December 05, 2005
National Council on Disability Calls for Immediate Changes to Get People with Disabilities Who Receive Federal Benefits Back to Work
WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released its report The Social Security Administration’s Efforts to Promote Employment for People with Disabilities: New Solutions for Old Problems
calling on Congress and the Social Security Administration to make immediate changes that will get more people with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits back to gainful employment.
According to NCD chairperson Lex Frieden, “Our nation’s current disability benefit programs are based on a policy principle that assumes that the presence of a significant disability and lack of substantial earnings equate with a complete inability to work. Americans with disabilities remain underemployed, despite the fact that many are willing and able to work.
This scenario is alarming. Although the Social Security Administration (SSA) has instituted a number of incentives to reduce the numerous obstacles to employment faced by its Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries, such efforts have had little impact because few beneficiaries are aware of these incentives and how they affect benefits and access to health care.”
“In recent times there has not been a comprehensive, research-based examination of the practices that are most likely to support the employment of SSI and DI beneficiaries. NCD undertook this study to address that absence and found that the complex obstacles to employment faced by SSA beneficiaries require
a comprehensive set of solutions.
New approaches must be identified that emphasize beneficiary control of career planning and the ability to access self-selected services and supports. Public and private health care providers must develop new collaborations and new approaches to combining coverage from multiple sources to improve program efficiencies. SSA must continue to work with the Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Department of Labor to improve implementation of the Ticket to Work program and identify new approaches that will overcome the traditional inability of SSA beneficiaries to benefit from services provided by the nation’s employment and training programs.
Secondary and postsecondary educational institutions must emphasize benefits counseling and financial management training as the foundation for beneficiary self-direction and economic self-sufficiency. Federal agencies and the business community must realize that collaborative approaches to incorporating beneficiaries into the workforce are needed as a way to reduce dependence on federal benefits while simultaneously enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of large and small business,” Frieden concluded.
The recommendations discussed in this report need to be addressed in policy and procedural modifications by both Congress and the Social Security Administration to significantly address the continuing number of SSA beneficiaries who never leave the SSI and DI rolls, and to increase the number of beneficiaries who enter, or reenter, the U.S. workforce.
For more information, contact Mark Quigley at 202-272-2004 or 202-272-2074 TTY.
Posted by Karen Thomas at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2005
Upcoming Webcast! Self Employment for People with Disabilities
November 14, 2005
2:00 PM ET (Archive will be available)
Presenter: Joanne Ellis, Career Supports, Richmond, VA
Joanne Ellis, co-founder Career Supports, provides technical assistance and training to rehabilitation professionals and to individuals and their families
on Social Security and the utilization of Work Incentives. In this webcast, Joanne will provide information on the following learning objectives:
- Learn the difference between self employment vs wage employment
- Calculate Net Earnings for Self-Employment (NESE)
- Understand IRS Rules, Schedule C and the self-employment from tax returns
- Learn how the wages of business owners impact SSA benefits
- Describe the difference between self-employment and hobbies
- Define the role of the BPAO and PABSS in self-employment cases
http://www.worksupport.com/training/ viewUpcomingWebcasts.cfm
Posted by Karen Thomas at 05:27 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2005
Send Personal Stories of Success about Social Security Benefits
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities - a coalition of over 100 national consumer, provider & advocacy organizations - needs information to help protect the future of Social Security. As you know, there is a lot of discussion about changing Social Security. This is a very serious concern for people with disabilities and their families because changes in the program will have a huge impact on everyone who gets benefits not just people who retire. If you or a family member gets Social Security benefits, we want to hear from you! By giving us information, you may remain anonymous OR you may share your name with us. If you do share your name, please indicate below if you would appear at a public meeting to talk about the importance of Social Security benefits for you and/or your family.
What we need are stories about Social Security benefits only, not about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. If you receive only SSI benefits, please do not use this form. But if you get both Social Security and SSI benefits or if you are not sure which benefits you get, please share your story by completing this form.
YOUR PERSONAL STORY
___ I get a monthly Social Security check. ___ Someone else in my household gets a monthly Social Security check. This person is [describe relation to
you] _____________________
I get Social Security because [check answer that applies to you]: ___ Its my own disability insurance because I can no longer work due to a disability.
___ Its disability insurance from one of my parents or my spouse. ___ Its my own retirement insurance because I no longer work. ___ Its retirement insurance
from one of my parents or my spouse. ___ Its survivors insurance from one of my parents or my spouse who are now dead.
Are you a disabled adult child under the Social Security rules? [This means that you have a severe disability that began before age 22; are not married;
and are unable to earn more than a certain amount of money each month] Yes ___ No ___ ___ I wish to remain anonymous. I live in _________________
[state].
___ I am willing to share anonymous private and confidential information about my personal/family story, including how we use the Social Security benefits,
with public officials who are deciding the future of the Social Security program.
___ I am willing to have others publicly share my personal/family story, including how we use the Social Security benefits, and identify me/my family
by name.
___ I am willing to speak at public meetings before public officials in my own state to share my personal/family story, including how we use the Social
Security benefits.
For each person in your household who gets Social Security benefits, please answer the following questions: If you are the person who gets Social Security:
Age ____ Amount of monthly check ____ Received benefits for how long? ____
If one of your parents gets Social Security: Age ___ Amount of monthly check ____ Received benefits for how long? ____
If one or more of your children gets Social Security: Age(s) _________ Amount of monthly check(s) __________ Received benefits for how long? ____ What
is your disability or the disability of your family member?
How long did you (or your family member) work before receiving Social Security benefits? What was your job?
Please explain briefly why the Social Security benefits are important to you and your family.
Its helpful to know how most people spend their Social Security benefits. Please check any items listed below that you use the money for and place a star
[*] next to the 3 items where you spend the most money.
___ Rent or mortgage payment ___ Food ___ Utilities ___ Special food for person with disability in household ___ Clothing ___ Car payments/gasoline ___ Transportation
___ Medical bills ___ Prescription drugs ___ Respite care ___ Special services for person with disability in household ___ Education or job training
___ Others [please list]
If you did not get this money from Social Security, what would you do? Could you get help from any other public or private agency?
When you hear about the Presidents proposals to change Social Security, what concerns do you have?
Your name:
Address:
Phone number: Email address:
You can help people better understand the risk of losing Social Security guaranteed benefits for eligible people with disabilities and their family members.
Please return this form by any of the following methods: Mail: Disability Policy Collaboration, Social Security Task Force, 1660 L Street NW, Suite 701,
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 202-783-8250
E-mail: info@c-c-d.org
Posted by Karen Thomas at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
CCD Fact Sheets on Social Security and Disability
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
SOCIAL SECURITY FACTS
Social Security provides benefits to 47 million people. They include over 7 million people with disabilities, their spouses and children. When most people talk about Social Security changes, they only discuss retirement benefits. This is a very serious concern for people with disabilities and their families because changes in the program will have a huge impact on everyone who gets benefits - not just people who retire.
The CCD Social Security Task Force created a set of seven Fact Sheets in March 2005 to educate people about the potential devastating effect of major program changes. The Fact Sheets discuss the following topics:
- What Benefits Do People with Disabilities and Their Families Get from Social Security?
- How Does Social Security Help People with Disabilities &
their Families? - How Does Social Security Protect Young Workers and Their
Families? - How is Social Security Funded?
- How Will Individual Private Accounts Affect Social
Security? - How Are the Social Security & SSI Disability Programs
Different? - Checklist: Effect of Proposed Changes on People with
Disabilities & Their Families
Posted by Karen Thomas at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)