I'm not sure what the magic number is that you can earn, but after that, SSD takes away $1 for every $2 that you earn. I think that's the formula.

Also, if you are on medicaid, which in many states you will be eligible for once your disability comes thru, it helps with the co-pay for your medicare deductibles, and meds that are not covered by medicare. BUT you can only earn so much on medicaid before you lose it, and I know the number is much lower than the magic number for SSD.

This is the catch a lot of us are in. Yes, we might be able to work a few hours a week, but we can't because we will lose medicaid benefits, and those pay for meds. What we could possibly earn on those few days a week would not by any means cover some of our meds, so we are caught in a catch 22.

Personally, my SSD is $89 dollars more than the earning limit for our local medicaid, so each month I have to pay them the $89 dollars in order to keep my benefits. (It's called a spendown.) Therefore, I cannot earn one single cent, despite the limits on medicare. Sux, doesn't it?