* NOTE: New service providers called Work Incentive Planning and Assistance, Projects (WIPAs), formerly known as Benefits Planning Assistance Organizations, will assist SSA disability beneficiaries with information about work incentives, benefits planning, and making choices about work.

Developing Linkages to Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach Services presented by EmployAbility

Concerns about the impact of earned income on social security benefits and other benefits (food stamps, housing, insurance, etc) are a significant barrier to employment for individuals and for family members. Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) Programs exist to enable recipients of SSI and SSDI with disabilities to make informed choices about work. BPAO Benefit Specialists can work cooperatively with Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) to provide information to SSA recipients and beneficiaries in a number of ways. They can help with planning and assistance around work incentives and with understanding the impact of work on benefits.

EmployAbility found that staff members could provide basic counseling on benefits, however it was not easy to keep current on the annual changes in social security allowances and other changes affecting other types of benefits. In addition, with high CRP staff turnover, not all staff members have adequate training to provide such counseling.

In order to address family and individual concerns, EmployAbility proactively established an arrangement with their local Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach office. A Specialist from the BPAO office comes to EmployAbility monthly, and more often if needed, to discuss and counsel job seekers on their specific situations. This counseling from the BPAO Benefits Specialist has helped a number of job seekers understand the benefit situation and move on to search for and ultimately secure employment with the assistance of EmployAbility.

Sam has an intermittent work history and often would start a job but then quit. One reason was related to his concerns about losing his benefits. Janice, Sam's employment consultant with EmployAbility, arranged for him to meet with a benefits counselor through the agency’s partnership with Ability Resources, the local BPAO office. Sam met with the BPAO Specialist, and they mapped out how work would impact his benefits. Reassured by this information, he went to work on a part time basis.

Sam has been employed successfully for over a year. The next step will be to revisit benefits planning with him in order to increase his work hours. It will take time for Sam to move to full time employment. However, regularly scheduled access to BPAO supports provides an opportunity to address both his goals and concerns about losing benefits in a proactive manner.

For additional information on benefits planning, please refer to the following link on T-TAP. This URL has a number of fact sheets and briefs developed by the VCU Benefits Assistance Resource Center funded by the Social Security Administration.

http://www.t-tap.org/strategies/benefits/benefits.html

Additional resources can be found at Social Security Online:
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/