Retirement and social security income

[johnsctt78]

hello everyone

im 80% rated with multible disabilities with one disability at 40%,I was working up to last year but because of my inabilty to get around no steps/stairs/ladders or standing for too long, I had to take what i could get with retirement before i was 62 because of my inability to work.I did turn 62  in april and im able to get social security,my conditions are lower back/both knees/ankle and servere arthritis in both knees and lower back.Ive tried looking for simple type work but with my knees and lower back i cant,would the little i get from retirement and social security count as income for UI? 

[slangpdx]

It sounds like you could get SS disability which would increase your SS to what it would have been if you waited till 66.  I got it after first taking regular SS at 62 as you did and got SS disability on the first try, no appeal, which only happens in about 10-15% of cases.  I have 70% VA SC for mental issues.  I am told SS disability approval gets easier after age 60.   Your payment would increase by about 40%, with back pay predated one year.  You can still work with no penalty for a certain number of months.  My advice, do not use a lawyer for the initial claim, you don't need to and you will be doing almost all the work yourself anyway.  You can file an initial claim at an SS office in about an hour, they will mail you two lengthy questionnaires.  My determination only took 7-8 months.  Only get a lawyer if you fail on the initial claim and need to appeal.  I fired my lawyers before the decision was made so SS eventually refunded the lawyer's 25% of my back pay award, but it took 11 months of hassle.  Your VA rating should help; I also had disability determinations from two state agencies.