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Benefits & Work Incentives

This section provides workers and job seekers and their families with information about the impact of paid work on benefits.

Before you go to work, you need answers to your questions as to what will happen to your Social Security disability and medical benefits when you start earning money.

Benefits planning can be an overwhelming and challenging process without any help. Complex benefit rules, along with fears of losing cash assistance and health benefits, may discourage people with disabilities from working.

The following resources and links will help you get that information so that you can make the best choices about the different kinds of job offers that come up.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has developed a number of incentives or supports to assist people with disabilities to enter the workforce. In recent years, there have been changes to the Social Security disability programs that make it easier for people who receive benefits to go to work.

• Disability Benefits 101 (DB101)
  DB101 is where you, your family or support team can get important information to help in your planning on going to work. DB101 helps California workers, job seekers, and service providers understand the connections between work and benefits. DB101 has benefits information as well as benefits planning calculators in English and Spanish on how paid work affects benefits. [The following is excerpted from DB101]
  

  "The DB101 attitude is that the disability experience is unique for each individual, and that benefit programs can affect that experience in different ways at different times. With planning, people with disabilities can take control of finding the programs and jobs that meet their needs. For service providers and program managers, information sharing helps everyone understand how programs interact with each other."

  "DB101 brings together rules for health coverage, benefit, and employment programs that people with disabilities use. These programs may be run by state, federal government, non-profit, or private organizations. Here we discuss them under one roof and in plain language."

  Also contact a Benefits Planner near where you live for more information (DB101 California, Benefits Planners).

• The Red Book
  The Social Security Administration provides complete information on work incentives for beneficiaries of SSI and SSDI in The Red Book (http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/). The Red Book is available in both English and Spanish.
• Going to Work
  The University of Massachusetts Institute for Community Inclusion's 2009 guide, "Going to Work" provides timely and understandable information about Social Security work incentives.
• Area Work Incentives Coordinators
  The Social Security Administration also provides Area Work Incentive Coordinators (AWICs) who speak to local groups about benefits and work incentive options. To talk to an AWICs and find out how they can assist you, visit the website http://www.ssa.gov/sf/awic.htm for a location near you.

EXAMPLES of WORK INCENTIVES:

1. Plan to Achieve Self-Sufficiency (PASS)

If you want to set aside money to pay for a career goal, Social Security’s Plan for Achieving Self-Sufficiency (PASS) could be a good deal. If you receive SSI and have another source of income, the PASS program allows you to save for that goal – and you can use SSI to pay for basics such as food and shelter. Income or resources that are set aside in PASS are not counted when determining eligibility for SSI.

• Countable earnings are placed into a specific bank account to purchase items or services (such as college education or training) or to achieve a specified Social Security approved work goal.
• PASS is an SSI program benefit. SSDI beneficiaries can set aside their cash benefit in the PASS program and save for a Social Security approved employment goal and so become eligible for and receive a SSI cash benefit when using the PASS program.

Because countable earnings are in the PASS, SSA will NOT reduce your SSI check. Really Cool! People use PASS to pay for expenses for college, training, or business start-up to get jobs that pay enough to get off benefits!

For additional information on PASS, please the Social Security website at http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/11017.html

2. Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)

Items and services that a person with a disability pays for out of pocket to be able to work can be deducted from your gross earnings when you report wages to Social Security.

Do you have items or services that you pay for yourself or need in order to work, and are related to your disability? These are called Impairment-Related Work Expenses at Social Security and they can help you when your report these expenses when you work.

IRWEs can help when you work!

Examples of IRWEs are out of pocket expenses that pay for:

• Supported Employment Services
• Attendant Care Services
• Special Transportation
• Residential Modifications
• Medical Support Devices
• Medication Co-Payments
• Routine Drugs and Routine Medical Services
• Work Equipment
• Prosthesis

For more information about IRWEs, visit the Social Security web site at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook/eng/ssdi-and-ssi-employments-supports.htm.

3. Ticket-to-Work

Social Security disability beneficiaries can use a Ticket-to-Work to receive employment support services from an employment service provider (called Employment Networks) of their choice. Employment Networks are private organizations or government agencies who have agreed to work with Social Security to provide employment services to beneficiaries with disabilities.

• Ticket-to-Work users do not have to go through any medical Continuing Disability Reviews while using their Ticket and planning for paid work.
• Part-time work is OK in the Ticket to Work program.

For additional information on the Ticket-to-Work, visit the Social Security web site at www.ssa.gov/work/Ticket/ticket_infor.html.

4. Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program
California's best kept health coverage secret!

If you are a person with a disability and you work full-time, part-time, or are self-employed, you may be able to receive Medi-Cal health coverage and work! The Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program allows you to earn up to $55,000 in 2009, as an individual and still qualify for affordable Medi-Cal coverage.

If you have a share of cost because of your earnings, or if you have been denied Medi-Cal because you are working, you may be able to have that good job and keep your Medi-Cal with this program. If you receive Medicare but not Medi-Cal, enrolling in the California Working Disabled Program will automatically qualify you for the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (plan-covered prescription drugs between $1 and $5).

For a complete brochure on this program, visit the California Health Incentives Improvement Project web site at http://www.chiip.org/publications.html or review the listing of Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program County Coordinators.