4/8/17 Yes You Can Work! Working While Applying for and Receiving SSA Benefits PRESENTED BY: AMY LAMERSON, MSW SSI OHIO PROJECT MANAGER SOAR STATE LEAD FOR OHIO 1 What is SOAR? SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) helps increase access to Social Security AdministraAon (SSA) disability benefits for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness by providing SSA with complete and comprehensive applicaAons. Use of the SOAR process significantly increases approval rates on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicaAons, resulAng in a significant step toward recovery for individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. For many persons in recovery accessing benefits is a first step. But SOAR extends beyond and also encourages employment as a means to increase individual income and further promote recovery. Supported Employment, especially the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, is proven to help increase employment for people with disabiliAes. 2 Learning ObjecPves § Gain a beQer understanding of SSA’s work incenPves and related resources. § Gain a beQer understanding of employment resources available to SOAR applicants and beneficiaries. § Gain a beQer understanding of how SOAR providers can effecPvely collaborate with IPS supported employment providers. 3 1
4/8/17 Why Are We Talking About Employment in a Disability training? 4 Working for More than Income ü Self-worth and self-confidence ü Define a role for the person in the community ü Foster a connecPon to others ü Add structure to daily life ü CriPcal step in recovery 5 Common Myths § If you work, your SSI/SSDI applicaPon will be automaPcally denied § Benefits and health insurance end immediately when start working § You can only work part-Pme while receiving disability § If Social Security knows you are working, they will say you aren’t disabled anymore Luckily for the people we serve, these myths are false! 6 2
4/8/17 SOAR as an Agent of Hope § Employment is possible during and aYer an applicaPon for SSI/SSDI § Develop experPse in work incenPves offered by SSA and give examples of how work will affect benefits § IdenPfy and collaborate with employment support services 7 Start Talking About Work § Begin the conversaPons early and have them oYen § Remind the individual that it is their decision, let him/her weigh pros and cons § Provide reassuring and encouraging messages § Ensure the applicant is equipped with accurate informaPon about working while applying for and receiving SSI/SSDI 8 Employment ConversaPon Guide and SAMPLE Responses 9 3
4/8/17 Yes You Can Work! Myths & Facts 10 Benefits Planning Is EssenPal § Impact on Social Security income, health insurance and other benefits § ReporPng earnings § Maximizing SSA work incenPves 11 Working While Disabled: How Social Security Can Help 12 4
4/8/17 What Are The SSDI and SSI Programs? Social Security Disability Insurance provides benefits to disabled or blind people who are “insured” by workers’ contribuAons to the SSA trust fund. SSI makes cash assistance payments to the aged, blind and disabled who have limited income and assets. 13 SSI benefits Generally, the more income an individual has, the lower his or her benefit will be, however, there are some exclusions that help the individual keep a higher benefit payment, such as: 14 AYer Approval for SSI/SSDI § Income Exclusion for SSI § Impairment-Related Work Expense (IRWE) § Plan to Achieve Self-Support § Expedited Reinstatement of (PASS) Benefits (EXR) § Trial Work Period (TWP) § Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) § Subsidy 5
4/8/17 What happens to cash benefits? $$ Work Pays $$ Supplemental Security Income (SSI) § Income Exclusion § Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) § Trial Work Period § Extended Period of Eligibility SubstanPal Gainful Employment (SGA) What is substanAal gainful acAvity? SGA is work acAvity either as an employee or a self- employed person It is used as a guideline to determine iniAal and conAnuing disability enAtlement for SSDI beneficiaries and iniAal enAtlement for SSI recipients. 17 SGA Amounts 2017 Non Blind $1170 per month ($1130 in 2016) Blind $1950 per month ($1820 in 2016) 18 6
4/8/17 Determining if Earnings are SGA An SGA determinaAon is a process that focuses on a person’s earnings and his or her work acAvity. The gross earnings are only the starAng point when making an SGA determinaAon. We also evaluate the following: ◦ Impairment related work expenses (IRWE) ◦ Subsidy/special condiAons ◦ VacaAons/sick payment ◦ Any earnings not directly related to your work acAvity (royalAes) 19 While Applying for SSI/SSDI Yo You can work during the applicaPon process SSA looks at the type and amount of work § Earn up to $1,130/month, $1,170/month (2017) Strategy: Encourage work from the start § Can help to strengthen the applicaPon § Might find that supported employment works beQer for individual Income Exclusion: SSI Only § Certain amounts of earnings are excluded when calculaPng countable income § General exclusion: $20 § Earned income exclusion: $65 § If SSI is sole income, both exclusions apply § AYer exclusions, SSA Counts $1.00 for every $2.00 earned 7
4/8/17 SSI Earned Income Exclusion 65.00 plus 1/2 of the remaining monthly earned income (wages or self-employment) is excluded from countable income to provide an incenAve for SSI recipients to work 22 CalculaPng Countable Income: SSI Gross Earnings From Work: $1,553 General Exclusion: ($20) Earned Income Exclusion: ($65) = $1468 $1 Counted for Every $2 Earned: $1468/2 Countable Income: = $734 Maximum SSI check – Countable Income: $735-734 Amount of SSI Check: $1 Total Income: $1,554 *Calcula9ons use the 2017 $1,554 > $735 Federal Benefit Rate for SSI of $735/month Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) Allows beneficiaries to set aside wages or other income besides SSI and/or resources to pursue a work goal Expenses: educaAon, vocaAonal training, assisAve technology used for employment–related purposes, or starAng a business SSA does not count the income that you set aside under PASS when they figure the SSI payment amount. 24 8
4/8/17 PASS Plan: SSI Only § PASS = Plan to Achieve Self-Support § Allows an SSI recipient to save money for an educaPonal or vocaPonal goal in a separate account, which is not counted as a resource or countable income when determining his/her SSI payment § The PASS must be wriQen and approved by SSA, and the goal must be reasonable to aQain in three years. § Example: Joe works part-Pme as a line cook in a restaurant would like to aQend culinary school to get a job as a chef at a local hotel. The tuiPon for culinary school is $3,000. § With an approved PASS plan, savings to pay this tuiPon would not be counted as a resource and would not eliminate his SSI eligibility. Student Earned Income Exclusion 2017 SSI student (under age 22) must be regularly acending school Exclude up to $1790/month of earned income, up to $7,200 a calendar year ($1780/$7180 in 2016) 26 Work IncenPves Work IncenAves are SSA rules that help beneficiaries keep their benefits as they explore work. By using Work IncenAves, beneficiaries can make more money, gain new skills, and achieve greater independence through work. 27 9
4/8/17 AYer Approval for SSI/SSDI Yo You ca can w work wh ork while r ile receivin eceiving S g SSI/S I/SSDI DI Strategy: Connect with work support programs § SSA’s Ticket to Work § www.chooseworkQw.net § Supported Employment Programs § Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Ticket to Work (TTW) • A free and voluntary program available to people ages 18-64 who are blind or disable and receive SSDI or SSI benefits. • Provides services to help the beneficiary find and maintain employment. Services may be training, career counseling, vocaAonal rehabilitaAon, job placement, and ongoing support services necessary to achieve a work goal. • May not be subject to a medical conAnuing disability review 29 Trial Work Period (TWP): SSDI Only § 9 months of gross earnings (per current SSA rate) § Need not be consecuPve § Are counted within a 5-year period § Triggers a review of one’s conPnued eligibility for SSDI § ConPnue to receive full benefit check during this Pme 10
4/8/17 Trial Work Period Example: SSDI It only counts as a TWP month when earnings are above the threshold set each year by SSA 2017 = $840 2016 = $810 2015 = $780 Month Earnings TWP Month Earnings TWP Jan 2015 $900 Yes-1 Jan 2016 $900 Yes-7 Feb 2015 $550 No Jun 2016 $500 No Mar 2015 $790 Yes-2 Jul 2016 $500 No April 2015 $600 No Aug 2016 $800 No Aug 2015 $845 Yes-3 Sep 2016 $500 No Sept 2015 $850 Yes-4 Oct 2016 $800 No Oct 2015 $860 Yes-5 Dec 2016 $900 Yes-8 Nov 2015 $850 Yes-6 Jan 2017 $1000 Yes-9 When the Trial Work Period Ends § SSA will look at earnings in the first month aYer the Trial Work Period to determine if the person is earning SGA § Countable earnings can be reduced with a Subsidy and/or Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) § If earning SGA: Benefits cease aYer a 3 month grace period § If not earning SGA: Benefits conPnue Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE): SSDI Only § Applies only to SSDI § Lasts 36 months from the end of the TWP (if applicable) § Applies to any month in which earnings fall below SGA § Allows beneficiaries to receive SSDI in the months of non- SGA earnings during the EPE 11
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