If you suffer an injury and cannot return to work, one of the options you have is seeking Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. SSD is designed to help people who cannot go back to work due to a permanent disability that is expected to last at least one year. It can be used by the blind, people with significant handicaps and others.
Social Security Disability benefits are not always enough to support you on their own, which is why the Social Security Administration (SSA) has other programs available to people on SSD. These might include Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid and some state or local programs.
Interestingly, while you cannot work a full-time job on SSD, it may be possible for you to work a small amount without affecting the amount you receive in benefits each month. There are also work programs designed to help people who would like to go back to work start their jobs and begin to do so without losing benefits right away. This helps you by allowing you to “test the waters” and see if you can return to work. If not, the disability benefits are still there, so you can fall back on them.
If you are interested in learning more about Social Security Disability and the benefits that you may be eligible for if you are awarded disability. It is not always easy to get your application approved, so if you’d like to seek disability, it’s a smart choice to work with your attorney on your application to prevent unnecessary delays due to a denial of benefits.