This blog is a guest post provided by Cendy Moliere of Disability Benefits Help.
Volunteering While on Social Security Disability Benefits
Work is a lot more than just an income. Many people rely on work as a place to socialize and a reason to get out of bed each day. When you’re disabled and can’t work there’s a danger of becoming depressed and isolated because you no longer have those social connections that you make in a workplace. Volunteering is a fantastic way to help others and find a sense of purpose and community again. But often people who are receiving Social Security disability benefits wonder if they are allowed to do volunteer work while receiving disability benefits. The short answer is yes, you can participate in volunteering while on Social Security Disability benefits. But there are some things that you should do in order to protect your disability benefits:
Choose a 501c3 Certified Organization
When volunteering you should volunteer with an organization that has a 501c3 designation. That designation means the group is a certified non-profit group andwill help protect your disability benefits. If you’re volunteering to do customer service for your cousin’s lawncare business the SSA could frown on that because you’re doing a task for which you could get paid. If you’re performing a job that you could be paid for the SSA might decide to reexamine your approval for benefits because it looks like you’re capable of work.
All the volunteer opportunities listed with HandsOn Maui are 501c3 organizations. So, you can confidently search for volunteer opportunities and have peace of mind your SSA benefits aren’t at risk.
Don’t Become A Full-Time Volunteer
There can be too much of a good thing. You should volunteer for short shifts or just for a few hours each week. If you are volunteering for 30-40 hours each week the SSA might think that if you can put in that much time volunteering, you could put in that much time working and that could put your disability benefits in jeopardy. The best thing to do is volunteer a couple of days each week for a few hours each time. That way you can get all the benefits of volunteering without putting your disability benefits at risk and without overexerting yourself.
Be Mindful of Your Condition
You might be tempted to push yourself to do a volunteer job that uses the skills you used when you worked full time. But if you are using the skills that you used to work as a volunteer the SSA could question why you can’t use those skills to work at a job. Be mindful of your disability when you’re volunteering. Don’t choose a volunteer position that requires you to be on the phone for long periods of time if you’re having trouble hearing or speaking or choose a job that requires a lot of standing if you get disability benefits because you have arthritis and can’t be on your feet for long periods of time.
Volunteer for An Approved Group
In 1973, the Volunteer Domestic Services Act was passed. This act protects people who are getting disability and other government aid so that they can volunteer and do some good while also getting the socialization they need to stay healthy. As part of the act some groups were approved by the government as agencies that people can volunteer for without risking their benefits. If you volunteer with one of these groups you will not have to worry about losing your benefits:
- Volunteers in Service to America
- University Year in Action
- Foster Grandparent Program
- Active Corps of Executives
- Special Volunteer Program
- Retired Senior Volunteer Program
- University Year in Action
- Service Corp of Retired Executives
- Active Corps of Executives
These are nationwide organizations so you can find a branch or a chapter of them almost anywhere.
