USPS Fers Disability/SSDI

[stateofdade]

I've been 100% P&T for about 8 years now.  That took forever. 

I currently work for the USPS, and I'll likely be FERS Retired by the end of the year.  Perhaps sooner. 

My family has a standard of living, but I'm fairly sure that there's no way we're going to survive if I'm on FERS and end up getting SSDI.  At least with FERS alone, I can get up to 80% of my past income working for myself.  I'm trying to calculate everything out and I have a good idea of what FERS will give me every month.  What I'm spotty on is the SSDI payments, dependent pay, etc... 

From what I'm reading online, it's all doom and gloom if you're put on SSDI along with the FERS. 

Does anyone have suggestions on what to do in order to get some work done without losing the FERS/SSDI, etc...? 

I feel quite clueless about the entire thing. 

I guess I'm also wondering if there's a way to get my wife signed on as a caregiver, since the retirement would be directly related to my disability from the VA. 

Just got a service dog related to the issue as well, so there's a positive note.  Fire away with those questions, and I'll hopefully be able to answer clearly and coherently.  Perhaps if a few of us put our heads together, I can figure a way out of this boondoggle.

[broncovet]

As I stated in your other recent post, you can legally and ethically collect VA compensation AND ALSO social Security disability at the same time.  I do.  IDK about FERS, but I sent you a link to the FERS handbook.  

My advice, which has always worked well:  Truth wins. Just tell the truth, dont lie or deceive anyone, and, if you tell them the truth and get the money, you deserve it.  You get into trouble when you start lying or telling Fers, or Social Security "what you think they want to hear to approve benefits" when its not consistent and the truth.  That is called fraud and you dont want to touch that with a 10 foot pole.  

[Lemuel]

I received SSDI long before I finally received my P&T based primarily on the Social Security Caves Report.  They do a much better job of documenting your conditions and the etiology of your conditions than the VA.

The CAVES report is the best evidence at the BVA.

[Lemuel]

There is a limit on what you can earn and draw SSI or SSDI.  When I was first on SSDI, if I earned more than $500 I would have lost my $800 SSDI.  Did not make sense as far as encouraging someone to try to get back to work.

Now it is much more reasonable.  There are kitchen jobs at the Senior Centers that keep track and let you work part time up to the amount that would cause you to have to go back through getting SSI or SSDI again.  Also it is much easier to get it back than before.

[broncovet]

Lemeul is correct, but VA disability is "not" earned income.  Thus, 100 percent vets can/do collect 100 percent from the VA and SSDI.  (But not SSI).  

[Lemuel]

Yes, my VA disability compensation was not counted as earned income.  I received both once I finally got the SSDI.  And about 5 years back pay on the SSDI.  

I understand Social Security is faster now, but not that much faster.

[relatively happy camper]

14 hours ago, Lemuel said:

There is a limit on what you can earn and draw SSI or SSDI.  When I was first on SSDI, if I earned more than $500 I would have lost my $800 SSDI.  Did not make sense as far as encouraging someone to try to get back to work.

Now it is much more reasonable.  There are kitchen jobs at the Senior Centers that keep track and let you work part time up to the amount that would cause you to have to go back through getting SSI or SSDI again.  Also it is much easier to get it back than before.

Technically there is no income level that causes SS to be denied.  SSI aka supplemental security income is needs based (income based).  I would compare SSDI to workers comp.  It's an insurance program you pay into, just like SS retirement.  We had a counselor that retired on SSDI, VA Comp and whatever disability working for the VA gets you.  He'd only been a VA employee 5yrs.