Since the beginning of the SSI program, a number of disabled or blind recipients have worked and received SSI payments. Initially, the program contained a basic
earned income exclusion that recognized the additional costs associated with employment. In addition, the law contained a number of special income exclusions which were intended as work incentives. Among these provisions were the income exclusion for
blind work expenses (BWE),
plan to achieve self-support (PASS), and
student earned income exclusion (SEIE).
The incentives for work and opportunities for rehabilitation are discussed in more detail in section III.E. In the tables that follow we provide historical information on participation by SSI recipients in work incentive programs.
1
In this section, we present historical data on participation by SSI recipients in work incentive programs. Table
V.E1 presents historical numbers of SSI recipients categorized according to their section 1619 status. Figure
V.E1 presents this information in graphical form.
Table V.E2 presents historical numbers of SSI recipients who benefit from other selected work incentive provisions: (1) plan to achieve self-support (PASS), (2) impairment-related work expense exclusion (IRWE), and (3) blind work expense exclusion (BWE). These recipients may be benefiting from more than one of these selected work incentive provisions. This information is available only for calendar years 1990 and later.
Provisions designed to make vocational rehabilitation (VR) services available to SSI blind or disabled recipients have been part of the SSI program since its inception. From the beginning, SSI recipients were referred to State VR agencies, which provided services to those recipients who were accepted as clients. Prior to 1981, SSA made block grants to VR agencies to fund services to disabled beneficiaries. The 1981 amendments changed this and established a “cost” reimbursement provision. VR agencies would be reimbursed for the cost of VR services furnished to blind or disabled SSI recipients only if the services resulted in the recipient returning to work. For reimbursement purposes, recipients are considered to have returned to work if they have had earnings exceeding the SGA level for 9 continuous months.
The 1984 amendments authorized reimbursement for cases2 where the recipient medically recovers while engaged in a program of rehabilitation services approved by SSA and SSA determines that continuation or completion of such a program would increase the likelihood the individual will be permanently removed from the rolls. Effective with the 1990 amendments, reimbursement for the cost of VR services was authorized for services provided in months in which the individual was not receiving Federal SSI benefits if the individual:
In 1994, the regulations were amended to include reimbursement to alternate private and non-State public VR providers (referred to as “alternate participants”) that provided VR services to recipients that a State VR agency had not accepted as clients. The alternate provider program has subsequently been replaced by the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program (Ticket to Work program) established by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999.
Under the Ticket to Work program, a disabled beneficiary may obtain vocational rehabilitation, employment and other support services from qualified private or public providers that are referred to as “Employment Networks” (ENs). The Ticket to Work program authorized the Commissioner to provide payments to ENs under either an outcome payment system or an outcome-milestone payment system. (State VR agencies were provided the option to elect on a case-by-case basis to be paid either under the traditional VR reimbursement system, or either the outcome or outcome-milestone payment system.) By expanding the pool of providers and giving the providers incentives for achieving success, this program expands access to these services for persons with disabilities to assist them in finding, entering, and retaining employment as well as reducing their dependence on cash benefits.
The Ticket to Work program was implemented on a State-by-State basis beginning in February 2002 and has been fully implemented nationwide since November 2003. As the Ticket to Work program was implemented in a State, the alternate provider and the traditional VR referral process described earlier were eliminated. SSA provided eligible individuals who received SSI benefits due to blindness or disability in such State with a Ticket to Work document (“ticket”). Beneficiaries who receive a ticket may use it to obtain from ENs or their State VR agencies vocational rehabilitation services, employment services and other support services needed to return to work or go to work for the first time. Individuals not eligible for a ticket may still request services from a State VR agency; the VR agency continues to decide whether each beneficiary is eligible for services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Ticket legislation required that SSA establish a corps of work incentives specialists to disseminate accurate information about work incentives. In addition, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 mandated that SSA provide a work report receipt to the beneficiary. In response to these mandates, SSA:
In fiscal year 2003, AWIC employees provided refresher training on employment supports to the local Work Incentive Liaisons (WIL) located in each of the 1,335 local field offices. The systems application phase of this training was updated beginning in fiscal year 2004 with the release of eWork. Training has been provided to all direct service employees in field offices, teleservice centers and the payment processing centers. This training initiative was completed in November 2004.
AWICs have also been very active in participating in outreach activities in their local areas and continue to be the primary point of contact for public information outreach in the communities. They have strengthened the relationship with our Ticket to Work partners: the ENs; WIPAs; Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies and Disability Program Navigators. AWICs also work closely with the regional Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) cadres in SSA to make joint educational presentations to the community about our employment support programs. The partnership has strengthened support of one of the objectives of the Ticket to Work program which is to educate the public about the benefits of returning to work and becoming self-sufficient. Presentations that have been made directly to persons with disabilities and/or entities that provide services to this target group include presentations at:
See section V.G.1.d for information on the evaluation of the Ticket to Work program.
Table V.E4 provides historical data on the number of reimbursement claims allowed and the amount of such
awards for SSI recipients.
