If you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, congratulations. You have successfully navigated the complex and time-consuming disability benefits process. But don’t throw away your benefits by ignoring Social Security rules. To continue receiving disability benefits, you must report your income, including wages and proceeds from self-employment. If you are receiving SSI benefits, you also must report unearned income which can include, among other types of proceeds, alimony payments, dividends, interest, and cash gifts.
You must report your income to Social Security, even if the work is only part-time and even if you have earned money from gig economy work like driving for Uber. If you don’t report the income to the Social Security Administration (SSA), you risk losing your disability benefits. Social Security considers any monthly benefits incorrectly paid to a disability beneficiary as overpayments. The longer you wait to report income, the higher the amount of the overpayment. This can result in significant financial hardship when the bill comes due. If Social Security discovers unreported income, your disability payments may be withheld for up to six months for the first violation, and up to one year for the second violation. If you are receiving SSI benefits and you willfully fail to report income that impacts SSI eligibility, the SSA may also impose a fine.
Social Security regulations stipulate that you must file a report when you start or stop work or when there is a change in your earnings. This information must be reported no later than the 10th day of the month after the month of change. For example, if you get SSI and start working on February 22, then you must report this information no later than March 10.
You have options on how to report income to Social Security. You can report online using your ‘my Social Security’ account or download the SSA Mobile Wage Reporting app available at the Apple App Store or from Google Play. These processes are quick, secure, and easy. You can also call Social Security and report by phone, but we don’t recommend that. You should report it in a way that creates a written record.
Income reporting rules are only a small part of the many SSA regulations you must navigate to win and retain the disability benefits you have earned. That is why we’re here to help you build the best possible case. Let us put our training and experience to work for you. Call or email us at Cuddigan for a free evaluation of your disability case and if you hire us, we only get paid when you win your case.
