Transcript SSA Work Incentives - The Arc of Virginia

1
The Social Security Administration (SSA)
provides:
 Access to free job seeking services.
 Work
Incentives Planning and Assistance
(WIPA) Services. 102 projects nationwide
originally. 2 Virginia projects.
 Protection
and advocacy (P&A) for the
rights of individuals with disabilities.
2
Introduce you to the ways that
special rules can help you keep
all, or the most important features
of, your disability benefits while
you work.
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 How
much can I make and still
keep my benefits?
 If I work, will I lose health benefits?
 Is there a way I can keep more of
my disability check while working?
 When and what must I report to
Social Security?
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A
cash benefit that’s based on
medical disability and financial need.
 The
maximum amount is $674.
 You
can get Medicaid.
 Must
have $2000 or less of resources.
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 If
the person you live with
provides your food and/or
shelter, your SSI check might be
$449/mo.
 But
if you pay room and board
or live alone, you might receive
the full $674/mo.
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 Pays
for practically all medical
expenses except dental.
 Must
have $2000 or less of
resources.
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• The SSA reduces your max SSI by a
portion of your total countable
income each month.
• You always gain far more in wages
than you lose in SSI payments.
• No practical earnings limit.
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Johnny's base SSI check is
$674/month. He earned $785 in April
at Wal-Mart. He reports his earnings to
the Social Security office in May. His
SSI check will be $324 in June. So
before he started working, he lived off
of $674/month. Now he lives off of
$785 + $324 = $1109/month.
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… help the SSI recipient keep more in
his/her SSI check while working.
 Student
Earned Income Exclusion
 Impairment Related Work Expenses
(IRWE)
 Continuation of Medicaid Eligibility
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 Regularly
attending school or IEP.
 Under age 22.
 SSA does not count up to $1,640 of
student’s monthly wages when they
figure his/her SSI payment amount.
The maximum yearly exclusion for
2011 is $6,600.
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 Half
of the money spent on these
items does not count against the
monthly SSI payment.
 Attendant
care services, certain
transportation costs, medical
devices, medications, residential
modifications, and more.
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Normally, $785 in wages reduces
Johnny's SSI check to $324. But
now Johnny can report that he
spends $200/month on psychiatric
counseling so he can maintain his
job. So his SSI check will be
reduced to $424/month instead
of $324.
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A
B
Gross Earned Income
Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)
GIE (If not used previously)
Earned Income Exclusion (EIE)
Impairment-Related Work Expenses, if any
Sub-total
Divided by 2
$1005
-$
0
- $ 20
- $ 65
-$
0
$ 920
$ 460
$1005
-$
0
- $ 20
- $ 65
- $ 100
$ 820
$ 410
Blind Work Expenses (if any)
Total Countable Earned Income =
-$
$ 460
-$
$ 410
PASS Deduction
Total Countable Income =
-$
0
$ 460
- $ 200
$ 210
$ 674
-$ 460
$ 214
$ 674
- $ 210
$ 464
Base SSI Rate
Total Countable Income
Adjusted SSI Payment =
An SSI check might be reduced to $0
by wages. But, Medicaid coverage
can continue if you:
 Are still disabled,
 Need Medicaid in order to work, and
 Have annual earnings not greater
than the state threshold amount
($32,545 for 2011).
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The Bottom Line
For all practical purposes, you will keep
your Medicaid even if you get a very
good-paying job.
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I
o A cash benefit paid from individuals
who have worked and paid into
Federal Insured Contribution Act
(F.I.C.A).
o Monthly benefit check is paid in full
or not at all.
o You will get Medicare.
17
(In this presentation, the term SSDI is
used to represent all three kinds of
Title II disability benefits: SSDI,
Childhood Disability Benefit (CDB),
and Disabled Widow(er) Benefit.
The benefits differ primarily in the
earnings record upon which the
benefit is paid. Wages affect all
three types in the same way.)
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 Federal
medical assistance
program for SSDI and retirement
beneficiaries.
 Must wait 24 months after eligibility
for cash payments begins.
 Part A: Hospitalization (No premium)
Part B: Medical ($96/$96-115 prem.)
Part D: Prescription Drug Plan
(premium varies)
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 Some
may qualify for incomebased full Medicaid or limited
Medicaid QMB.
 Some
may qualify for limited
Medicaid coverage such as
Medicaid SLMB or QI1 which only
pay the Medicare premiums.
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I
 Determines
whether you are
eligible for continued monthly SSDI
payments while you work.
 The
performance of paid work in
which a month’s countable
income is $1000 or more for the
disabled and $1,640 for the blind.
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… help some SSDI beneficiaries keep
their SSDI checks even if they are
earning $1000 or more per month.
22
 Trial
Work Period
 Extended Period of Eligibility
 Impairment Related Work Expenses
(IRWE)
 Subsidies and Special Conditions
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 Complete
protection of your full
disability check no matter how
much you earn during this period.
 This
period ends when you have
accumulated 9 service months.
A
service month in 2011 is earnings
of $720 or more.
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A
36-month period, following the
TWP, in which you are eligible for
your SSDI check when you earn
less than SGA and not eligible
when you earn at or above SGA.
 This
give you month-to-month
protection of your SSDI check.
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But, the first time that you do
perform SGA after your TWP ends,
you’ll still be eligible for your
disability check for that month plus
the next two consecutive months.
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 None
of the money you spend for
these items counts against the SGA
amount.
 Attendant
care services, certain
transportation costs, medical
devices, medications, residential
modifications, and more.
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Irene gets $915/mo. in SSDI. Her first
job since her benefits began pays
her $1200/mo. in a floral shop. SGA is
$1000/mo. She keeps her full SSDI
check throughout her TWP. She
reports $150/mo. in medications and
$75/mo. in counseling expenses for a
total of $225 IRWE. Therefore only
$975 of her wages counts against
SGA during her EPE. She keeps SSDI.
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 Your
employer might say that you
work at a lower productivity rate
but you’re paid at the same rate as
your co-workers.
 If
the SSA and your employer
document this employment
situation, only a percentage of
your wages will count against SGA.
29
 SGA
is $1000/mo. Alice earns
$1300/mo. after the TWP. Ordinarily
she would lose her SSDI check. But
her documented productivity rate
is 70%.
 The
SSA only counts $910 (70% of
$1300) each month against SGA.
She keeps her SSDI check.
30
 Even
if you earn so much money
each month that you eventually
lose your SSDI checks for good, you
still might be able to get your
benefits back if your disability
causes you to stop performing
SGA.
 You
will receive temporary benefits
while the SSA determines your
eligibility.
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 If
you want your benefits back after
you stop performing SGA for any
other reason (like lay-off), you will
have to reapply for benefits to get
them back.
32
Some SSI or SSDI beneficiaries may
want to earn or save too much to
become or remain Medicaid
eligible. Now they may be able to
buy Medicaid in Virginia. See your
DSS worker to apply or CWIC for
details.
33
… lets you keep full Medicaid
coverage while earning up to
$44,340/year and saving up to
$32,545.
You might have to pay a small
monthly premium.
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 An approved PASS helps you pay
for items or services you need to
achieve a job goal.
 In an approved PASS, Social
Security makes you eligible for SSI
or increases your monthly SSI check
to match or nearly match what
you set aside in savings.
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Examples of job goals:
 Paying for vocational training or
college.
 Purchasing job coaching.
 Starting your own business.
 Buying tools to become a
carpenter.
 Becoming a school teacher.
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Omar’s base SSI check is $674/mo.
He’s paid $885/mo. as a grocery
bagger reducing his SSI check to
$275/mo. But Omar wants to be a
doctor’s office worker. He gets an
approved PASS to pay for medical
terminology and billing courses. In
the PASS, he will set aside $400/mo.
for tuition, books, and fees. His SSI
check will be increased to $674/mo.
Tameka gets $944 in SSDI and no
health insurance. She wants to start
her own pet care business . She gets
an approved PASS to pay for pet
care courses, equipment, and
business licenses. In the PASS, she will
set aside $300/mo. The approved
PASS makes her eligible for a small
$50 SSI check and full Medicaid until
her business gets off the ground.
 Report
employment to Social Security.
 Set up a simple filing system.
 Submit pay stubs and IRWE receipts
once every month (including the
month you stop working). SSI call-in
number: 866-772-0953.
 Contact your CWIC.
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vaACCSES WIPA Project,
Call toll-free 1-877-822-2777
Endependence Center WIPA Project,
Toll-free 1-866-323-1088
See your WIPA Project handout for the
CWIC nearest you.
The Virginia Office for Protection
and Advocacy (VOPA), at
804-225-2042 or
www.vopa.state.va.us