Qualifying for social security disability benefits can provide income that is crucial for individuals in need. When someone is drawing social security disability, the amount of income that they are making will factor into the decision on whether they are issued benefits. This is true even if the amount of money someone is pulling in isn’t equivalent to the amount they used to earn at a full-time job – and being denied benefits is a real possibility.
There are strict guidelines on the amount that can be earned by someone while still receiving social security disability benefits. The begs the question for many – how much can I earn on social security disability in 2021?
How much can my income be to still be awarded social security disability in 2021?
The first factor to look at is how much income the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers enough to support oneself without receiving benefits. Currently, if someone is able to perform a job that pays $1,260 per month or greater in 2020, the SSA will often reject the social security disability claim. This amount can be greater if the individual has another disability that may affect them, such as blindness.
Naturally, none of these factors even come into play if the individual’s condition doesn’t meet the qualifications for disability in the first place. To qualify for social security disability benefits, the individual’s condition must be severe enough to interfere with your life and ability to work, which can include both mental and physical conditions. In any case, if you are denied benefits, a lawyer can help on an appeal, which often ends up in an individual receiving the benefits that they deserve.
How much can I earn while drawing social security disability in 2021?
For 2021, the amount you can earn per month while drawing social security disability is $1,276, up from $1,260 in 2020. While earning more than $1,276 per month will likely disqualify you for approval of social security disability, the rules can change once you are approved in terms of what you are allowed to make while actually drawing disability. The expectation from the SSA is that you are not working for a living while you are drawing benefits. But, you are allowed to make money within a certain standard threshold. This is considered a trial work period.
For 2020 and likely 2021, you can only earn $910 per month during a trial work period while receiving social security disability benefits. If you are earning less than this threshold, it is unlikely to trigger a trial work period flag.
If someone earns more than $910 per month, it could cause benefits to be discontinued. All income that is earned while on social security disability needs to be reported, and earning too much will be flagged. If the work that you do earns you greater than the $910 per month, it is expected that you discontinue the work.
In addition, the ability to work a job that earns a livable wage could call your current benefits into question and spark a re-evaluation of benefits. During this, it will be questioned and you will need to prove that you are unable to earn a livable wage.
While these are 2020 amounts, the cost of living increase looks like it will not change for benefits distribution for 2021. This could mean that the earnings limits for 2021 for social security disability recipients could likely remain the same as well.
If you have questions on the process or have been denied benefits, getting a professional involved is the best route to go. Contact the professionals at Tabak Law by calling 844-432-0114 or filling out a form on this page.