How Susan Did It

Susan was an architect and single mother. After an automobile accident, she spent 4 years without working due to disabilities caused by the accident. During that time, she got Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and her son got Social Security Child’s Benefits. He was covered by AHCCCS the whole time, while she started out with AHCCCS and later got Medicare. When she felt ready to start working again, she learned that there were work incentives for people with disabilities.

To improve her life situation, Susan:

• Signed up for AHCCCS on CuidadoDeSalud.gov (HealthCare.gov)
• Talked to un/a consultor/a de incentivos de trabajo
• Created an account on the Social Security website and began her application for SSDI benefits
• Applied for Social Security Child’s Benefits for her son, Griffin
• Began getting Medicare health coverage 2 years after her SSDI start date
• Spoke with un/a consultor/a de incentivos de trabajo about work incentives and learned about how she could give work a try without immediately losing benefits
• Looked for a job
• Found a job and requested reasonable accommodations
• Started saving up money in a bank account
• Signed up for Programa de Libertad para Trabajar de AHCCCS using Health-e-Arizona
• Reported the changes in her income to the oficina del Seguro Social and for Griffin’s health coverage on CuidadoDeSalud.gov (HealthCare.gov)
• Switched Griffin from AHCCCS to an individual health plan due to Susan’s higher income

After Susan had been working and making more than $1,550 per month for an entire year, she and Griffin stopped getting benefits from Social Security. At that point, Susan decided to start working full-time.