Thank you all SO MUCH for this helpful information. I feel much better about her trying to work now. I'm going to help her look into Ticket to Work and make sure we document everything carefully. It sounds like a part-time minimum wage job should be safe as long as we stay under that SGA amount and report everything promptly. It would mean so much for her self-esteem to have even a small real job after everything she's been through.

I'm so glad you're feeling more confident about this! Your daughter is lucky to have such a supportive parent helping her navigate these complex rules. One small thing I'd add - when she does start working, it might be helpful to set up a simple spreadsheet or notebook to track her monthly earnings alongside all the documentation everyone mentioned. That way you can easily see if she's approaching any limits and have everything organized if SSA ever requests information. The fact that she's already volunteering and building confidence shows she's ready for this next step. Wishing her all the best with finding the right part-time opportunity!

Andre, I'm so glad you found the information you needed here! This thread has been incredibly educational - I had no idea about the disabled widow benefits available at age 50. It's really troubling how many SSA representatives seem unaware of these provisions, leaving people like you struggling unnecessarily for years. Your story is a perfect example of why it's so important to get multiple opinions and specifically ask about different benefit types. The fact that you were initially told to wait until 60 when you've been eligible since age 50 is just heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing your experience and please do update us after your appointment. Stories like yours help spread awareness about benefits that too many people don't know exist. I'm sure there are other community members who could benefit from this information. Wishing you a smooth application process and quick approval!

Andre, this is such wonderful news! I'm so happy you were able to get through to SSA and confirm your eligibility. This entire thread has been incredibly valuable - I had no idea about disabled widow benefits being available as early as age 50. It's really frustrating that you had to struggle for three years when you were eligible all along, but I'm glad you found the support and information you needed here. The community knowledge shared by everyone, especially about the specific terminology to use and services like Claimyr, seems to have made all the difference. Best of luck with your appointment next week! Make sure to bring copies of everything and don't hesitate to ask questions if anything seems unclear. Your persistence and willingness to advocate for yourself is inspiring, and I'm sure your experience will help other widows and widowers who might be in similar situations. Please keep us updated on how the application process goes!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! I just started collecting Social Security benefits two months ago while continuing my part-time virtual bookkeeping services, and I've been losing sleep over this exact 45-hour rule question. What's really striking to me is how consistent everyone's experiences are - the SSA seems to apply this rule primarily to high-earning professionals, not folks doing regular freelance or service work at modest rates. It's such a relief to hear from Jacob and others who've actually been working over 45 hours without issues, as long as they stay under the annual earnings limit. I love the practical advice about tracking both hours and income in a spreadsheet. Even though the hours might not matter for our type of work, having that documentation seems like smart protection. Plus it'll make tax prep so much easier! Ana, your original question was spot-on and clearly resonated with so many of us navigating this confusing transition. It's amazing how much clearer things become when you hear real experiences instead of trying to parse the official SSA language. Thanks to everyone who shared - this thread should be required reading for anyone doing freelance work while collecting benefits!

As someone who's new to this community and just beginning to navigate the Social Security landscape, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly thorough and reassuring discussion! I'm planning to file for benefits in the next few months while continuing my freelance consulting work (business process improvement for small companies), and I've been absolutely terrified about the 45-hour rule. What really strikes me from reading everyone's experiences is the clear pattern: SSA seems to focus this rule on high-income professionals like doctors and lawyers who might manipulate the system, not regular freelancers doing modest-paying work. The fact that multiple people got different answers when calling SSA directly just confirms how valuable these real-world experiences are compared to trying to decode official policy documents. I'm definitely taking Jacob's advice about the spreadsheet tracking - that seems like the perfect way to stay organized and have documentation, even if the hours don't end up mattering for our type of work. The annual earnings limit appears to be the real guardrail we need to focus on. Ana, thank you for having the courage to ask the question so many of us were thinking but afraid to voice. This thread has transformed my anxiety into confidence about managing the transition to retirement with continued freelance income. You've created something that should honestly be pinned as essential reading for anyone in our situation!

As someone who's been navigating SSDI work incentives for several years, I can confirm what others have said - your benefits will continue after EPE as long as you stay under SGA. I've been post-EPE for about 18 months now and still receive my full SSDI payment and Medicare coverage. A few practical tips from my experience: 1) Set up automatic alerts when you're approaching 75-80% of the SGA limit so you can adjust your hours if needed, 2) Keep a dedicated folder with all your pay stubs, work schedules, and medical documentation - SSA may request this during periodic reviews, and 3) Consider connecting with a WIPA (Work Incentives Planning and Assistance) program in your area for free ongoing support. The anxiety about losing benefits while trying to work is completely understandable, but the system is actually designed to support people like us who want to maintain some work capacity despite our disabilities. Just stay organized with your tracking and reporting, and you should be fine continuing indefinitely under SGA.

I'm a newcomer here but this conversation has been incredibly reassuring! I've been on SSDI for about 8 months due to my autoimmune condition and have been hesitant to even consider part-time work because I was terrified of losing my benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing that people are successfully working under SGA limits for years post-EPE gives me hope that I might be able to pursue some work in the future. The information about IRWEs is completely new to me - I have monthly medical transportation costs and some adaptive equipment that I never realized might count toward work expenses. I'm going to research this more and start documenting everything now even though I'm not working yet. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and real-world experiences. It's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official SSA publications on my own!

WAIT!! There's something nobody mentioned - I think there's a LUMP SUM DEATH PAYMENT of $255 you should get regardless of the monthly benefit stuff. Don't forget to ask about that!!!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Natalia. Going through this while grieving is incredibly difficult. I went through a similar situation with my late ex-husband's benefits about 3 years ago. From my experience, the key thing to understand is that your survivor benefit will be based on what he was actually receiving (since he claimed early), but you can still maximize YOUR portion by waiting until your FRA at 67. Here's what helped me: I gathered all the documents first - death certificate, our marriage certificate, divorce decree, and his last SS statement if you have it. Then I made an appointment at my local SSA office rather than trying to call. The in-person visit was much more productive. One thing that surprised me was that they could run the calculations on the spot to show me exactly what I'd get if I claimed now versus waiting until my FRA. In my case, waiting made a significant difference because it avoided the early claiming reduction on the survivor benefit. Also, since you're already receiving your own benefits, they'll just pay you the difference if the survivor amount is higher. It's not like you get both - you get the higher of the two amounts. The whole process took about 6 weeks once I applied, so don't expect it to be immediate. But definitely get the ball rolling soon so you understand your options.