Things Nobody Tells You

It was one month ago today that we received the news we had been waiting for since January. Robert's application for SSDI was approved. Definitely news that is worth celebrating. However, there are things that nobody tells you about being approved. Things we have had to learn on the fly. 

The first one is when you actually receive your check each month. We assumed that you would receive a check around the third of the month like most people do with Social Security Retirement. That is incorrect. The day you receive your check is based on your birthday. So, Robert will be getting paid on the third Wednesday of the month. While in the long run, it doesn't make must of a difference, it is useful information. For us, it affects how we manage our budget each month. 

The second piece of information that we were not aware of pertains to taxes. Depending on your income, you may or may not have to pay taxes on your benefits. Robert's sister and brother have not had to pay taxes on their benefits because their monthly income is less than the taxable portion. However, if you notice below, for married couples, if the spouse is working, as a couple they will most likely have to pay taxes on the disability. 

You do have the option of having taxes deducted from your check each month if you would like. For some, this is beneficial to help from having that big tax bill at the end of each year. Either way, this is information that everybody needs to be aware of. 

The third piece of information is that you can actually do some limited work while on disability.  However, there are some restrictions. 

In other words, you can go work at Walmart as a greeter part-time if you want. I think this is one that really matters. For someone like Robert, having the ability to do something simple every day will be so helpful. While he will not be your neighborhood Walmart greeter, he does have some options to do things he already knows how to do. This will give him a purpose each day and a reason to get out of bed. Plus, it will help that part work ethic part of him that still exists. It makes him feel like he is helping to contribute to our household income. This all in turn helps him mentally as well. A person's mental state matters more than a lot of people realize so having something like this that will help is extremely helpful.

This journey is far from over. We continue to learn new things each day. As always, I will endeavor to share what we learn to help others navigate this world that is Social Security Disability.