Volunteering and SSI? I want to volunteer but I have been hearing it can endanger my benefits? I am so tired of living an empty life! But I ?

Question

cannot afford to lose benefits. Can I volunteer and my SSI be safe? I would like to volunteer with the library or animal shelter.

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

If you volunteer full-time they may call for a reconsideration and find you could do entry level employment.  If you volunteer parttime or occassionally they will not call for a reconsiderator. Lots of people with disabilities volunteer or work parttime with no impact on  benefits. 

Answer 2

Many people volunteer with no loss in their benefits.

Answer 3

if the volunteer work is something you can do for significant pay, yes you could lose benefits.  if its just something like an environmental group that cleans the park 1x/month, that would not affect your benefit.

if its only a few hours per week, that should not be a problem no matter what it is.

Answer 4

Technically any demonstrated activity that shows you may not need SSI because you could work a real job might endanger it.  However the reality is as long as you don't tell them what you are up to they won't find out.   

Answer 5

It really shouldn't since it's volunteering and not employment. FACT