Workers Compensation Benefits Can Reduce Your Social Security Disability Benefits
It is not uncommon for clients to file for Social Security disability benefits after suffering a serious on-the-job injury. Social Security is, after all, directly connected to whether you can work. It is always important to let your attorney know (1) whether your injury is the result of an on-the-job injury and (2) whether you currently have a workers compensation attorney, are receiving workers compensation benefits, or have already received a workers compensation settlement.
Why is this important? Because receiving workers compensation can actually reduce the amount of money you can receive from Social Security. This is because the law only allows a person to earn up to 80% of their pre-disability wages (that is, you can’t make more money not working than you were making while you were working).
All of this means that if you are receiving weekly, or bi-weekly, workers compensation payments, your Social Security payments may be reduced. It can get further complicated if you have stopped receiving payments but have received a lump sum settlement. An experienced workers compensation attorney can add language to your settlement to protect your Social Security benefits, whether your accident happened in Mobile, Alabama, Gulfport, Mississippi, or Pensacola, Florida. Make sure to inform your workers compensation attorney if you are filing for Social Security disability benefits.
All of this is why our experienced attorneys at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. work to make sure we stay informed on what is happening in our clients’ workers compensation cases and always ask that our clients maintain important records from those cases. Contact us today at 251-343-1111 if you have any questions about how your workers compensation case may affect your Social Security disability benefits.