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Current Theme: Benefits Information & Financial Well Being
Featured Event: Updates on the Ticket to Work Program: New Opportunities for Service Providers. Monday, September 22 in Worcester, MA. Download registration form here or register online.
by Rick Kugler
Introduction
Thomas Jefferson once said, "I am a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more of it I have." But is it really luck? Or does hard work simply "pay off?" For people who receive government financial assistance because of a disability status, hard work may not even seem like an option. In fact, most beneficiaries have worked so hard to obtain government benefits, they feel lucky simply to receive this payment consistently- without it, some would have no income at all. It is then understandable that individuals with disabilities are often reluctant to risk a change in benefits by going to work. Protecting government benefits becomes the priority. An individual may turn down a promising job opportunity or an opportunity for advancement in order to insure continued eligibility for benefits. Yet an individual who relies primarily on public benefits is destined to live in poverty. Complete reliance on subsidies will seldom lead to financial well-being; it is life defined by "getting by" rather than "getting ahead."
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The fear of losing benefits is a major factor that keeps many individuals with disabilities from joining the workforce. A key concern is how employment will impact Social Security benefits. There are policies that allow for gradual transition into employment, provide "safety net" features in case the job does not work out, and result in less reduction of cash benefits. This guide provides a basic overview of the most up-to-date information related to Social Security and employment, including work incentive programs and tips for managing benefits. Although targeted for youth and families, this guide is useful to anyone who is receiving SSI or SSDI.
Social Security has a lot of information & resources available for disability beneficiaries who wish to return to work. Click on the image above and take a brief tour of "The Work Site" here. (This presentation will open in a new window. Use the "cc" button on the control bar to access captioning.)
Individuals who live in public or subsidized housing often have concerns about the impact an increase in their income will have on their housing.
For some tenants, rent freeze incentive policies can minimize the impact that increased earnings will have on rent. Under a rent freeze, when an eligible tenant gets a job after a period of unemployment, the rent will stay flat-- that is, not go up-- for a period of time. Most tenants do not know about these policies.
Dale Dileo, widely sought-after speaker, author and consultant helped to make the May 14th Conference, "Employment: It's Everyone's Job" a success, reaching an audience of over 200 employment support professionals, educators and individuals with disabilities. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation, Northeast Region and the Institute for Community Inclusion, with support from the Medicaid Infrastructure and Comprehensive Employment Opportunities Grant, this conference addressed the issues of quality employment services and outcomes in terms of business benefits for employers and lifestyle enhancement for people with disabilities. Dileo offered an overview of the need for changing services to more integrated approaches, and the techniques for learning the most current best practices available to support career choices for people with disabilities.
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