- Understanding the Work Activity Report
- The Purpose of the Work Activity Report
- Talk to a Pittsburgh Disability Attorney About Your Claim
A Work Activity Report, also called SSA 821, is a questionnaire the Social Security Administration may send to you if there is an indication that you worked despite claiming you suffered a disability at the time. This may occur as a part of the claims process or after you begin receiving disability benefits.
Any time you receive a request to complete a Work Activity Report, it is imperative you do so quickly. You only have 15 days from the date you receive it, and Social Security could deny your disability claim or stop your payments if they do not receive a satisfactory explanation within this time.
Understanding the Work Activity Report
When you file a claim for Social Security Disability, you must list the date you first became impaired and unable to work. If you worked after this date, the Social Security Administration may request that you complete a Work Activity Report. This could include the SSA 821 form and/or SSA 820 for self-employment activity.
The Social Security Administration might also request you complete this questionnaire to explain any work activity after you get approved for disability benefits. This may occur if there is any indication you are working but are not reporting your work to the SSA. You can return to work while drawing disability, but it must be through one of the agency’s programs, and you must report all work activity to them.
The Purpose of the Work Activity Report
One of the technical requirements you must meet to get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is that you must have an earned income at or below the current substantial gainful activity limit for the last year or expect to be unable to earn this much in the coming year.
If you submit your claim and it shows you have a higher earned income or if it appears you worked in any substantial amount even if you did not earn too much, you will likely need to complete a Work Activity Report.
In many cases, you will not have actually worked to earn the compensation that must be reported. It usually comes came from other types of pay, such as:
- Sick leave
- Vacation pay
- Short-term disability benefits
- Other benefits paid while you could not work
The Work Activity Report gives you the opportunity to explain this and submit supporting documents such as pay stubs to show you were not working during this time.
Talk to a Pittsburgh Disability Attorney About Your Claim
If you are filing a claim for Social Security Disability and received a Work Activity Report, you may want to discuss this or other challenges you face with an attorney who handles disability claims and appeals. At Berger and Green, we can help you complete this and any other questionnaires related to your disability claim.
Call us today at 412-661-1400 for your complimentary case review. We serve the greater Pittsburgh area and all of Western Pennsylvania, as well as Columbus, Ohio.
