An Ocala Social Security disability benefits law firm may ask a Social Security claimant who is still working to document his or her income. Following are some helpful tips about what should be included and what should be deducted from a claimant’s income statement.
The Social Security Administration seeks income information in order to determine how much a claimant earns from the actual work he or she performs. This means that income from working, plus any bonuses, should be included.
Vacation pay and sick pay should be excluded because this pay is given without any actual work from the claimant.
If the claimant has medical expenses that are related to his or her impairment, they should be deducted. For example, job equipment, attendant care and transportation are all expenses that can be deducted. These expenses are described as impairment-related work expenses.
In some situations, a claimant may be receiving a pay rate that is more than the amount of value of the actual work being done by the claimant.An example would be a claimant who is employed by a family member who is paying more than the worth of the work being done. According to an Ocala Social Security disability benefits law firm, the SSA rules consider this a subsidy.
If a claimant is receiving a subsidy in his or her paycheck, the extra amount should be deducted. The SSA will only consider the amount of pay that a claimant is earning.
An Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will need information about the number of hours a claimant works each week plus the pay rate. It is helpful to collect pay stubs so that the lawyer can use them to determine the claimant’s earnings. If the pay stubs are not available, the lawyer might ask the claimant’s employer to provide a statement detailing his or her earnings.
Claimants who have exceeded their substantial gainful activity, or SGA, limit in one month may still be able to receive benefits. A lawyer will take an average of the entire time period that a claimant has worked. If the average falls below the SGA limit, the claimant may qualify for benefits. Once all of the income information has been collected, the lawyer can use the detailed guidelines provided in the SSA rules and regulations to determine the claimant’s average earnings to find out whether they fall above or below the SGA limit.
An Ocala Social Security disability benefits law firm may be able to help a claimant with the process of documenting income in order to receive Social Security disability benefits. CJ Henry Law Firm, PLLC has experience with Social Security disability claims and can be reached at 352.304.5300.
