We know that being injured can create a significant strain on yourself and your family. It becomes difficult to make money when unable to work. And, if your injury is serious enough, it may be difficult to hold down your current job or interview for a new job.
Now, you’re starting to think about your options to make money, and whether to apply for Social Security Disability benefits.
On the other end of the spectrum, you may be in a situation where you’ve already applied for benefits after not being able to return to work due to injury. Now, you’re waiting for your case to be approved. While waiting for approval, you’re just trying to make ends meet with what you are given. You have options to continue generating income!
Need immediate assistance with your disability case? Complete this FREE evaluation form. There are no upfront costs to work with us. We only receive a fee directly from the Social Security Administration if you win your case – no out-of-pocket expense for you!
Creative Ways to Generate Income While Injured
No matter where you are on your journey to recover financially from the injury, consider these nine ways to make money when you’re injured and unable to work.
1. Sell Some Of Your Belongings Online
Depending on your injury, doing anything physical to earn extra money can be challenging. However, there are plenty of websites where you can sell things online.
Look around your home and see if there’s anything you no longer need. Clothes, furniture, toys, and books are great items to sell online. Places like Ebay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace makes it easy to list your items for sale for a small fee of the item you are selling.
Or, you could arrange a garage or yard sale at your home to sell some items without paying a fee.
2. Sell Crafts On Etsy
If you have a knack for crafts, you can sell your items on Etsy. Knitted blankets, greeting cards, cookies, or sticker decals are some of the items found on Etsy.
You can create your own online store and have people around the world purchase some of your handmade crafts for cash. This is specifically useful for someone who has a craft-related hobby.
3. Become A Freelancer
If you aren’t very crafty, but have other skills that are marketable, you could take freelance jobs. Websites such as Fiverr or Upwork are good places to sign up and look for jobs.
- You’re a good writer and you can still type and sit at the computer while injured.
- You still have mobility to take great video or photos as a photographer.
- You’re experienced in data entry, graphic design, video animation, and translation.
- You have a great voice for voice-overs to earn some extra cash.
4. Become A Driver
If you are still able to sit in a vehicle, maneuver through traffic for long periods of time, and you have a reliable vehicle, you could sign up to be a driver.
Services such as Uber and Lyft can be something that works best for you. You can make your own schedule and earn extra income on the side.
You and your vehicle will need to meet certain guidelines to qualify to be a driver as well as have a valid driver’s license and insurance.
5. Rent Out Your Driveway
If you don’t have a vehicle, but have extra driveway space, you could make a little extra income by renting out your driveway. It might not make you rich, but it’s an easy and effective way to ensure you have a bit of extra money coming in every month.
If you reside in a busy area that is popular with businesses, you will find plenty of professionals that would love a consistent place to park their car every day. Or, if you live in a commercial street, you could rent out space in your driveway for someone to place a car for sale.
6. Rent A Room
Depending on where you live, you could rent out a room in your home to earn some income.
Sites such as Airbnb allow you to rent your room, entire house, apartment, or even a tent in the backyard to travelers. Places in New York City can rent out couches for single people to spend the night.
This idea works best if you live in or near a big city, scenic area, or national park. The guidelines are simple and you can set your own price per night.
7. Get Websites To Pay You
Taking online surveys is an ideal option for extra income, especially if you can’t get around very well. There are plenty of websites that team up with eager businesses looking to make their services and products better.
Websites such as Opinion Outpost, Survey Junkie and Swagbucks will pay you money or rewards in exchange for surveys. From the comfort of your home, you can fill out some of these surveys and earn money or rewards that you can later trade in for gift cards.
8. Become A Pet Sitter
If you are a pet lover and physically can handle managing a pet while injured, you can make extra income via Rover.
Rover is a website that can help you earn up to $1,000 on average per month. You can choose to be a dog walker, host a doggy day care, or board dogs and cats overnight in your home.
As a pet sitter, you have the flexibility to make your own hours and choose how much you want to charge depending on the job. You can also decide on the size and age of the animal you choose to take care of. Keep in mind that sitters who choose to board dogs or cats overnight earn twice as much as sitters that provide other services.
9. Participate in Studies
The option to participate in studies to make money depends on your qualifications for certain types of studies.
Many research centers are looking to do studies on people with specific ailments. You can make money online via surveys if you have psoriasis, or visits in centers if you have arthritis, or longer research studies if you have rheumatoid arthritis.
Many of these studies are available at college campuses or online depending on your city and availability.
Should You Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits?
If you’ve already applied for Social Security Disability benefits and are waiting to be awarded benefits, you can still earn income using one or a few of these ideas we highlighted.
Alternatively, if you’re just starting to consider your options to make money when unable to work, consider contacting us to review your qualifications for disability benefits.
– If you have any questions regarding disability claims and things you can or can’t do while you wait, contact one of our disability experts to assist you. Our team would like to help you during this process.