Social Security Work Incentives: An Employers´ Guide to Benefits Planning and Management for Employees with Disabilities.

First Edition

What are Social Security Work Incentives and how do they affect employees?

What is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits to disabled or blind individuals who are "insured" by workers´ contributions to the Social Security trust fund, meaning that they, their spouses or parents have worked long enough and paid enough Social Security Taxes (FICA).

What is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
The Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI) makes cash assistance payments to aged, blind and disabled people (including children under age 18) who have limited income and resources. The Federal government funds SSI from general tax revenues.

For both programs, medical and other information is collected to make a decision about whether or not the individual meets Social Security´s definition of disability.

What are Work Incentives?
Work Incentives are rules that determine how the employee´s disability benefits will be affected if/when they earn wages from work. They are designed to help the employee enter or advance in the workforce by protecting their cash benefits (if needed) and/or medical benefits until the individual can be more self -supporting. The government is now encouraging people with disabilities to work or seek education or training for more advanced future employment. Work Incentives are designed to give the employee with disabilities the support they need to move from benefit dependency to self-sufficiency.

Detailed information about work incentives can be found on the Federal Government’s Social Security website: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/generalinfo.htm

The Federal Government also funds the Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach Program (BPAO) to help persons with disabilities make informed decisions about work. In addition, the Social Security Administration funded WorkWORLD©, a free, on-line benefits advisor/decision support software for personal computers that is designed to be used by people with disabilities, advocates, benefit counselors, and others.

Your employee with a disability may be qualified for one of these work incentive benefits programs.

A benefits specialist can provide additional information and assistance on accessing these programs.

• 1619(b) for SSI beneficiaries
• Blind Work Incentives
• PASS for SSI beneficiaries
• IRWE for SSI beneficiaries
• Subsidy program for SSDI beneficiaries
• IRWE for SSDI beneficiaries
• PASS Plan for SSDI beneficiaries

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