Benefits, Benefits, Benefits
Turning Potential
Barriers into Incentives
for Recruitment into
National Service
Joyce Armstrong , MA
CT DSS/Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
Connect to Work Center
October 2008
ThePremierResourceCenterforBenefitsInformation
National Service and Benefits
• Are you currently receiving Social
Security Disability Insurance(SSDI) or
Supplemental Security Income(SSI)?
• Any income you receive as a volunteer
must be evaluated. This may include a
living allowance, clothing allowance,
education award and in some cases
room and board.
• It’s time to learn about the work
incentives available to you!
What happens when I have
wages/stipends?
• It depends on the National
Service program where you serve.
• It also depends on the specific
benefits that you are receiving.
• So it’s very important to know
which program and which
benefits apply to you.
Know what benefits you are
receiving
• Social Security
Disability Insurance
(SSDI)
• Supplemental
Security Income
(SSI)
• State Supplement
• Food Stamps or
other state benefits
• Medicare
• Medicaid
– Medicaid buy-in
• Health insurance
through a parent
or employer
Health Insurance
• Medicare
– Available to most
SSDI
beneficiaries
– Eligible after 24
month of SSDI
eligibility
• Medicaid
– Available to most
SSI recipients
• Insurance through
another family
member
• National Service
volunteers and
AmeriCorps and
AmeriCorps* VISTA
volunteers may
have site-specific
programs
• Other medical
insurance programs
offered by states
Cash Benefits
• Supplemental
Security Income
(SSI)
Traditional rules
– Pays cash benefits to
some people with
disabilities who have
limited income and
resources.
– The amount of cash
benefit varies from
state to state. Federal
benefit rate (FBR)
plus State
Supplement.
• Social Security
Disability Insurance
(SSDI)
– Pays cash benefits to
some workers with
disabilities, the
worker’s widow or
the worker’s disabled
adult child.
– The amount of cash
benefit varies based
on the worker’s FICA
contribution.
Cash Benefits cont’d
• Supplemental Security
Income
– Decreases as
earnings increase
– For those on just SSI
• First $85 not
counted
• Half of remaining
earnings counted
after $85 is
deducted
• Social Security
Disability Insurance
– Maintains full
benefits for 9 nonconsecutive months
of Trial Work
($670/mo. gross
2008) and a 3 month
Grace Period
– If earning above
Substantial Gainful
Activity, ($940/mo.
gross 2008) DI
usually stops
Heart Act for SSI Recipients
What It Does
• Affects SSI only
– AmeriCorps and National Civilian Community Corps
(NCCC) participants will no longer have SSI benefits reduced
due to stipends
• Under traditional SSI benefits gradually reduce as
earnings increase
– This is now consistent with all of the other National Service
programs
• Protects Medicaid eligibility in states where Medicaid for those
on SSI is administered by Social Security - called 1634 states
(may not be true in Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New
Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri, North
Dakota and Oklahoma – 209b states that administer their own
Medicaid programs for those on SSI)
What Heart Act Doesn’t Do
• Does not apply to anyone receiving SSDI
benefits
– Refer to SSDI work incentive rules in this
power point
• Does not change the asset limit for those on
SSI ($2,000 single, $3,000 married)
What Happens to Other Benefits ?
• The following benefits may be affected:
– Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
– State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
– Title 20 Social Service Block Grant
– Unemployment Insurance
– Need-based Federal Student Financial Aid
• Check with your state as rules may vary
• Medicare
– Check with SSA or contact your state’s Work Incentives
Planning and Assistance Project
What Happens to my SSDI?
• The Heart Act doesn’t affect SSDI
– The rules are consistent with all of the
National programs
• Any income received as a volunteer must be
evaluated by Social Security including: living
allowance, clothing allowance, education award
and, in some cases, room and board
– There are a number of work incentives
that can be used once the trial work period
and grace period months are completed
that may allow someone to maintain their
SSDI benefit
SSDI Work Incentives
PASS and IRWE
• Plan for Achieving
Self Support
– SSI program
– Can set aside wages
and SSDI or other
income to help with
purchase of goods or
services needed to
reach vocational goal
– Increased income
and assets from
PASS don’t affect SSI
or state benefit
eligibility
• Impairment Related
Work Expenses
– Out-of-pocket money
spent on work
expenses related to
disability
– Social Security
determines approval
after you start to
work
– Must document that
expenses are
necessary to be able
to work and are due
to disability
What happens to my SSDI?
• Unearned income
does not affect SSDI
cash benefits
(except workers
compensation and
state disability).
• Earned income
affected by a
number of work
incentives. Talk
with your benefits
specialists.
• Trial Work Period
(TWP)
• Extended Period of
Eligibility
• Expedited
Reinstatement
• IRWE
• Extended Medicare
• Subsidy
What Happens to my SSDI cont’d
• Stipend payment for any day that you don’t actually work can
be deducted in determining if earnings are Substantial Gainful
Activity (SGA) – this includes payment for holidays, sick days
and personal days
– The value of these days can be deducted from gross
monthly earnings to determine if you are below SGA
– Once trial work and grace period are completed, you are
entitled to your DI check any month that the value of your
earnings is below SGA
– If the total stipend you receive each month is
above SGA, Impairment Related Work Expenses,
Subsidies/Special Considerations and deduction of
leave days may allow you to keep your SSDI benefit
Where Can I Find Help with Using
Work Incentives?
•
Area Work Incentive Coordinators (AWIC) SSA employees who
•
Work Incentive Liaisons (WIL) SSA employees in local offices
•
Work Incentive Planning & Assistance Projects (WIPA) SSA
•
Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security
provide technical assistance (t.a.) and training to WIPA projects
and to local SSA offices within their regions.
who have expertise in work incentives.
funded Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs/benefits
specialists) based in community/public agencies and trained to
help individuals understand the impact of wages on benefits. There
are projects in all 50 states and U.S. Territories. Trained by/receive
t.a. from Virginia Commonwealth University and pass a rigorous
certification process before allowed to do benefits counseling.
Benefits counseling done on an individual basis and benefits
analysis report is provided based on that person’s unique situation.
(PABSS) SSA funded programs to assist beneficiaries/recipients
who are having problems with their Social Security benefits or
vocational rehabilitation services under SSA’s Ticket to Work
program.
Other Important Income and
Asset Building Tools
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
– Low income wage earners can receive tax credits
even if earnings weren’t high enough for deduction
of income taxes
• Federal level program
• Some states also have EITC programs
• Free Income Tax Assistance
– Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
• Free tax preparation sites and e-filing services available
– Tax counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program
• offered by AARP, with timing preference given to
taxpayers 60 & older)
• Check with Internal Revenue Service or AARP
for sites
Resources
• WIPA contacts by state:
– www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/WIPADirectory.
html
SSA AmeriCorps program information:
– www.ssa.gov/work/Youth/americorps.html
• SSA Redbook:
– www.ssa.gov/work/ResourcesToolkits/redbook.html
• SSA Program Operations Manual System
(POMS):
– http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/aboutpoms
– SI 00830.610 and SI 00830.537