A serious work injury can make it hard to earn a living. If your condition keeps you from working, you may wonder if you can receive Pennsylvania workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) at the same time. You may qualify for both programs, but receiving both could affect the amount of SSDI you receive.
Can you receive workers’ comp and SSDI together?
You may receive workers’ compensation and SSDI at the same time in Pennsylvania. Workers’ compensation may pay benefits for a work-related injury, while SSDI may help if a long-term disability keeps you from working. Each program has its own rules, so receiving workers’ compensation may not stop you from qualifying for SSDI.
However, your SSDI benefits may drop if your total benefits go above 80% of your average earnings before your disability began. The Social Security Administration (SSA) may lower your SSDI payment to keep the total within that limit.
Your workers’ compensation benefits generally would not decrease. A workers’ compensation settlement could also affect the amount of SSDI you receive because the SSA may spread the settlement over your expected lifetime when it calculates the reduction.
How does the SSDI workers’ comp offset work?
Federal law sets a limit on the combined amount of SSDI and certain workers’ compensation or public disability benefits. Under Pennsylvania law, the SSA may reduce your SSDI benefits if your combined payments go above 80% of your average current earnings before your disability began.
The amount of any reduction may depend on several details, such as:
- Your average earnings before your disability
- Your monthly workers’ compensation payments
- Your SSDI payment and certain benefits paid to family members
If your total benefits go above the limit, the SSA could lower your SSDI payment while leaving your workers’ compensation benefits unchanged. The amount of the reduction may vary based on your earnings, benefit amounts and other details of your claim.
Managing workers’ comp and SSDI
You may qualify for both Pennsylvania workers’ compensation and SSDI, but the two programs may affect your monthly income. The SSA could reduce your SSDI benefits if your combined disability payments go above the federal limit. Your past earnings, workers’ compensation payments and other benefits may affect the calculation.
Keeping your benefit notices and payment records may help you track changes in your payments. Since each program has different rules, knowing how they work together may also help you plan for changes in your monthly income.