Retirement benefits and disability benefits

by Myrene O'Connor
(Gaithersburg, MD, USA)

I am eligible for disability and will get my first check soon. Will I also be able to collect my social security retirement benefit or are the two combined?

Wendy: As with many of these questions, it depends. Where does your disability come from?

If an employer plan, it's quite likely that they have an offset provision for when you get any other employer related benefits like pensions, Social Security, etc.

An offset doesn't usually mean you lose one for the other, but they do take part of the disability benefit when the SS benefit begins.

I hope this helps!

Comments for Retirement benefits and disability benefits

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Took early retirement & then disabled
by: Patricia

I have a workers comp case but continued to work and then this early retirement package came and my back was still hurting. Didn't have time for all the results of my back I decided to take the package.

At that time my doctor said that I was 75% temporary disabled but I worked because I struggled thru the pain and didn't like workers comp to hound me.

I finally got results of my back, after I retired and they put me 100% disabled and my monthly pay pension is low.

Can I get disability benefits now or did I screw myself by working and then taking the early retirement package??????

Wendy: I can't answer questions like this because I don't know your disability plan or the pension plan.

BUT if you apply for a Social Security Disability, DO remember to submit the results from the disability as that's a third party, IME (independant medical evaluation), and is helpful to push your claim through.

Hopefully someone else out there has ideas too...

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