Unemployment payments and SSDI

Can a person collect unemployment payments and Social Security Disability at the same time? Thank you

NO. I was employed when my left leg swelled up with an infection (3 1/2 years ago.) I was shunted onto state disability, which in California is the flip side of the unemployment insurance. Like U.I., it went a year, and when I was still disabled from working (couldn't walk) because Medi-Cal is run by incompetents, I went on Social Security disability--but only because it had been a year and was going to be more that I was to be disabled. Meanwhile, I would not requalify for unemployment until I'd been re-employed.

Originally Posted by Unregistered Can a person collect unemployment payments and Social Security Disability at the same time? Thank you

It is very difficult to get both unemployment and social security disability at the same time. This is because one of the requirements of unemployment benefits is to activity be looking for a job. You would have to satisfy the unemployment office that you are able to satisfy their requirements.

The Social Security Administration and the Unemployment office can and will share information when they determine eligibility. If you apply for both, you must be ready to explain how you will be able to comply with unemployment’s work requirements while also claiming a disability.

Examples where it might make sense to apply for both.

• If you become disabled after becoming unemployed, or become unable to work while employed due to an illness or injury not caused by the job.
  
• If you are unsure whether you can hold a job, you might apply for both programs, with the intention of dropping one once your disability status is clear. Applying for both would protect your rights with both programs, since benefits sometimes only begin with the date of application (not when you actually became unemployed or disabled).
  
• If you think you can do some part-time, sheltered, or accommodated work that is less than what Social Security considers substantial and gainful, you might apply for both programs.

There are no financial requirements for SSDI, so unemployment benefits will have no financial impact on the receipt of SSDI. For SSI recipients, however, there are important considerations. SSI will consider unemployment benefits to be unearned income. All unearned income over $20 will be counted against your SSI check. This means that your SSI benefit will be reduced by one dollar for every dollar you receive in unearned income. Since you are going back on Social Security Disability, there are no financial requirements.

The best thing to do is to contact the unemployment office in your state and specifically ask them about your situation. I would not assume you can get both until you can satisfy the unemployment requirements in your state.