Collecting social security disability benefits can supplement your income when you have a debilitating illness or disability. However, to maintain your benefits, you must continue to meet specific criteria.
When you understand some of the reasons the SSA might suspend or terminate your benefits, you can take precautions to avoid that outcome.
Incarceration
Involvement in criminal activity is one reason the SSA will stop your SSDI benefits. Minor infractions such as traffic tickets, for example, will not impact you. However, significant crimes that warrant serious legal repercussions and land you behind bars will immediately terminate your benefits.
Retirement
To maintain eligibility to collect benefits, you cannot have yet reached retirement age. The purpose of SSDI is to provide supplemental income when you cannot work due to illness or disability. Once you reach retirement age, you can begin collecting other forms of Social Security and will no longer have eligibility to collect SSDI benefits.
Returning to work
If you return to work without informing the SSA of your actions, you could face serious consequences including the requirement to repay any benefits you collected while working. However, according to the Social Security Administration, if you collect SSDI and desire to return to work, you can choose amongst a variety of work incentives.
These strategies enable you to gradually return to the workplace while still collecting benefits. Once you reach a certain earning capacity or you can fully resume your former job, your benefits will stop. If at any point you suffer incapacitation again, you can reapply for benefits.
You deserve to feel financially secure. SSDI benefits can help you achieve that goal. Careful maintenance of your benefits can help you avoid any sudden changes to your SSDI collection.
