The Social Security Administration

When you think about income supports to adults with disabilities, think Social Security.  It is important to remember, however, that the programs for adults with disabilities who have come out of a special education program, are only a small part of the overall operation of the agency.

Eligibility Criteria - To be eligible for social security, you must have a disability that impairs maintaining employment.  Good or bad, it seems the criteria for eligibility has tightened up in recent years.  If you are able to do basic repetitive work, you probably will not be found eligible for benefits.  One disability alone (for example mental retardation) may also be insufficient cause for receiving services.  If you are disabled and cannot find a job, that is also irrelevant in terms of eligibility.    There are also income criteria which the potential recipient must meet.  Generally speaking it  is less than $2000 in a bank account, and limited other possessions.  SSA is very specific about these requirements.  Should you have questions about these criteria, contact your local SSA office.

Should you apply for benefits and be denied, you should always appeal.  Your instructor was once told by a high ranking individual in Social Security that in over 50% of appeals the original decision is overturned!  If you apply and are denied services, do not reapply.  If the decision is ultimately reversed, you will receive benefits from the date of the original application/denial.

Services provided include Supplemental Security Income aka SSI.  This is a monthly check (from state and federal).  Currently (2001) in California, the benefit for a single adult living on his own is $712.  Medi-Cal is also included for those who are SSA eligible.  It is the medical benefit which is often the most important to disabled adults.  

There is often the fear that if a disabled individual goes to work she will loose her medical benefit.  Although that is a possibility, a significant amount of income would need to be earned before benefits would be lost.  In terms of money lost in your SSI check for working, the general rule of thumb is that you will loose 1 dollar of SSI for every 2 dollars of income you earn.  However, SSA has established various innovative "work incentive programs" to encourage disabled individuals to go to work, including provisions to protect a worker's medical benefits.  

When you as a teacher hear the comment, "I don't want Sally to go to work because she will loose her medical benefits" your response should be, "SSA has lots of innovative programs whereby she could work and perhaps not loose her benefits.  If I were you, I would contact the SSA office and ask about how Sally could work and retain her benefits."

One program in particular is the Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS plan).  This plan allows a worker to "shelter" her earnings, put them aside, in order to achieve a vocational objective.  The monies designated in the PASS plan will not be considered in determining eligibility from an income perspective.  That is, if I am making $1000 a month working, I may be able to put $500 in a PASS plan (for job coaching services, for school, or some other expense that will lead to an vocational objective).  When considering my income for benefits, SSA will only look at the remaining $500 dollars after the PASS monies have been taken out.

SSA is the agency which provides most non-working adults with disabilities an income.  With assistance and coupled with other governmental programs, the money provides these adults a decent standard of living.

You can email Dr. McNair at jmcnair@calbaptist.edu

Copyright Jeff McNair/jeffmcnair.com