When a person in Knoxville suffers a disability, it can affect their entire life including their ability to care for themselves, live independently and hold down a job. A person who has been unable to work in their full capacity or unable to work at all may want to seek unemployment benefits. However, can they also seek Social Security disability benefits at the same time?
In general, unemployment benefits and SSD benefits are two different things, as they are applied under different circumstances. Unemployment benefits are sought by those who have the ability and desire to work full time, but are not able to find employment. Social Security disability benefits, on the other hand, are sought by those who cannot work at all for a year or more due to a disabling injury or illness. A U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that SSD benefits did not necessarily conflict with other kinds of benefits, but it is the responsibility of the applicant to show that their is no conflict between his or her SSD claim and his or her claim for unemployment benefits.
That being said, it is important to tread carefully if you think you are eligible for both SSD benefits and unemployment benefits. If a person erroneously receives both kinds of benefits, in some states they may have to pay back what they erroneously received. This may happen if a person is receiving unemployment benefits while they are waiting for their application for SSD benefits to be approved.
In the end, if an individual wants to seek both SSD benefits and unemployment benefits, he or she may first want to consult with a Social Security disability attorney, as this post is only general in nature and cannot provide legal advice for people in such situations. An attorney can advise whether that is possible, and if not what options are available.
Source: FindLaw, “Social Security Disability and Unemployment,” accessed May 2, 2016