Resources

There are several resources available in each state that can assist young adults, families and school staff to review the impact of wages on beneficiaries’ benefits and provide technical assistance to them in accessing work incentives.

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance:
Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects are funded by the Social Security Administration and are located in every state. Trained Benefits Planning Specialists are available to help individuals understand the impact of employment on Social Security and other public benefits.

For more information about the WIPA projects, please visit the following website: http://www.ssa.gov/work/wipafactsheet.html

For a list of WIPA providers in your area, go to:
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/oesp/providers.nsf/bystate

Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS):
The PABSS program is funded through Social Security to protect the legal rights of Social Security recipient as they return to work.

PABSS staff can assist you to:

• Negotiate accommodations in the workplace,
• Calculate the impact returning to work will have on your SSA benefits, and
• Provide information and technical assistance to help you access SSA work incentives such as a PASS, IRWE, and continuation of Medicare or Medicaid.

For a nationwide listing of Protection and Advocacy System providers, please visit the Social Security Administration website at:
http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/PADirectory.html

PASS Cadre:
PASS Cadres are regionally located groups of Social Security Administration employees who are trained to work with Plans for Achieving Self Support. These experts work directly with applicants. They review the PASS to see if the work goal is feasible and if the items and services listed on the plan are needed to achieve the goal and are reasonably priced. If changes are needed, the PASS expert discusses those changes with the applicant.

For a listing of PASS Cadres across the nation, please visit the Social Security website at: http://www.ssa.gov/work/ResourcesToolkit/cadre.html

Social Security Administration:
According to their website, the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides financial protection to more than 152 million workers and their families, and more than 45 million Americans receive monthly Social Security retirement, disability or survivors benefits. The SSI program pays monthly benefits to more than 6.6 million Americans who have little or no resources and who are aged, blind or disabled. SSA is headed by a Commissioner and has a staff of over 65,000 employees within an organizational structure of 13 offices. SSA's central office is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The field organization, which is decentralized to provide services at the local level, includes 10 regional offices, 6 processing centers, and approximately 1300 field offices.

SSA headquarters may be contacted at:
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21235-0001
800-772-1213 (toll-free)

The Denver regional office may be contacted at:
Regional Communications Office
Social Security Administration
1961 Stout Street
Denver, Colorado 80294

For more information, please visit the SSA website at:
http://www.socialsecurity.gov

To locate the SSA office nearest you, please visit the SSA website at:
http://s3abaca.ssa.gov/pro/fol/fol-home.html

The University of Montana’s Rural Institute on Disabilities has a wealth of Social Security products and publications posted on the following web sites:
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/training
www.workworld.org

The other two monographs in this series are available on this website:
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/transition/articles.asp

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