Working While Disabled

Transcription

1 PASS (SSI) INFORMATION Wrking While Disabled A Guide t Plans fr Achieving Self-Supprt While Receiving Supplemental Security Incme U.S. Department f Health and Human Services, Scial Security Administratin, SSA Publicatin N , August 1991

2 What is a plan fr achieving self-supprt? Basically, a plan fr achieving self-supprt, r PASS fr shrt, is a plan fr yur future. Many peple with disabilities want t wrk, and yu're prbably ne f them. But maybe yu need t g back t schl befre yu can get a jb. Or maybe yu'd like t start yur wn business, but yu just dn't have the mney. Whatever yur wrk gal may be, a PASS can help yu reach it. A PASS lets yu set aside mney and/r ther things yu wn t help yu reach yur gal. Fr example, yu culd set aside mney t start a business r t g t schl r t get training fr a jb. If yu're already getting Supplemental Security Incme (SSI), having a PASS means yu'll be able t keep mre f yur SSI payment each mnth. If yu dn't get SSI because yur incme r resurces are t high, setting up a PASS may help yu qualify. And that can be very imprtant because peple wh get SSI usually get Medicaid, t. Hw will a plan affect my SSI checks? Under regular SSI rules, yur SSI check is reduced by the ther incme yu have. But the incme yu set aside fr a PASS desn't reduce yur SSI check. This means yu can get a higher SSI benefit when yu have a PASS. But yu can't get mre than the maximum SSI benefit fr the State where yu live. Mney yu save r things yu wn such as prperty r equipment that yu set aside fr a PASS wn't cunt against the resurce limit f $2,000 (r $3,000 fr a cuple). Under regular SSI rules, yu wuldn't be eligible fr SSI if yur resurces are abve $2,000. But with a plan, yu may set aside sme resurces s yu wuld be eligible fr SSI. Wh can have a plan? Yu can, if yu: Get SSI (r can qualify fr SSI) because f blindness r a disability; AND Have r expect t receive incme (ther than SSI) and/r resurces t set aside tward a wrk gal. And remember: If yu dn't get SSI nw, having a PASS may help 2

3 yu qualify. What kinds f expenses can a plan help pay fr? A plan may be used t pay fr just abut any expenses that will help yu reach yur wrk gal. Fr example, yur plan may help yu save fr: Supplies t start a business; Tuitin, fees, bks, and supplies needed fr schl r training; Supprted-emplyment services, including payments fr a jb cach; Attendant care r child care expenses; Equipment and tls t d the jb; Transprtatin t and frm wrk; and Unifrms, special clthing, and safety equipment. These are nly examples. Nt all f these will apply t every plan. Yu might have ther expenses depending n yur gal. Hw d I set up a plan? Yur plan must be in writing and apprved by Scial Security. This chart shws the steps yu shuld fllw t set up yur plan. 1. Chse a wrk gal. The gal must be a jb. It shuld be a jb yu're interested in ding and that yu think yu'll be able t d at the end f yur plan. 2. Find ut hw lng it will take t reach yur gal. Nte: A plan shuld nt last lnger than 3 years. But if yur plan invlves schl r training, it may last up t 4 years. 3. Decide what things (such as training r tls) yu will need t reach the gal. Nte: Each persn will need different things t reach the gal. Fr example, if yu want t wrk in a restaurant, yu may need training t learn hw t ck. If yu want t becme a cmputer prgrammer, yu may need a cllege degree and a cmputer in rder t reach yur gal. If yu want t start a business, yu may need t rent a stre r ffice and buy equipment and supplies. 4. Find ut the cst f the things yu need t reach yur gal. 5. Find ut hw much mney yu'll need t set aside each mnth t pay fr them. Plan a way t keep receipts fr the things yu 3

4 need. Nte: If yu're setting aside incme, yur SSI benefit will usually increase t help pay yur living expenses. The peple at Scial Security can estimate what yur new SSI amunt will be if yu set up yur plan. 6. Make plans t keep any mney yu save fr the gal separate frm any ther mney yu have. The easiest way t d this is t pen a separate bank accunt fr the mney yu save under yur plan. But yu dn't have t pen a separate accunt. Just be sure yu can tell us hw yu're keeping it separate. 7. Write the plan, sign, and date it. 8. Bring r mail the plan t yur lcal Scial Security ffice. Wh may help me set up a plan? Anybdy can help. Yu may set up a plan yurself r get help frm: a vcatinal rehabilitatin cunselr; an rganizatin that helps peple with disabilities; an emplyer; a friend r relative; r the peple at yur Scial Security ffice. Hw d I write a plan? There is n required frm fr a plan. Yu may simply write a letter that gives all the infrmatin abut yur plan. Or, t make sure yur plan is cmplete, yu may use the sample utline n the last page f this pamphlet. Pages 7 and 9 shw examples fcmpleted plans using the sample utline. Page 11 explains hw t cmplete the sample utline. What des Scial Security d after I submit my plan? After yu submit yur plan, Scial Security will: review the plan t make sure it is cmplete; decide if there is a gd chance that yu can reach yur gal; decide if any changes are needed and discuss thse changes with yu; and send yu a letter t tell yu if the plan is apprved r 4

5 denied. If yur plan is apprved, Scial Security will cntact yu frm time t time t make sure that yu are ding what yur plan says yu will d t reach yur gal. What happens if my plan is nt apprved? If yur plan is nt apprved, yu have a right t appeal the decisin. The letter yu'll get will explain yur appeal rights and tell yu what yu need t d t appeal. Yu may als submit a new plan t Scial Security. Can I change my plan after it is apprved? Yes. Yu must tell the Scial Security ffice in writing what changes yu want t make, such as a change in hw much mney yu set aside each mnth r additinal expenses yu will have. The Scial Security ffice will tell yu whether the changes are apprved. The changes must be apprved in advance. It is very imprtant that yu tell Scial Security as sn as pssible abut any changes that might affect yur plan. What happens if I cannt cmplete my plan? If yu cannt cmplete yur plan, yu may set up a new plan with a new wrk gal. If yu dn't set up a new plan, any mney r ther things set aside under the riginal plan may begin t cunt tward the $2,000 resurce limit. If they put yu ver the limit, yu may becme ineligible fr SSI. Als, Scial Security will begin t cunt the incme yu were setting aside under the plan. Hwever, as lng as yu tell Scial Security as sn as pssible that yu cannt cmplete yur plan, yu wn't have t pay back any extra SSI yu gt while yu were fllwing yur plan. Hw will a plan affect ther benefits I get? Yu shuld check with the agency that is respnsible fr yur ther benefits t find ut if the plan (and the extra SSI) might affect thse benefits. Are there any ther rules that may help? Yes. Other SSI rules may help yu while yu wrk. They can help yu keep mre f yur SSI check, and they can help yu keep yur Medicaid. There are als sme special rules fr students. Fr mre infrmatin, ask Scial Security fr the bklet, Wrking 5

6 While Disabled-Hw Scial Security Can Help. Fr mre infrmatin If yu want mre infrmatin r if yu want t make an appintment with a Scial Security representative, just give us a call. Our telephne number is listed in yur telephne bk under "Scial Security Administratin" r "U.S. Gvernment". Examples f plans Every plan is different. f plans. The fllwing tw pages shw examples Example 1 is a plan fr Thmas Kelly. Mr. Kelly gets a $227 SSI check and a $200 Scial Security disability check each mnth. He wants t becme a ck. He discusses his gal with his cunselr, wh tells him that he will need 6 mnths f training which will cst $600. He decides that he wants t use $100 f his Scial Security disability check each mnth t pay fr the training. His plan is n the next page. Once Mr. Kelly's plan is apprved, the $100 he sets aside each mnth t pay fr his tuitin wn't cunt against his SSI. Therefre, his SSI will g up by $100. This will help him pay his ther living expenses. Example 2 is a plan fr Mary Arnld. Mrs. Arnld gets a mnthly Scial Security disability check f $500. Her incme is t high fr her t get SSI. She has a chance t g t wrk fr a pttery shp, but she cannt affrd t pay fr the training and tls she will need and still pay fr her living expenses. She discusses the idea with an rganizatin that helps peple with disabilities. The peple in the rganizatin tell Mary that she may be able t set up a plan t use part f her Scial Security disability check t pay fr a pttery instructr and pttery tls. If Mrs. Arnld's plan is apprved, the $200 per mnth she is using tward her wrk gal wn't cunt when Scial Security figures if she can get SSI. Therefre, she'll be eligible fr an SSI payment while she's wrking tward her gal. 6

7 Plan fr Achieving Self-Supprt Name: Thmas Kelly SSN: My wrk gal is: Ck 2. I want my plan t begin in: Octber 1990 (mnth and year) I expect t reach my gal in: March 1991 (mnth and year) 3. I will have the fllwing expenses in rder t reach my gal: Cnnectin Item t Gal Mnth(s) Paid Cst Ttal Tuitin-- Training needed 10/90-3/91 $100 per $600 Culinary Academy t learn jb mnth 4. I already have the fllwing mney r prperty that I will use t reach the gal: NONE 5. I expect t receive the fllwing incme that I will use t reach the gal: $100 per mnth frm my Scial Security disability check 6. I will keep the mney I set aside under my plan in the fllwing bank accunt: Nne. I will pay the mney tward my tuitin each mnth. 7. I am/am nt already wrking r saving tward the gal. ====== 8. Signature: Date: 9. Individual(s) wh helped me with the plan: JOHN JONES, Office f Vcatinal Rehabilitatin 7

8 Plan fr Achieving Self-Supprt Name: Mary Arnld SSN: My wrk gal is: pttery maker 2. I want my plan t begin in: January 1991 (mnth and year) I expect t reach my gal in: December 1991 (mnth and year) 3. I will have the fllwing expenses in rder t reach my gal: Cnnectin Item t Gal Mnth(s) Paid Cst Ttal Payments t pt- t learn hw 1/91-8/91 $50 per $400 tery instructr t make pttery mnth pttery tls required by 1/91-12/91 $150 per $1,800 & supplies emplyer mnth 4. I already have the fllwing mney r prperty that I will use t reach the gal: Nne 5. I expect t receive the fllwing incme that I will use t reach the gal: I will pay $50 per mnth ut f my Scial Security check fr my lessns. I will save $150 per mnth frm January thrugh December fr the tls I will need. 6. I will keep the mney I set aside under my plan in the fllwing bank accunt: If my plan is apprved, I'll pen an accunt at the XYZ Bank. 7. I am/am nt already wrking r saving tward the gal. ====== 8. Signature: Date: 9. Individual(s) wh helped me with the plan: Nancy Franklin frm the Organizatin fr Peple with Disabilities 8

9 Hw t cmplete the PASS utline If yu use the sample utline, fill in yur name and yur Scial Security number in the spaces at the tp f the utline. Cmplete the rest f the utline as fllws: Line 1: Write yur wrk gal. Be as specific as pssible. Line 2: Shw the mnth and year when yu want yur plan t begin. This shuld be the mnth when yu'll start setting mney aside t reach yur gal. Next, shw the mnth and year yu expect t reach yur wrk gal. Line 3: List each f the items yu'll need t pay fr in rder t reach yur gal. Shw hw each item will help yu reach yur gal and shw the mnths in which yu'll set aside the mney t pay fr them. Als, shw hw much each item csts. Sme items, such as training, may have an hurly, weekly, r mnthly cst. If s, shw this and the ttal cst. Line 4: Shw any resurces yu wn nw (fr example, mney in a bank accunt) that yu'll use t pay fr the items listed in line 3. If yu dn't have any resurces r dn't plan t use them fr this purpse, shw "Nne." Line 5: Shw any incme yu expect t get in the future ther than yur SSI that yu'll use t pay fr the items listed in line 3. If yu wn't use future incme, shw "Nne." Nte: Yu must have sme frm f incme r resurces t use t pay fr the items in line 3. If yu dn't, a PASS wn't help yu. Line 6: If yu intend t save mney t pay fr the items in line 3, yu must keep the mney yu save separate frm any ther mney yu have. If yu pen a bank accunt t d this, shw the name f the bank and the accunt number. If yu dn't intend t pen a bank accunt, shw hw yu will keep the mney saved under the plan separate frm yur ther mney. Line 7: Indicate whether r nt yu are already wrking tward the gal r saving mney tward the gal. If s, shw the mnth yu started. Line 8: Sign yur name and write the date yu signed the plan. Line 9: Shw the name and address f any persn r 9

10 rganizatin wh helped yu develp yur plan. Plan fr Achieving Self-Supprt Name: SSN: 1. My wrk gal is: 2. I want my plan t begin in: (mnth and year) I expect t reach my gal in: (mnth and year) 3. I will have the fllwing expenses in rder t reach my gal: Cnnectin Item t Gal Mnth(s) Paid Cst Ttal I already have the fllwing mney r prperty that I will use t reach the gal: 5. I expect t receive the fllwing incme that I will use t reach the gal: 6. I will keep the mney I set aside under my plan in the fllwing bank accunt: 7. I am/am nt already wrking r saving tward the gal. 8. Signature: Date: 9. Individual(s) wh helped me with the plan: 10