The Equip For Equality PABSS Project Presents

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The Equip For Equality PABSS Project Presents

• THE TICKET TO WORK

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Equip For EqualityProtection and Advocacy

• Mission To advance the human and civil
  rights of people with physical mental
  disabilities
• Equip For Equality Services Include
• ? Self-Advocacy Assistance ? Information
  Referral
• ? Public Policy Advocacy ? Training
  Education
• ? Abuse/Neglect Investigations ? Latino
  Outreach
• ? Traumatic Brain Injury Project ? Legal
  Advocacy
• ? Special Education Issues ? Guardianship
  Reform
• ? Employment Issues ? Assistive Technology

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PABSS A Blue Ribbon Project
PABSS Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries
of Social Security
PABSS Breaking Down Barriers to Employment
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The Ticket To Work

• Is This A Winning Ticket?

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The 1996 GAO Report

• In July 1996, the Government Accounting Office
  (GAO) recommended that SSA place more emphasis on
  return-to-work efforts. (SSA Disability
  Return-to-Work Strategies From Other Systems May
  Improve Federal Programs GAO/HEHS-96-133).
• GAO estimated that if 1 of the disability
  beneficiaries on the rolls returned to work,
  lifetime cash benefits would be reduced by 2.9
  billion.
• GAO determined that these savings would double
  if as many as 2 of the beneficiaries returned to
  work.

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1996 GAO ReportPrinciple Findings

• Intervene early to facilitate return to work
• Identify and provide necessary return-to-work
  services and manager cases
• Provide incentives to engage in return-to-work
  efforts

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The Ticket to Work

• Ticket To Work And Work Incentives Improvement
  Act Of 1999
• Enacted on Dec. 17, 1999. Senate Vote 99 to 0
• Goals
• Increase beneficiary choice in obtaining
  rehabilitation and vocational services to help
  them go to work and attain their employment
  goals
• Remove barriers that require people with
  disabilities to choose between health care
  coverage and work and
• Assure that more Americans with disabilities have
  the opportunity to participate in the workforce
  and lessen their dependence on public benefits.

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The Ticket to Work A Winning Ticket?

• The Ticket To Work Program provides for
• Assistance through PABBS and BPAO Programs
• Improved Work Incentives
• Protection from a Continuing Disability Review
  (CDR)
• Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR)
• Expanded Medical Coverage (Medicare Medicaid)
• Choice in VR services -- Employment Networks
  (ENs)
• SSA Area Work Incentive Coordinators (AWIC) and
  Work Incentive Liaisons
• Demonstration Projects
• Ticket to Work Panel

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Ticket Eligibility

• 18-64 years of age
• In active pay status for SS Cash Benefits
• Not expected to improve medically, or had a CDR
  within the past 12 months
• If you have questions, call PABSS at Equip for
  Equality, or MAXIMUS, the Program Manager for The
  Ticket to Work Program. (See the Resource List
  at the end)

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PABSSAreas of Assistance

• PABSS Provides Education, Training, Problem
  Solving, and Advocacy regarding
• Social Security Benefits Work Incentives
  Information
• Obtaining Vocational Rehabilitation Services
  (DRS)
• Using the Ticket to Work
• The relationship between a beneficiary and an EN
• Employment Laws (A.D.A. F.M.L.A.)
• School to Work Transition Issues
• Employment Barriers

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PABSSAreas of Assistance

• PABSS Issues Include
• ? Employment Discrimination ? VR Services
• ? Medical Treatment/Benefits ? Housing
• ? Transportation ? Garnished
  Wages
• ? SS Overpayments ? Criminal Records
  
• ? Ticket to Work Issues ? Any Work Barrier
  

 If legal assistance will allow you to work,
PABSS may be able to help!
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BPAO - Benefits Planning, Assistance Outreach

• No cost to the beneficiary
• Helps beneficiaries determine how going to work
  may affect all of their benefits
• Enables beneficiaries to plan their finances
  while working
• Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach
  Programs, (BPAO), are available through MOPD,
  DRS, and OMH

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BPAO MAP
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A New Employment Tool Employment Networks (EN)

• Employment Networks (ENs) are private or
  government agencies that provide
  employment-related services at No Charge to the
  beneficiary. DRS is considered an EN. ENs are
  paid by SSA after an individual returns to work.
  EN Services include
• Work incentives planning
• Vocational assessment
• Job Training
• Job Placement
• Case management
• Follow-up services

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Social Security AdministrationRules and Work
Incentives

• SSI and SSDI

• Know Your Rights
• Protect Your Benefits

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Social Security Work Incentives

• Social Security Work Incentives
• Rules that allow SSI and SSDI beneficiaries to
  work and maintain their cash and medical benefits
• Incentives vary according to the benefit received

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SSDI Work Incentives

• Trial Work Period (TWP) 9 Months
• Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) 3 Years
• Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) 830 /
  1380
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
• Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR)
• Extended Medicare
• Subsidies (For example, a Job Coach)
• Unsuccessful Work Attempt
• Ticket to Work

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SSI Work Incentives

• Earned Unearned Income Exclusions ( 85)
• Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR)
• Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS)
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
• Continued Medicaid Coverage
• Section 1619(b)
• Student Earned Income Exclusion
• Subsidies
• Ticket to Work

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Important Considerations When Using The Ticket

• When using the Ticket
• If you think your condition is improving, place
  your Ticket with an EN for CDR protection
• Research the right EN for you
• Make sure that the IWP fits your needs
  goals
• Have the EN or DRS send the IWP to Maximus

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Important Considerations When Working

• Take these steps when you work
• Contact a Benefit Planner (BPAO)
• Monthly, give Check Stubs to SSA the EN
• Keep the originals - have SSA confirm receipt
• Use IRWEs and other Work Incentives to
  Reduce your Countable Income for SSA

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Ticket to Work Statistics

• "Get your facts first, and then you can distort
  them as much as you please."
• Mark Twain

There are white lies, damn lies, and
statistics. Will Rogers
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BPAO Study

• BPAO Study
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• 89 Had a Positive View of the BPAO Process
• Benefits Specialists Received High Ratings for
  Quality of Service. (Courtesy, time spent with
  the beneficiary, helpfulness, and information
  imparted).
• Prior to receipt of benefits counseling, 28 of
  participants who received intensive assistance
  indicated that they were working.
• Subsequent to meeting with the BPAO, 47 of
  people receiving intensive assistance were working

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PABSS Statistics

• PABSS Outreach Statistics for 2004
• Total Number of Outreach/Presentations 51
  
• Total Number of Participants and Number of
  Folders Distributed -- 1,798
• Cases
• 184 individuals served
• ? VR Services - 49 ? Employment Rights - 49
• ? Transportation - 10 ? Transition Planning -
  10
• ? Ticket Issues - 36 ? SSA CDR - 5
• ? SSA Overpayments - 26

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Ticket Statistics

• SSA Ticket Tracker March 7, 2005
• Illinois Information
• 421,636 Tickets Issued
• 66 Employment Networks
• 7,157 Tickets Assigned (1.7)
• 288 Tickets Assigned to Employment Networks
  Other than VR (4)
• 6,869 Tickets Assigned to DRS (96)
• _____ Employment Networks (including DRS),
  received payments under the Ticket totaling
  __________

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The Ticket To Work

• Moving Ahead

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2000 GAO Testimony

• SSA does not integrate efforts to return
  individuals to work into either its initial or
  continuing eligibility assessment process.
• The Social Security Acts definition of
  disability where a person must be unable to do
  any substantial work in the national economy is
  comparable to the private sectors (or the ADAs)
  most restrictive definition.
• This all-or-nothing definition and the all or
  nothing approach to SSDI benefits is a strong
  disincentive to demonstrate any capacity to work.
• GAO Testimony SSA Disability Other Programs
  May Provide Lessons for Improving Return-to-Work
  Efforts July 13, 2000

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Transmittal 17

• SSAs Transmittal 17
• Transmittal 17 states that the signature of
  the VR client on the Individual Plan for
  Employment (IPE) constitutes assignment of the
  Ticket in new cases.
• Ticket Services should not be considered a
  comparable benefit or service by VR.
• This sometimes occurs without the client's
  knowledge or consent.
• Transmittal 17 permits State Rehab Agencies to
  use the traditional cost reimbursement system for
  a client who assigns his or her ticket contrary
  to TWIIA.

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Ticket to Work Panel Recommendations

• Increase funding for the BPAO and PABSS
  Programs
• Increase funding for training and outreach to
  parents and youth regarding SSI work incentives
  and transition planning.
• Modify age limits
• Lower the Ticket eligibility age from 18 to 16
• Raise the re-determination age from 18 to 22
• Increase the age limit for the Student Earned
  Income Exclusion from 22 to at least 26

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Ticket to Work Panel Recommendations

• Immediately modify the EN payment system to
• Place more of the up-front financial risk on SSA
• Authorize payments to ENs for benefits reduction,
  not just benefit elimination
• Pay ENs more money overall and earlier in the
  return-to-work effort
• Implement the Ticket Program as a complement to
  the traditional SSA VR Reimbursement Program.
  Reimburse State VR agencies for up-front services
  and early outcomes. Pay ENs for long-term
  employment supports and outcomes.

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Ticket to Work Panel Recommendations

• Use Ticket payments to supplement funding from
  other public programs, (such as State VR, Mental
  Health, Medicaid, Housing Urban Development,
  Department of Labor), and should not pay for
  services for which beneficiaries are already
  eligible.
• Test creative approaches to the payment system

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Resources

• Equip For Equality www.equipforequality.org
• Illinois ADA Project www.ADA-IL.org
• Social Security Administration
• www.ssa.gov
• Maximus (Progam Manager for the Ticket to Work)
• www.yourticketowork.com
• Mayors Office for People with Disabilities
• www.ci.chi.il.us/Disabilities
• Great Lakes ADA Accessible IT Center
• www.adagreatlakes.org

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MoreResources

• Job Accommodation Network
• www.jan.wvu.edu
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• www.eeoc.gov
• U.S. Department of Justice ADA Home Page
  www.usdoj.gov/crt/adahom1.htm
• ADA Disability and Business Tech. Asst. Ctr.
• www.adata.org/dbtac.html
• Industrial Labor Relation Program on Employment
  and Disability www.ilr.cornell.edu/ped

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TICKET TO WORKKnow Your RightsProtect Your
Benefits

• THE END