SSD Questions About Going Back To Work Later In Life And Short Term Disability

Stuart McAtee

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From time to time, we receive questions from potential clients about various subjects regarding Social Security. As our nation ages, more elderly workers are re-entering the work force and they sometimes have questions about withholding, Social Security, and taxes. If you are returning to work, after age 65 for instance, your employer must withhold FICA taxes from your paycheck no matter how old you are. Although you may have been retired, you do receive credit for those new earnings according to the Social Security Administration. Each year Social Security automatically credits the new earnings and refigures your monthly benefit. If your new earnings are higher than in any earlier year used to calculate your current benefit, your monthly benefit could increase.

Another question sometimes asked is about short-term disability. What if a worker will only be disabled for a short period of time(for instance Maternity Leave)? Can a person qualify for SSD benefits for short term disability? In a nutshell, no. Social Security pays only for total disability—conditions that render you unable to work and are expected to last for at least a year or end in death. No benefits are payable for partial disability or short-term disability, including benefits while on maternity leave. The disability evaluation process considers any current work activity you are doing, and your medical condition and how it affects your ability to work. For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10029.html