"SGA" stands for "substantial gainful employment." A person who is engaged in SGA is not eligible for any Social Security disability or SSI benefit. In short, a person cannot be working at SGA level. The definition of SGA changes slightly each year. In 2015, you are working at substantial gainful activity if you have gross earnings of at least $1,090 per month. (Earnings include wages, commissions, bonuses, tips, etc.).
Only the earnings of the claimant are considered for SSDI eligibility, not the earnings of a spouse or other household member. However, for Supplemental Insurance Income (SSI), the income of other members of the household may be counted.
If you are working part-time and earning less than the SGA threshold (above), you may still technically qualify for benefits. However, it is my opinion that any work by the claimant can be problematic because it sometimes leads to credibility issues. For example, a judge may take the attitude that if the claimant is earning $1,040 per month, he or she is demonstrating that earning at least $1,090 would not be all that unreasonable from a health point of view. In other words, if you are now working 30 hours a week, why are you unable to work 40?
No comments:
Post a Comment