Workers often file for Social Security Disability after they suffer a traumatic workplace injury and are no longer able to work. People in Louisiana who are no longer able to work deserve the benefits they are entitled to, but sometimes there is an overlap in public benefits and the overlap may affect the amount in Social Security Disability benefits the worker receives.

Disability payments from private sources will not affect a worker's Social Security Disability benefits. Examples of private sources are private insurance benefits or a private pension. In comparison, workers' compensation and other forms of disability benefits provided by a public source may reduce a worker's Social Security Disability award.

Workers' compensation benefits are generally paid by federal or state workers' compensation agencies, insurance companies on the behalf of employers or employers. Disability payments for medical conditions that are not job-related may also impact a worker's Social Security Disability award if the disability payment is paid by a public source like a federal, state or local government. Examples of such benefits are state temporary disability benefits, state or local government retirement benefits based on disability and civil service disability benefits.

Some public benefits will not affect a worker's Social Security Disability award. If a worker receives public benefits like Veterans Administration benefits, state and local government benefits where Social Security taxes were deducted from earnings or Supplement Security Income, the Social Security Disability benefit amount may not be impacted.

A worker who receives Social Security Disability and other public benefits may face a reduction in Social Security Disability benefits. The reduction can be calculated by adding a worker's monthly Social Security Disability benefits including benefits paid to family members with the worker's compensation amount along with any other public disability amount. If the total exceeds 80 percent of the worker's average current earnings, the excess amount is subtracted from the Social Security Disability benefit.

Source: ssa.gov, "How workers' compensation and other disability payments may affect your benefits," Jan. 2011