The U.S. Social Security system: another work of the devil according to Steve. Like most of us, he wants to work and use his intelligence and skills at something useful and make money, of course. Even though I know he is not disabled, he is considered disabled according to Social Security. See How We Decide If You Are Disabled. Step number 2 kills me. “Your condition must interfere with basic work-related activities for your claim to be considered.” The reason his condition interferes is because hearing people are too ignorant to remember he can’t hear. Oh yeah, I already griped about that in a previous post.
Currently he is on the Social Security Disability Insurance Trial Work Period. After September, he may lose his SSDI benefits since his wages are over the SGA level for the Extended Period of Eligibility. At the same time, if he loses SSDI in September, he will bring home less money than if he made less money at work and kept the SSDI. Isn’t this plan wonderful?
Voc Rehab is working with Steve on how he can maximize his earnings while working and has given him several options, most of which are complicated. One option is to work part time or accept a lower wage while working full time. I understand what he is trying to do. The thing that concerns me is that the employer will never give him a raise or offer opportunities for advancement because he thinks Steve wants to keep SSDI benefits. He does not want to lose SSDI unless the job is worth it, both financially (including benefits) and personally. He and the interpreter are meeting with the employer on Wednesday. (I hope they let him have it for being ignorant at the training session.) Much of this is going to depend on the boss, and how he feels about Steve’s work performance. I hate to see him limit his potential because of our stupid Social Security system.
Filed under: SS and Disability
Re. Social Security
It’s a really, really aggravating system to deal with, for many reasons. I could go on and on about that, but won’t. In attempting to work with it, I’ve gained new appreciation for the LDS “welfare” system, which attempts to give people whatever help they need to become self-reliant.
I do understand that this all-or-nothing aspect to SSDI benefits is being reconsidered; they may adopt something comparable to the system now being used for SSI. With that, as your earnings increase your benefits gradually decrease, and if you have a month when you earn less, your benefit will be adjusted upward to compensate. Of course, this being Social Security, that process would take 2 months…
MrsDanite
Thank you for reminding me of the Church Welfare System. Steve did not make much money when he was working at Deseret Industries Manufacturing, but he had a great supervisor who knew how to work with a deaf person. Steve was quickly trained on every machine in the wood shop and from what he told me, he was doing well. When he got the job at the sign shop, the D.I.M. supervisor told him that if it didn’t work out, he was always welcome to come back. I do not know if Steve would want to work there again (because of the low pay), but it is comforting to me that this option will always be available to him.
I will tell him about the possible change in SSDI. That might make him feel a little better.
Oops! I spoke too soon. This is Steve’s comment about the change in SSDI.
Hon: What Mrs Danite is talking about is the “1 for 2″ or “2 for 1″
project. Remember I told you I already applied for it months ago? I showed you a letter from them saying I have been chosen at random for the “current rules group”. That means I can not get in the program Mrs Danite is talking about. You can post to her that I have applied, and was told would be selected for 1 of 2 groups. I have been put in the group with NO changes. They SUCK!
Cow
I have trouble addressing this to “cow” with a straight face, but I’m sorry to hear that you got randomly excluded from the pilot project. I hadn’t heard it referred to as the “1 for 2″ project, but that would make sense: a $1 reduction of benefits for every $2 earned. Hopefully the pilot will be a great success and then become available to everyone. It’s still not perfect as a work incentive by any means, but it sure makes more sense to me than the current “SSDI cliff,” where you have benfits, then benefits plus salary for 9 months, and then just salary.
MrsD
I know, I laugh (or roll my eyes) every time he uses “cow” in a sentence. His name sign is cow also, and we have cows all over the house.
I was raised on a dairy farm and thought I had enough of cows. Then I married one…lol.
Well, you’re married to a self-declared Cow and I’m married to a self-declared Pig, so I guess we’ve got more common ground, here.
MrsD