Multiple jobs may affect SSD benefits

On Behalf of | Oct 29, 2018 | Social Security Disability

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Unemployment has many causes, many of which are described as a lacking of some necessary factor: A lacking job market, a person lacking initiative, a person lacking education. Social security disability insurance (SSDI) was carved into law in 1956 to recognize a very different category of unemployment, one where the individual has a disability severe enough to keep them from working, or stop their ability to work, if they had been employed.

In the sixty-two years since SSDI passed into federal law, the composition of the United States has changed significantly. More women are working now than ever before and, as Forbes recently reported, more people are now thought to be working multiple jobs than the government was aware.

Just how many people are working multiple jobs?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of people working multiple jobs is officially at 4.9 percent, but questions as to how accurate that number is are growing. As the BLS is well-aware, discerning the number of people working multiple jobs can be very challenging for these reasons:

  • Availability: To come up with their statistics, they rely, in large part, on sampling of the public. People working multiple jobs are often unavailable, and therefore hard to reach.
  • Categorization: Many people hold a day job and are self-employed in their free time. Without realizing it, their self-employment may count as a second job.
  • Financial advantage: Unreported income is the third reason that the number of people working multiple jobs might be higher than anyone realizes. Many people take jobs on the side and, without a formal human resources or business office, it’s all too easy to keep the income secret.

Can having multiple jobs affect SSDI?

In this complex economy where significant numbers of American’s are holding multiple jobs, SSDI has gotten equally complex. The source of your income, public or private, may affect your Social Security disability benefits. The process of qualifying for benefits as well as maintaining your benefits is complex and often benefits from legal counsel. 

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