Life after UP: Going to Work

1. Life after UP: Going to Work By Cassie Coco and Charlotte Pritchett

2. Agenda for Today • Introduction • Finding a job • Making the most of benefits • Review the effect of earned income on benefits • The services of the UP program vocational component

3. Finding a Job • Your participant will have job experiences to help when leaving the UP Program • If they lose that job they will need resources for getting another one • Following are some of these: • Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) • Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) • Ticket to Work

4. Vocational Rehabilitation Services Provides services for people with disabilities to assist in finding employment, including: • Technology assessments, equipment and software to assist with work • Vocational assessments • Financial support for training • Job sampling

5. VR continued • Help finding a job • Training for a specific job • Supported employment/job coach • Long term follow up • Paid, 4 month internships *VR contact information found on the Resource People and Agencies sheet

6. Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) • Offers assistance to employment service providers and job seekers • Provides job leads from employers wanting to hire people with disabilities • Toll free # 1-866-EARN-now (1-866-327-6669) • http://www.askearn.org/

7. Ticket to Work • For SSI recipients ages 18 to 64 • The Ticket to Work can be used to find a job through VR or any other Employment Network (EN): • job referrals • skills and job training • employment support/job coaching • No reevaluation of SSI eligibility

8. Ticket to Work Cont. • You should have been sent a Ticket to Work when you qualified for SSI or when you turned 18. • You may request another one • Contact: Ticket Call Center: 1-866-968-7842 or http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10061.html#ticket

9. Making the Most of Your Income and Benefits • Plan to Achieve Self Support (PASS) • Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) • Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) of benefits

10. PASS Program • A work incentive plan that allows person receiving SSI to set aside otherwise countable income for a specified period of time • The money can be set aside to achieve a goal: For school, tools, transportation, uniforms, computer, etc. to help you get a job * Must develop a written plan to submit • Contact: http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/pass.htm

11. Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) • Cost of items may be deducted from your earned income for SSI payment purposes • Items or services that allow you to work: transportation, job coach, wheelchairs ramps, prosthesis, routine medications and services, service animal. • Cost of services must be reasonable • No other agency or benefit can pay http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-work- expenses.htm

12. Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR) • How do you get your benefits back fast if you have lost them because of excess income? • Eligible for SSI if you lose your job within 5 years • No new application needed • EXR allows payments for 6 months while medical review takes place • You must still have your original impairment or something related *http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-expedite-ussi.htm#top

14. Review of Calculating Countable and Total Gross Income Example

15. Services of the UP Program Vocational Component • Career Development Course • Networking in the Community • Networking with VR • Networking with Parents • Benefits Analysis courtesy of WORKworld software?

16. Resources • WIPA coordinators: • Provide work incentives planning and assistance • Help families and beneficiaries determine eligibility for federal and state work incentives programs • Refer to State VR agencies or Employment Networks • Provide information about health benefits once working • Contact: http://www.ssa.gov/work/WIPA.html

17. Resources • 2011 Red Book and 2012 updates: A Summary Guide to Employment Supports for Persons with Disabilities under the Social Security Income Programs • http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/