Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits for qualified Americans who cannot work because of a disability. If you’re considering going to college and learning a new skill, you may wonder whether attending school will affect your SSDI benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has no rules forbidding SSDI recipients from returning to school. However, if you learn a new skill that makes you employable despite your disability, the SSA may terminate your benefits.
Will Social Security Automatically Terminate My SSDI Benefits if I Attend School?
Are there any Social Security benefits for students, or are SSDI recipients banned from attending school? Technically, there is no reason an SSDI recipient cannot go back to school. Social Security will not automatically terminate your SSDI benefits if you attend school. However, the SSA periodically reviews individual cases to determine whether the person should still qualify for benefits. There is a risk that the SSA auditor will decide you are no longer disabled, particularly if:
- Your initial disability claim was based on a mental impairment. The auditor conducting your Continuing Disability Review may interpret the fact that you are going to school full-time as evidence that you are no longer fully disabled.
- Going to school has given you a new skill that makes you employable despite your limitations. The auditor may decide that you now have career options you didn’t previously have.
You may want to return to school to learn a skill that will help you become financially independent again. If that is the case, you don’t need to worry, as the SSA will not stop your benefits just for going to school. However, if you’re unsure whether a degree would help you work again, you may risk your benefits by returning to school.
Do I Qualify for Further Education Under My SSDI Plan?
Everyone on SSDI qualifies for further education because the SSA has no rules forbidding continuing education. SSDI does not provide additional benefits that would help cover school expenses. If you return to school and become employable again, the SSA could stop paying your SSDI benefits.
However, if you need your benefits to meet your expenses, you may want to consider whether it’s in your best interest to return to school. Can you learn new skills that will make it realistic for you to work again and earn a living? If it still wouldn’t be realistic for you to return to work, is there a risk that an SSA auditor would think it was? You should think carefully about these questions before deciding whether returning to school is worth the risk.
If you want to return to work, consider the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program. Ticket to Work is a free, voluntary program for people who receive Social Security benefits but want to return to work. The program can connect you with career development support and services to help you achieve financial independence.
Can You Take Online Classes While on Social Security Disability?
Yes, you can. There is no SSA rule against taking full-time or part-time classes, so taking an online course won’t disqualify you from receiving SSDI benefits. However, the same caution applies to part-time classes as to full-time schooling. If taking an online class makes you more employable, there is a risk that the SSA will stop your benefits on your next Continuing Disability Review. If the online class you want to take would not make you more employable, then there is no reason you cannot take it.
How Often Does the SSA Review Disability Cases?
The Social Security Administration will conduct a medical Continuing Disability Review:
- Every three years, if they think your condition might improve
- Every five to seven years, if they think your condition will not improve
The SSA will also conduct a non-medical review called a Redetermination while conducting your CDR. During the Redetermination, the SSA will review your living situation, income, and resources to determine if you still meet all the program requirements.
Social Security Reviews and Invisible Conditions
When people think of the word “disability,” they often imagine something that is clearly visible, but many disabilities are not. The SSA defines a disability as any condition that prevents you from working for at least 12 months or is expected to lead to death. Many conditions that meet this definition are essentially invisible, including:
- Chronic pain
- PTSD
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Lyme Disease
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Because an invisible condition is not as obvious as a condition that anyone can see, it can be harder to prove to the SSA. This may be especially challenging if you are going to school full-time, as it may look to the auditor as if you are no longer disabled. If an SSA auditor is conducting a Continuing Disability Review and you have an invisible condition, a Social Security lawyer can help you assemble the required evidence.
Contact Our Oklahoma City SSD Lawyers Today
Can I go to school while on disability? That’s a question many people have asked, and while the answer is yes, it’s a decision you should make with some caution. If you’re worried that the SSA will stop your benefits because you went back to school, contact an Oklahoma City SSDI lawyer for assistance.
Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons is an Oklahoma City Disability law firm with decades of experience. Partner Philip Ryan has represented clients at over 3,000 Social Security Disability hearings. We know what you need to do to protect your benefits and pursue the schooling you want to receive, and we know how to defend your benefits in a Continuing Disability Review.
Meeting with us and telling us about your situation doesn’t cost anything. The federal government mandates that all disability claims lawyers receive the same fees so you don’t need to base your selection of a lawyer on cost. In fact, we won’t charge you anything unless you receive your benefits.
Contact Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons today for help with your SSDI claim.
We are Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons, a legal firm that, for decades, has been fighting for the rights of hardworking Oklahoma residents. Our mission is to hold the powerful accountable.
