Brian Therrien here from the Disability Digest. My message today is about the responsibilities that disability recipients have. Regardless of whether you’re going through the approval process, you’re not approved yet, especially if you are approved. I hope that these three things that I’m going to go through with you, will keep you out of trouble and help keep your benefits.
On the screen, I have a section of an award letter that has your responsibilities, pretty common, part of the award letter and I’m going to point out and make reference to the last sentence of the first paragraph that says, for this reason, it is important that you report changes to us right away. Now, an example of a change would be, let’s say you were on disability because you had a knee replacement and prior to the knee replacement, you weren’t able to walk. You weren’t able to do your work, any of that. But after the knee replacements, you have given, been given, you know, a clean bill of health and you could go back to work that’s your responsibility to report that to social security, that you have been restored back to a working situation. So that’s one.
Two is if you do want to test working, which many people do, it is important that and I’m just talking about the most common situation is somebody wants to make three, four, $500 a month and you can earn up to $940 a month at the time of this recording with no impact on your benefits. You can do that every month. So you can follow more videos for details on that. But if you are going to go back to work and, you are gonna be making some money, then it’s important that you let them know.
That’s what it says here. That’s your responsibility for a change can, as you’re not working. And now you are and if you don’t know what to say to them, because you don’t know how much money you’re going to make. Just say simply that I’m going to go back to work. I don’t know how much money I’m can make. I’d like to make $300 to $400 a month, but my health is not really good.
I’m will give it, my best shot, and do that. Now, if you’re doing something independently, like GrubHub or Lyft or starting your own business, where you’re will file a tax return at the end of the year, then, in my opinion, it would be the same response to them. And at the end of the year, you file your taxes, you take all your expenses and the money and that’s going to determine what your income is average over, you know, the 12 months, that’s how it works. You have to also factor in your expenses is what I’m pointing out here, if you’re doing something independently,
The last thing that is your responsibility is you need to maintain your treatment. I see a lot of people getting caught, losing, not a lot, but people losing their benefits. And it’s one of the common reasons they get approved and they’re like, I don’t need to go to the doctors anymore. I’m approved. But with the reviews going on, which follow the other videos please if you’re a disability recipient that we have here about what’s going on with the benefits reviews, because they’re coming fast and furious. if you haven’t been doctoring, which is part of your responsibility, then you’re in a situation where you might have conditions or limitations, but social security could review you and say, well, you know what, if you were being treated consistently, you’d likely be able to work and just say it, it has it’s happening right now. Make sure you go to the doctors, get all your conditions treated so that you are A-okay, so again, if you can go back to work, let him, if you’re working, even part-time testing the waters, let ’em know, stay in treatment. Those are my three tips for you today.
This has been Brian Therrien. Thank you.
