As for my disability it's not a scam. I found out around February or March of last year I have bulging disk in my back. That's why I finally retired early.
I'm not disputing that you found out. I'm disputing that you found out and retired for disability yet you continue to do work that will void this claim.
Just pray that you don't get the same condition one day.
I don't think anyone prays for a disability - and if it's that bad, you shouldn't be a DJ (nor anything else that involves heavy equipment).
I had times when I've had to stop driving and get out to stretch for a few minutes so I could continue to drive.
I think most people have to do this.
That includes while I've been playing and standing up for some hours then being in a lot of pain at the end of the night or when ever the time of the event.
So what would be your answer when an investigator asks a question regarding this.
I had nights where I might have gotten may be 1/2 hour of sleep. I would be so tired I couldn't make it to work.
You would be so tired that you couldn't make it to work but I wonder how many booked events you missed because of this?
How do you consider this to not be a scam at some level? You claim disability so you don't have to work, yet you are willing to haul / move heavy equipment? Even using a hand truck is wrong if you are truly disabled. Doesn't this seem wrong to you?
How would you feel if your partner claimed he couldn't help you move anything anymore because he hurt his back .. and then you see him working with a moving company?
I'm certain there are events you have done by yourself - with no help. Who moved the gear then? ALL of this will look suspicious to an investigator. One of the first questions they will ask - your disabled but you run a DJ company? If you don't move gear, who does? Do you always have help with you? Always? You are not ever alone? If so, are they your employee? Are you paying business and employee taxes? Do you have workers comp? The list goes on and on.
If you are truly disabled and collecting, you should not be loading, unloading, moving, setting up or taking down anything. This also applies to normal everday activities - like buying and moving furniture, tv's, etc - but moreso for things you do regularly, like loading and unloading your van. Even pulling equipment out of your van and putting it on a dolly / hand truck could be grounds for fraud. Heck, even pulling equipment to the edge of the van could be grounds for fraud. Not loading / moving / setting up means you are paying people to do this for you. This means they are an employee. This means you are also paying taxes on the business and its employees and I'm pretty certain that everywhere requires workers comp for employees (if they get hurt while working for you) - for NJ, this is a requirement and there are severe penalties for not having workers comp for an employee.
Let's also be honest about something here - while I do respect that you were gainfully employed as a janitor, you are now claiming disability from said job. Do you think that the disability office will be ok with you working as a DJ but not able to perform your normal duties? Think about this seriously, because it has the potential to cost you any disability funds received, in addition to financial and other penalties, as well as jail time. The disability office has special teams just waiting for someone to collect fraudulently. They will find you and you will become another example / statistic for them if you're not doing it right. Claiming "I didn't know" is not a valid excuse.
Examples:
1: A Massachusetts man was convicted of receiving more than $55,000 in disability payments while continuing to work at his bar. Antonios Sarantos purchased and opened the T.J. Gupeez bar in Taunton, then purportedly injured his back while working at the prison as a state corrections officer. Undercover officers reported witnessing Sarantos working in the bar, even as he contended he was too injured to return to prison work.
2: Eleven people were charged in October of 2011 in an enormous fraud scheme in which Long Island Rail Road workers falsely claimed to have disabling injuries, with some of them collecting pensions while spending time playing golf.
