Can a Disabled Person be a Caregiver ?

Caregivers have a profound impact on the lives of the people they serve. They are also a critical pillar of our society, caring for the sick and disabled by providing crucial companionship for the most vulnerable population of people. Caregivers perform life-saving services such as administering medications, assisting with bathing, grooming, and bed transfers, driving to appointments, cooking, cleaning, and other basic activities of daily living. 

Depending on the level of need, caregiving can be a full-time job, and often caregivers are compensated for their work by a caregiving agency or through state-funded programs such as In-Home Support Services (IHSS). For an individual with a disability who is taking care of a family member and receiving IHSS income for their work, the pay can easily rise above the allowable limit for Social Security disability benefits, which is $1,620 gross per month in the year 2025. The income presents a challenge for Social Security disability beneficiaries, who generally cannot work and continue to earn income from caregiving. 

For people on Social Security disability a question arises: “Can I continue to receive my Social Security disability if I work as a caregiver? What if I work part time caregiving for a family member?” If you are a Social Security disability beneficiary, performing services as a caregiver will not automatically disqualify you from the disability program. However, your Social Security disability benefit may be impacted depending on the extent of services you provide, the amount of income you generate as a caregiver, and the duration of time you work as a caregiver. 

This article will discuss the interplay between Social Security disability and working as a caregiver, including the rules that apply to caregivers who earn income while meeting the definition of disability under the regulations of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

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Challenges Faced by Disabled Caregivers

In general, Social Security disability beneficiaries do not work for income. This is due to the general principle that, besides the nine-month trial work period allotted for disability beneficiaries, the Social Security disability benefit is for those who cannot support themselves financially due to their mental or physical impairments. 

These strict work rules bump against the reality on the ground for many Americans, as the disability benefit is not enough to get by due to the rising cost of living, and the need to provide caregiving services for friends and family members in their time of need, regardless of the impact on a person’s disability benefit. Some disability beneficiaries are unsure about the rules surrounding the provision of caregiving services and the resulting potential income from these services. They will either forgo potential additional income due to a misunderstanding about Social Security’s work rules or fail to report caregiving income to Social Security because they do not view the role they play as a caregiver as a job. 

In addition, a disabled caregiver may also face challenges during a continuing disability review (CDR). A CDR is a periodic review of a disability beneficiary’s case to see if medical improvement has occurred. During a CDR, evidence that the beneficiary is performing significant caregiving services can be used to make an unfavorable determination about their work capacity, even if the caregiving services performed does not rise above substantial gainful activity (SGA) limits. 

For disabled caregivers who receive income through IHSS, it’s critical that they keep copies of any important documents they receive from IHSS. When a caregiver is approved for IHSS income, IHSS will perform a detailed in-home assessment to determine the number of hours required per month. The IHSS approval letter will also detail the rate of monthly pay, along with the specific services that the caregiver will perform. If the caregiver is performing significant services, even if the services are for less than a full-time eight hours per day, five days per week job, the rate of pay in combination with the number of hours approved by IHSS may rise to SGA levels ($1,620 in gross income per month in 2025). 

The SSA provides a nine-month trial work period for disability beneficiaries who attempt to work their way off of the disability benefit. A disabled caregiver should always report any work income to the SSA right away, even if the income does not rise to SGA thresholds. In 2025, any month that exceeds $1,160 in gross income counts as a trial work period month.

Financial limitations

Disabled caregivers may face financial constraints. With the average SSDI benefit rarely rising above the average monthly rents in areas with high costs of living such as the Bay Area of California, disabled caregivers often seek alternative income streams to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medicine. Additionally, for disability beneficiaries who work for programs such as California’s IHSS, the benefit of working as a caregiver offers the type of flexibility that more traditional jobs do not. Rather than strict daily work schedules, in-home caregiving providers can work on their own schedule, at a pace that their impairments allow them to. 

In many cases, the disabled caregiver is providing in-home services for a family member that is even more gravely disabled than the beneficiary. Because their “client” is a family member, the disabled caregiver is able to work for a person that understands their disability. Therefore, an in-home service provider is not working in a traditional competitive work environment in which the client’s needs are prioritized over the health and safety of workers. This arrangement is a perfect fit for a disabled person who cannot perform full-time, competitive employment. 

However, disabled caregivers should be familiar with the SSA’s rules regarding working while receiving disability, the trial work period, and the extended period of eligibility.

Emotional and mental health challenges

A disabled caregiver often provides a life-saving dual role in their family: being the sole financial provider as a Social Security beneficiary while simultaneously caring for a sick family member. This can lead to feelings of burnout and the deprioritization of the disabled caregiver’s own health needs. It is crucial for disabled caregivers to continue to maintain their own health by taking time for themselves when possible and maintaining consistent medical treatment with their own doctors and medical providers. 

Benefits of Disabled Caregivers

As discussed, caregiving can be an ideal role for a person on Social Security disability. This is due to the nature of some caregiving services, such as performing in-home companionship, cooking, and cleaning, which the disabled caregiver can perform on their own schedule as their disability allows and in an environment that accommodates the disabled caregiver’s needs.

At the same time, this arrangement is also more comfortable for the family member being cared for, offering a sense of security and emotional well-being that comes from receiving care from a trusted loved one. Also, family members are generally more understanding and accommodating of a disabled caregiver’s limitations than a traditional employer, whose workplace may have less flexibility for unscheduled absences or performance fluctuations due to pain or other symptoms the caregiver may experience.

Disabled Caregivers on SSI vs. SSDI

Whether providing caregiving services as a disabled person will impact the Social Security disability benefit will depend on the type of Social Security benefit the disabled caregiver is receiving, SSI or SSDI. 

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides financial support to disabled individuals who have worked and contributed to the Social Security system. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), another type of Social Security disability, offers financial assistance specifically to disabled individuals with limited income and resources, where eligibility is assessed based on disability criteria. SSI beneficiaries do not need to have worked or paid any Social Security taxes, but they must meet strict asset tests on a month-to-month basis. Generally, an SSI beneficiary cannot have more than $2,000 in total assets if they are single, or $3,000 in assets if they are married. 

For a disabled caregiver receiving SSDI benefits, all the normal rules regarding the trial work period and SGA level income will apply. For disabled caregivers receiving SSI benefits only, the income from caregiving can significantly offset their SSI monthly benefit check. This is due to the fact that the money received for providing caregiving services is considered “earned income” for SSI purposes, and is subject to offset the monthly SSI paycheck. In general, besides the first $85 in income earned per month, the SSA will deduct $1 for every $2 earned. So, a disabled SSI recipient who earns $1,000 in gross income per month to take care of a family member will have their SSI paycheck reduced by nearly $500.

Work Incentives for Disabled Caregivers

Besides the nine-month trial work period, the Social Security Administration does not offer work incentives for disabled caregivers. However, disabled caregivers on SSDI who reach full retirement age (age 67 for those born after 1960) have no limits on the income they can receive from performing work as a caregiver. This is due to the fact that the SSA does not offset the monthly benefit of workers after they reach full retirement age. This means when a disabled caregiver reaches their full retirement age, their SSDI benefit will automatically convert to Social Security retirement benefits. 

We know that balancing disability benefits with caregiving responsibilities can be overwhelming. At LaPorte Law Firm, we’re dedicated to providing compassionate and knowledgeable support. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

FAQs

For disabled caregivers, navigating the rules and regulations that apply to the SSDI and SSI programs can be a challenge. However, by reviewing the work rules employed by the Social Security Administration, disabled caregivers can avoid unnecessary surprises and make informed decisions about their role as a caregiver.

The SSA does not provide training programs for people to become caregivers. However, they do have a Ticket to Work program for people on disability who want to work. If a disabled caregiver is enrolled in this program, the SSA will not initiate a continuing disability review regarding their ongoing eligibility for Social Security disability. 

Disabled caregivers can apply for IHSS to receive income for all the work they perform as a caregiver for a sick family member or friend. If they meet the eligibility criteria for IHSS, they may be able to receive income from IHSS while also receiving SSDI benefits. However, depending on the amount of money received from IHSS and the length of time spent working, the income could impact their ongoing eligibility for SSDI benefits. If a disabled caregiver uses up their nine-month trial work period, but has to stop working as a caregiver due to their disability, they may apply for an expedited reinstatement of their Social Security disability benefits. 

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