatement of benefits. This reinstatement is referred to as an “expedited reinstatement” under which you will receive temporary benefits for up to six months.
You can try out working without immediately losing SSD benefits
You will not need to apply for benefits all over again in order to test the waters of working again. SSD benefits are incredibly important to those who have a disability. Still, it is good to know that if you want to try out working again, you will not immediately lose all the benefits you need should this attempt at work fail.