Income limits for SSDI

[happyslug]

9. The Five step test I mentioned is the test for disability.

Last edited Sat Feb 22, 2014, 03:48 AM - Edit history (3)

When someone applies for Disability, SSA goes through a five step process to determined if that person is disabled, That is the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Program I mentioned. You have already been through it once, for you are on disability.

Step one are you earning more then $1070 a month? If yes you are NOT disabled, if no you go to step two.

Step Two, Do you have a disability that affects your day to day living activities. Since you are on Disability, SSA has said YES to this question, which gets to step three

Step Three. Does your disability meet a listing? SSA has taken consideration of various disabilities, broke them down into 15 categories, each with anywhere from five to 20 subcategories known as a "Listing". This is the first step in the five step process you can win benefits by SSA ruling disabled. If you meet a listing, you are disabled, if not we go to Step Four.

Step Four. Can you return to past relative work, work of a full time nature that you can do today. Since you are on Disability you either won at Step Three, or SSA has ruled you can not return to past work (SSA only looks back at full time work AND only for the 15 years prior to the date you claim you became disabled OR if this is a review 15 years from the date of the review).

That takes us to Step Five, where your age, 58 comes into play. SSA has taken into consideration the aging process, unless you are ruled NOT disabled at Step One (Remember the $1070 SGA test), for the SSA to rule you NOT disabled at age 58 SSA has to show you can do "Medium Work" activity. "Light work Activity is the test for people between age 50 and 55, "Sedentary Work Activity" is the test below age 50.

Given you are 58, to be ruled disabled, SSA has to show you can do Medium Work. Medium Work is a job that requires you to be one your feet most of the time, lift up to 50 pounds occasionally, 25 pounds frequently. The classic Medium Job is a Cashier in a Food Store (NOT a Cashier in a restaurant, those are "Light Jobs&quot .

In simple terms, unless you earn more then SGA for months on end, you will NOT be ruled "Not disabled" for SSA has to show that your present job can be done full time by you OR that they are other jobs of a Medium nature you can do.

Most review of disability are of people below age 50 for the simple reason it gets harder for SSA to rule someone NOT disabled over age 50. Thus unless your Income exceeds $1070 I would NOT worry about SSA ruling you no longer eligible for RSDI.

Side note: You are on RSDI, which is what you would get if you retire. You are 58, this is 2014, which means you were born in 1956 to get full benefit you must retire at age 66, four months NOT age 65:

http://www.ssa.gov/retirement/1956.html

This slow increase in age of retirement was one of the changes Reagan imposed when he "Reformed" Social Security in the early 1980s.

On the other hand since you are on RSDI, which is the SAME PROGRAM AS RETIREMENT, you are getting what you would get if you were over 66 years, Fours months today. You do NOT need to take early retirement at age 62 at a reduction in benefits, for you are all FULL RETIREMENT pay today.

It is rare for someone of your age to be determined to be able to work, unless you find a job that pays you over $1070 a month every month (and that it is competitive employment). In simple terms do NOT worry about it.