Two Worlds
While you’re actively using your Ticket to Work, your SSI might be on the brain. Perhaps you’re getting unemployment benefits while you’re trying to get back into the workplace. While you’re on SSI, Ticket to Work is a dream come true. However, you still need to know how many benefits you can receive without affecting your SSI. You don’t want to accidentally get rid of your benefits while you’re still unemployed or having trouble finding work.
What Do Unemployment Benefits Affect?
First of all, unemployment benefits do affect your SSI. Technically, there’s a limit on how much unearned income that you can receive while on Supplemental Security Income. However, your unemployment benefits do not count against the substantial gainful activity limit. So, as long as you stay beneath the limit of the unearned income limit, you shouldn’t run into any problems. In order to ensure that you can keep both, make sure that you check any other sources of unearned income.
While you may want unemployment benefits, you should note that by applying for unemployment benefits, you show that you want to work. However, with SSI, you show that there is something that limits you from working. So, you need to show these two sides working together. Maybe you want to seek an Employment Network and enroll in an SSI Ticket to Work program. You could have benefits from both unemployment and from SSI. You just need to make sure that they work together.
Qualify for Unemployment
There are three major factors when it comes to applying and maintaining unemployment. First, you cannot be the reason for your unemployment. At the same time, you must be both willing to work and physically capable of working. So, being a part of the Ticket to Work program can demonstrate both. Lastly, a year before you were unemployed, you must have earned a minimum amount in wages. If you meet the criteria, you might get unemployment benefits.
Qualify for Disability
On the other hand, if you’re looking to get SSI, there are also some requirements. You can not have a job and you cannot work in a job that you had previously. In your case, this might be a good thing. You are required to be unemployed in order to receive SSI benefits. However, you need to have a disability that falls into one of two categories. The disability must either be predicted to last one year or more, or expected to be terminal.
How It Looks
When you’re looking to get SSI while receiving unemployment benefits, individuals may question whether or not you are truly disabled. As mentioned previously, receiving unemployment benefits shows that you can work. At the same time, you need to keep in mind that applying for disability benefits may make people think that you are unable to work. Thus, you want to make sure that you don’t accidentally mislead anyone. You need to show that you can work while being disabled.
Balance Both
Now is not the time to give up. You can receive unemployment benefits and SSI. If you’re thinking about assigning up for the Ticket to Work program, SSI is still possible. You can seek work while you’re receiving benefits from both sides. All you need to do is make sure that you’re meeting the requirements of both and go from there. When in doubt, consider contacting someone about how you can look for work while receiving benefits from both sides. DisABLEd Workers can help with that. Give us a call at 877-291-9806, or visit www.disabledworkersusa.com