Navigating the Maze of Social Security
March 29, 2012 2 Comments
Most people never want to be in a situation where they must rely on Social Security benefits to make ends meet. However, these benefits provide an essential safety net when an individual is faced with a disability or other significant barrier to work.
When a Social Security disability beneficiary determines that they are able to return to work, they are often unsure of how much work they will be able to perform and how their income will affect their benefit. Social Security is such a complex program, with so many moving parts, scenario contingencies, and rules within rules that it is nearly impossible to comprehend.
Because of the complexity of Social Security, and because each benefit situation is unique, NEBA relies on professionals who have gained an extremely thorough understanding of the program to meet with beneficiaries and their families. These benefits counselors work for programs called Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) and Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), which also provides legal services for beneficiaries.
Benefits counselors are absolutely essential in helping beneficiaries and their families understand the rules, risks and rewards involved with going back to work. In almost every case, beneficiaries emerge from their consultations with a thorough understanding of their benefit situation and are much more confident to attempt working again to the best of their ability.
Unfortunately, funding for the WIPA and PABSS programs is now in jeopardy. Congress has failed to re-authorize the WIPA and PABSS programs, which are slated to be defunded as of June 30, 2012. We know that the WIPA and PABSS programs are effective in empowering individuals with disabilities with the knowledge they need to navigate the Social Security maze and confidently return to the workforce. Many of these workers do remain employed, gradually reducing or eliminating their need for government benefits while generating income tax revenue.
For more information about the WIPA and PABSS programs and the efforts to save them, please visit the National Employment Network Association.
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Ryan Aldrich
Really interesting post–I had no idea that programs like WIPA and PABSS existed, let alone that they have been de-funded. Like many budget items on the chopping block, eliminating such counseling seems short-sighted. Do these programs collect data on the taxpayer’s return on investment (e.g., each person back in the workforce generates a certain amount of revenue?).
A database was launched in 2011 to collect national outcome and savings data for the WIPA program, but the results are not yet available. We do know that the cost of the WIPA program is approximately $375 per individual served, which is more than offset by extensive long-term savings in Social Security funds (an average of $7,000/year when a beneficiary returns to work).