Question about SS Disability and working

My dad is going through a tough time. He has had some bad luck with surgeries in the past few years. Because he has a physical job, he is going to retire on SS Disability. Its complicated, but this is the best thing for him.

He has worked his ENTIRE life. Most of the time 7 days a week. He is a working man who lives to support his family and provide for my mom. I feel like he will drive himself crazy being home.

Someone told me that he might be able to work a small part time, non-physical job a few days a week while still collecting disability. My dad is not the type to try to screw the system, or work off the books. He does everything the right way and is an honest guy. So, just wondering if anyone knows anything about this?

I tried looking it up on the SSA website but didn't find much.

Thanks

Question about SS Disability and working

Working and SSDI Benefits

Generally, you can't start doing "substantial gainful activity" (SGA) and continue to receive disability benefits. In a nutshell, SGA means you are working and making more than $1,090 per month (or $1,820 if you're blind). There are exceptions to this rule, however. For SSDI recipients, there is a trial work period during which you can make more than the SGA amount without losing your benefits. (For a discussion of how much you can work when applying for benefits, see our section on working and eligibility for Social Security disability.)

SSDI recipients are entitled to test their ability to work and continue to receive full benefits regardless of whether they make more than the SGA amount, for a nine-month trial work period. For 2015, the SSA considers any month where a person has a monthly income of more than $780 a trial work month. If you are self-employed, any month where you work more than 80 hours (or earn more than $780) is a trial work month.

Once you have completed the nine-month trial work period, you can still receive SSDI for any month where your earnings fall below the SGA level, for a period of 36 months. This is called the extended period of eligibility. In other words, if you earn more than $1,090 per month, you won't get disability benefits for that month.

If your SSDI payments have stopped because your income is substantial, the SSA gives you five years during which your benefits can be reinstated if you stop work because of your disability. During the five-year period, the SSA will not require you to file a new disability application to get benefits. This is called expedited reinstatement.

If you lose your job during the trial work period, your disability benefits will not be affected. If you lose your job during the 36 months following the trial work period, and you are still disabled, you will need to call the SSA to have your disability benefits restarted.

Question about SS Disability and working

Can I return to work while getting Social Security disability benefits?

Yes, you can return to work while receiving Social Security disability benefits. We have special rules to help you get back to work without jeopardizing your initial benefits. You may be able to have a trial work period for nine months to test whether you can work.