Getting Disability and Working

[JanetRose]

A distant relative of mine is drawing disability from the government. A few years ago, he spent a few years working in China as an English teacher. Does anyone know if that was legal?

Thankis.

 

[golfgal]

It depends-if he reported the income he may have gotten a reduced disability payment as a result, especially if that income was less then his disability payment. If he didn't report the job and was "double dipping", he could be forced to pay back the disability pay.

 

[JanetRose]

Even thou he was working overseas?

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

it all depends on what his disability is for and if the disability allows him a different carreer from the one he was disabled from.

if, for instance, he is disabled for a back injury from falling off a ladder, and cannot lift heavy objects, etc. and is stocking shelves, then yes. but if he is setting in a classroom, and teaching, then no.

If he was a teacher and is disabled from not being able to tolerate snowflakes in a classroom, then maybe!

I know its confusing, but each case is different.

The only added fact to his situation is that he may not have to pay taxes on the income earned outside of the united states, but that is between him and the IRS.

 

[golfgal]

Even thou he was working overseas?

Overseas or home doesn't matter. My disability policy is one where if I can't do MY job I can collect. It doesn't stop me from doing ANOTHER job if I can. Most company polices are not like that though-they are ANY job policies so if you can't do ANY job you can collect.

One good example would be a surgeon-say the surgeon develops a tremor in his hand and can no longer perform surgery. If he has an OWN occupation policy and can't perform the essential tasks of his job, surgery in this example, he is considered disabled and can collect on his disability policy. He can then still get a job teaching at the college and collect a paycheck on top of that too. Now, if this same surgeon has an ANY occupation policy, if he can still teach he wouldn't be considered disabled--but if there is a significant difference in salary from one to the other -which in this case there would be--the disability policy may still pay out to make up that difference (usually up to 60% of previous salary).

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

If its Social Security Disability, there is an amount that you can earn every month/year before having payments reduced or suspended. We looked into that when my DH wanted to try to get back to work. But the added income he would earn would offset the child care we would need to pay. It was a good thing because this year has been the roughest yet. So even though he keeps talking about going back there is no physical way he can.

So depending on how much he was making in China it might not have made a difference.

 

[jlder72]

My question is why do you care? Are you going to report him?

 

[Magpie]

I have a (Canadian) friend living on disability due to chronic depression. She's encouraged to work whenever she's healthy enough, and she's allowed to top up her disability payment to a certain percentage before it's clawed back.

Working really makes her feel better, and is good for her mental health. She's very, very careful about reporting any money she makes, even if it's just 20 bucks. (Probably because she's also OCD! )

If you have questions, why not just ask your relative?

 

[golfgal]

My question is why do you care? Are you going to report him?

I hope so if it really is fraud. Insurance fraud costs us ALL money.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I noticed that you posted "government", thats pretty vague. because there are federal, state, and of course local government agencies that he can be under and had worked for prior to his disability.

SOME rules are different. I guess the biggest thing is to just go to where he had worked and file a statement.

of course, he will get to see any and all information and/or evidence brought aginst him in a hearing.

if it goes that far.

 

[stichy]

If you feel like reporting him go ahead. But you have no idea what type of disability he may be collecting. If it is ssdi you can report him but I highly doubt that that it would be investigated. The ssdi systems is extremely overburdened. It takes years for people to get approved and then they also need to be reevaluated every few years. There are simply too many cases and not enough case workers.

 

[jlder72]

I am on social security disability. I get 62% of what my net pay used to be. I am allowed to earn $900 a month, if I can find a position to hold with my disibility, and still collect my full disibility payment.