Title 16 or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program that provides assistance payments and Medicaid to individuals who are disabled, blind, or aged when they meet income and resource guidelines. This includes disabled children under the age of 18 when household income and resource limits are not exceeded.

A plan for returning to work begins with understanding the effect of work on your benefits. A Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) helps start the planning process.

Below are work incentives that may be used for Title 16I SSI beneficiaries who are planning to work:

1619(a) – SSI cash payments are reduced proportionately to earnings rather than losing SSI outright when monthly gross earnings exceed the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level ($940/$1,550 if blind, in 2008). Allows for monthly gross earnings up to a break-even point (BEP) before SSI cash payments cease. This break-even points varies on income sources and work incentives used.

1619(b) – When the beneficiary reaches the break-even point, due to earned income, 1619(b) continues Medicaid eligibility, at no cost, if the beneficiary needs Medicaid to continue working and has gross earnings below the current state threshold. The threshold amount, identified by the SSA, identifies when the beneficiary earns sufficient income needed to replace the equivalent value of SSI/Medicaid. The Texas state threshold, in 2008, is gross annual earnings over $28,358

Student-Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) – Monthly gross earnings up to $1,550 up to a total of $6,240 in a calendar year are not counted for SSI income purposes for a beneficiary who is a student, under the age of 22, disabled or blind, who is regularly enrolled in school. These are 2008 figures.

Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) – Vocational and/or training/educational expenses incurred by a beneficiary can be returned to the beneficiary through higher SSI payments under an approved Plan that could result in self-support. It can be used to establish or maintain an SSI check and Medicaid eligibility while working by not counting earned income spent on identified PASS expenditures.

Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) – Documented expenses the beneficiary with disability incurs related to their impairment that is needed for work. Beneficiaries recover 50% of their costs through maintaining higher SSI payments.

Blind Work Expenses (BWE) – Documented expenses a beneficiary who meets SSA’s definition of blindness incurs because they are needed to work. The expenses do not need to be related to the blindness. Recipients who are blind recover 100% of those expenses through maintaining higher SSI payments.

For more information contact:
Stacey Sparks
Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC)
Clyde, Texas
Office: 325-893-1968
Fax: 325-893-3825
Toll Free Pager: 888-635-6688
Email: Staceysparks45@aol.com

Ms. Sparks Texas Counties
Archer, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Comanche, Concho, Crockett, Crosby, Dickens, Eastland, Fisher, Garza, Haskell, Hockley, Irion, Jones, Kent, Kimble, King, Knox, Lubbock, Lynn, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Nolan, Runnels, Schleicher, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Sutton, Taylor, Terry, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Yoakum, & Young

Rosemary Burks
Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC)
Abilene, Texas
Office: 325-676-8988
Fax: 325-676-2980
Toll Free Pager: 888-635-6688
E-mail: rosemabur@aol.com

Ms. Burks Texas Counties
Andrews, Armstrong, Bailey, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crane, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Donley, Ector, Floyd, Foard, Gaines, Glasscock, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Howard, Hutchinson, Lamb, Lipscomb, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Reagan, Roberts, Scurry, Sherman, Sterling Swisher, Upton, Ward, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, & Winkler

Frank Perez
Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC)
El Paso, Texas
Office: 915-751-8463
Fax: 915-751-8464
Toll Free Pager: 888-635-6688
E-mail: frank2perez@aol.com

Mr. Perez Texas Counties
Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell

You may also visit the Social Security Administration’s website at: http://www.ssa.gov/work