Question:
Should I wait until the CDR is
done with first? Will voc rehab work with me at all or try to force me into
some other employment I can't do yet?
Answer:
Employment training can be considered by the SSA as "significant gainful
activity" even if you aren't getting paid for it. In so many words, if
you can do 40 hours a week of "vocational rehab." then you can become
employed. I would be very careful about semantics here - job training
vs. "vocational rehab." specific to your disability could get you in
trouble. (Is this "voc rehab" specific to accommodate your specific
disability?) For example, you would have a hard time convincing the SSA
you are still disabled but able to attend college full time. For much
the same reason declaring that you made no income while self-employed
won't allow you to continue to be eligible. Doesn't matter if you made
no money - you performed "significant gainful activity" trying to make
the money.
Keep in mind that your SSI payments are means tested. If you begin to
work you will lose $1.00 in SSI benefits for every $2.00 in income you
earn. In the end this works to your advantage since you will always end
up with an extra dollar in income from working for every one you lose in
SSI. Your SSDI benefits will not be affected unless you earn over the
monthly maximum. (Roughly over $792.00 income per month - I don't know
the exact figure off hand.)
Medicaid is means tested as well. Earned income will impact your
continued eligibility for Medicaid - check with your state Medicaid
office to find out what the income cap is for eligibility. In my state,
even if you are just simply "disabled" and your SSDI payment is over the
income cap you are ineligible for Medicaid. I'm not aware that you can
retain Medicaid simply because you are disabled, exclusive of income.
In many states your qualifying "status" is also a factor for Medicaid
eligibility. Massachusetts, for example, has at least 5 different
qualifying status's - "disabled", "unemployed", "employed low income"
etc. People that are now viewed as "chronically unemployed" are being
whacked off the Medicaid roles in our state - 50,000 in the first
"whack." People with "disabled" status are not effected. Your move to
employment could affect your eligibility, even if there is no change in
your income, just because of a change in your "status." Just another
point you will need to check long term on to be sure.
