Frequently Asked Question #1: What Happens To My Benefits When I Work?

It's not my job to encourage or discourage anyone from working. But it is my job to provide information to our clients and members who are interested in the effects earned income can have on their income and healthcare coverage benefits.
There's a huge amount of scary misinformation out there that keeps beneficaries in fear of the system and in a state of perpetual poverty. The truth is, in a nutshell:

• SSI recipients will have to earn more than double their SSI payment before it is reduced to $0
• SSI recipients will have to earn over $34,000 before they are no longer eligible for SSI-linked, no-share-of-cost Medi-Cal
• If income is substantially higher or if the consumer is receiving SSDI and is employed, he/she may enroll in the Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program www.chiip.org
• SSDI recipients can earn earn as much as possible for 9 full months before their benefit is affected
• SSDI recipients can work for another 36 months and keep their benefits before their benefit ceases
• Medicare continues for over 8 years at reduced premiums

I want to make sure that people understand that intrest in employment or re-employment does not cause anyone to "lose" their benefits.

There's much more, of course. Click on this link: http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/planning/(S(mwkgwxa40ahctw45lbj31ni2))/b2w2_start.aspx?screen=start&l=b2w2 and check out the Benefits to Work Calculator.