Common Pitfalls

Social Security has two disability benefits programs with very similar names:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) gives monthly payments to people with disabilities who have low income and low assets. You do not need to have worked in the past to get SSI.
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) gives monthly payments to people with disabilities who qualify because they used to work.

Some people qualify for both programs at the same time. If you get benefits from Social Security, but aren’t sure which ones you get, open a free my Social Security account or order a free Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) at your local Social Security office or by calling 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY). You can also request a benefits lookup using the DB101 Vault.

When you apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, the decision can take a long time. You don’t want Social Security to deny your application because of some missing piece of information. Make sure you include contact information for all doctors, physical therapists, and others who have treated you for your disability.

However, you also want to apply as soon as you can, because if you are approved for SSI you will be paid your benefits for the entire time back to the date you applied. If you don’t have everything ready when you apply, that’s OK — go ahead and apply with as many details as you can, but be sure to send any missing information as quickly as possible.

If you disagree with a decision that Social Security makes, you can file an appeal:

• File your appeal quickly. After you get a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) denial letter, you have 60 days to file an appeal. If you don’t appeal within 60 days, you may not be able to appeal.
• If you were already getting SSI benefits and are appealing a change in your benefits amount or an overpayment notice, appeal within 10 days. If you do, you might keep getting the same SSI benefits amount until Social Security decides on your appeal.
• Note: Social Security figures that you get a letter within five days after they sent it.

Learn more about appeals.

Many people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are afraid to work because they think they’ll lose their SSI benefits. However, SSI’s rules are designed to make work possible.

When you work, SSI’s earned income exclusion means that you get to keep at least your first $65 in earned income each month without lowering your SSI benefits at all. After that, every dollar of earnings only lowers your SSI benefits amount by fifty cents, so you usually end up with more money than you would if you weren’t working.

If you earn enough for your SSI benefits to go to zero, you may be able to keep your MA coverage through SSI’s 1619(b) rule or through Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD). Even if you lose your MA, you should either become eligible for employer-sponsored coverage or private individual coverage. And, if you can’t afford the individual coverage, the government may help you pay for it through tax credits. Try DB101's interactive guide to Finding the Right Health Coverage for You.

If you stop getting SSI benefits and then your job doesn’t work out, you may be able to get back on SSI benefits quickly through a quick benefits restart or Expedited Reinstatement (EXR), as long as you still have a disability and meet other SSI rules.

The bottom line: Most people on SSI who go back to work end up with more money.

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) or Blind Work Expenses (BWEs) are expenses related to your disability that support your work. Social Security subtracts these expenses from your countable income when calculating your benefits amount. This means you get higher SSI benefits.

You must have receipts or cancelled checks for all IRWEs or BWEs, otherwise Social Security will not subtract them from your countable income. Make sure you always get receipts for all work expenses and file them with Social Security.

If you have any questions about IRWEs and BWEs or about how to tell Social Security about them, Chat with a Hub expert.

If your earned income, unearned income, marital status, or living arrangements change, even slightly, you must report the change twice:

• To your local county or tribal human services office within 10 days of when the change happens.
• To Social Security at the start of the month after the change. You can report:
  • In person, by phone, or by fax during the first 10 days of the next month.
  • Using the SSI Telephone Reporting System, the SSI reporting app, or My Social Security during the first 6 days of the next month.

If you don't report these changes, you may have to pay back the overpayment.

Learn more about how to report changes.