Legal Question in Social Security Law in Florida

Re: Social Security Disability

There is such a thing as "trial work." SSA wants people to try to find work they can do. Therefor the government allows people to work a half-time job (with certain hourly rate limitations) or even a full time job for up to nine months without deducting from SS disability benefits. Of course passive income such as royalties from books written before disability began would not count as SGA ("substantial gainful activity") either. A person can receive as much money as he/she can possibly get in that situation and still get the maximum SS disability insurance benefit to which that person is entitled. I once represented a guy who owned a real estate brokerage company. He became disabled and could no longer work there. But he OWNED the company and made a profit from the ownership (he hired someone else to run it). No penalty. Still got all his benefits. Somebody at SSA might notice the earnings (our government knows more about you than you do) but if you can show it is from royalties you should be OK.