Working While Disabled
When it comes to living with a disability, the assistance that the federal government provides may not be enough for a person and his or her family to live on. As a result, many people who receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits may choose to go back to work as soon as possible so that they can better support their families.
Returning to work while receiving disability benefits, however, can be problematic. In particular, returning to the workforce often means your SSD benefits will be discontinued.
If you are currently receiving SSD benefits and are considering returning to work, it would help you to contact Frank M. Eidson, P.A. an Orlando disability benefits attorney. Our law firm serves clients throughout Florida and features offices in Orlando and Winter Park. We can take a look at your case and help you to determine if you will lose your benefits by returning to work. We can also guide you through options that may best fit your situation.
If you are worried about losing your right to receive disability benefits, consulting with an attorney can be the best way to ensure that you do not inadvertently do something to jeopardize your continued eligibility.
Ticket to Work
The Ticket to Work program provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides many benefits and incentives for disabled people who wish to return to work. Not only is the program free and voluntary, but it can also help you get an even better job than you had prior to becoming disabled.
The overarching goal of the program is to help individuals to get their income to a point where they no longer need SSD benefits. The beauty of the program is that it does not automatically discontinue your benefits when you first go back to work.
Additionally, the program makes it easy to reinstate your disability benefits if the job you try proves to be too strenuous for your medical condition. The program streamlines the application process and makes it much quicker to continue to receive SSD benefits. It also allows individuals to retain the medical benefits which are supplied to SSD recipients.
The Ticket to Work also has many incentive programs to help disabled individuals to become self-sufficient. Taking advantage of the Ticket to Work program’s incentives is a great way to give your income an extra boost without losing benefits.
For those who wish to further their education and work opportunities, there are vocational rehabilitation agencies (VRs), employment networks (ENs) and seminars available in Florida to give you every advantage while pursuing a new career.
Florida Employment Networks
Working with an employment network is a great way to explore new career paths and opportunities for those who want to return to work. When you work with an EN, you can development a career plan that is in line with your goals for your career and your future. Signing with an EN will ensure that your benefits are not discontinued while you explore these options.
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
For those who need more significant assistance to return to work, VRs are available to assist beneficiaries in whatever way they can. The benefits of working with a VR are twofold: After completing work with the VR, you can then move on to working with an EN. Also, as with the EN, your benefits will remain undisturbed during this time.
No matter what path you select, working with an attorney from our firm will help to ensure that you get the most out of the experience, without sacrificing the benefits that you rely on to pay for your day-to-day expenses.
Contact an Orlando Disability Benefits Attorney
While we understand that most people ultimately would like to be self-sufficient and not rely on government assistance, we understand how terrifying it can be if your benefits are cut off prematurely. That is why we fight for our clients.
Our goal is to ensure that our clients are able to explore all of the opportunities available to them and not to settle for a job that is the wrong fit simply because their benefits have been cut off.
Contact us today to discuss your current situation and career goals with one an experienced disability benefits attorney. We are dedicated to helping our clients get back on their feet — but only when they are ready, and not a moment sooner.
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