| WORKING WORLD
By Tamar Asedo Sherman
For most of us, our greatest concern in thinking about going back to work is losing our benefits, whether they come from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or both. Surely you can take a part-time job without losing your benefits, but then you wonder, how much can you earn and keep your benefits, and at what point would it be worth it to go over the $980 monthly limit and actually lose those benefits? It might seem overwhelming to try to figure these things out for yourself, but there is help out there: Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects were established by the Social Security Administration in each state to help people with disabilities with benefits planning, job placement and career development. A WIPA counselor can help you sort through work incentive options available to you and how working will affect your benefits so you can make an informed decision about taking a job.
For instance, Thomas was offered a job in customer service at $15 an hour for 20 hours a week. He would be earning $300 a week or $1,200 a month, which is over the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit of $980. He didn’t know whether he should accept it. He didn’t want to lose his SSDI benefits or his medical coverage, but he was eager to return to work to feel productive and get out of the house, and $1,200 is a little more than $1,025. Was it worth it?
Thomas contacted his local Work Incentives Planning and Assistance center, where a trained and certified counselor met with him and reviewed his work history, disability and other related information. The current policy means he would lose his monthly SSDI check of $1,025 if he earns more than the SGA of $980. That’s not an incentive to go to work.
The counselor showed him how he could deduct Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) from his earnings of $1,200 to bring the level down below the SGA. He has expenses for paratransit services to get to and from work of $6 a day for 5 days a week; that amounts to $30 per week or $120 a month. He also has co-payments for medication of $110 a month. Adding the two together he has deductions of $230 a month from his $1,200, which brings him down to $970 a month earnings.
Thomas was relieved to discover that he could accept the job offer without jeopardizing his SSDI benefits and now he will have his $1,025 check plus $1,200 in earnings (minus taxes, of course) each month. It is definitely worth it!
Barbara Barbin, community work incentives coordinator at the Houston Center for Independent Living (HCIL), said she likes to work with people like Thomas, who are at the stage of considering a job offer. But you certainly can contact a WIPA when you are beginning to think of going back to work, just to get a sense of how much you could earn. She noted an increase in contacts with the downturn in the economy.
“Many people feel they must go to work for financial reasons, but most haven’t worked in a long time. They don’t know what they can do. They need training.” She refers them to their state vocational rehabilitation agency.
“We use the Ticket to Work Employment Networks to get people résumé ready, an evaluation and training,” Ms. Barbin said. “And of course there are those who want to work, but really are too disabled to do so.”
She further noted that if you’re on SSDI and going to work for first time, you can earn as much as you want for 9 months (trial work period) and keep your benefits. But after that, if you earn more than $980, you get 3 more months grace period. before you lose your benefits.
However, Ms. Barbin is reassuring regarding health benefits: you can keep them on a month-to-month basis, depending on earnings, and if you work yourself off benefits, you can continue Medicaid on the 1619 program. Beyond that, there is the Medicaid buy-in program if you earn more than $29,000.
In order for a counselor to provide you with accurate information for your particular situation, it is helpful if you obtain a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from Social Security with your current benefits status and work history in advance. Call 800-772-1213 to ask for a BPQY form number SSA – 2459 or log onto www.ssa.gov.
Tamar Asedo Sherman is an employment specialist. She can be reached at tsherman@unitedspinal.org.
