If a person in Knoxville or anywhere else in the U.S. is injured or falls ill while on-the-job, he or she may initially apply for and receive workers’ compensation benefits. As time marches on, the person may still be unable to work and will continue to receive workers’ compensation benefits. However, after a year or more, it may become apparent that the person will be unable to return back to any kind of work, and he or she may seek Social Security disability benefits (SSD.) When this happens, the person may wonder if he or she can continue to receive workers’ compensation benefits or other public benefits while receiving SSD benefits at the same time.
The short answer is, yes, a person can receive both workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security disability benefits. However, the amount of SSD benefits the person will be entitled to may be reduced if the combined amount of the person’s workers’ compensation benefits along with other public disability benefits is over 80 percent of the person’s average wages he or she earned before suffering the injury or illness that has made him or her disabled. That being said, disability benefits obtained from a private pension or insurance policy will not have an effect on a person’s SSD benefits.
A person in Knoxville who cannot work due to a disability can understand just how tough life can be financially. Medical expenses must be borne alongside one’s everyday living expenses. Receiving both workers’ compensation benefits and SSD benefits in such situations may be extremely helpful. However, a person should understand how these benefits affect one another. Seeking advice on this topic from a Social Security disability attorney may help.
Source: Social Security, “Will my disability benefits be reduced if I get workers’ compensation or other public disability benefits?,” Accessed Nov. 13, 2016