Legal Question in Social Security Law in New Jersey

Re: SSDI & WORK

If you go back to work, you will NOT automatically lose your disability benefits. The Ticket to Work and special rules called "work incentives" allow you to keep your cash benefits and Medicare or Medicaid while you test your ability to work. For the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, there is a trial work period during which you can receive full benefits regardless of how much you earn, as long as you report your work activity and continue to have a disabling impairment.

The trial work period continues until you accumulate nine months (not necessarily consecutive) in which you perform what we call �services� within a rolling 60-month period. We consider your work to be �services� if you earn more than $670 a month in 2008. For 2007, this amount was $640. After the trial work period ends, your benefits will stop for the months your earnings are at a level we consider "substantial" -- currently $940 in 2008.

However, if your disabling condition substantially improves (as evidenced by the fact that you are working) you can lose you benefits.

Check with the SSA website [www.ssa.gov] for more rules about working while disabled.