WSC WIPA Goals

The goal of the WSC WIPA project is to better enable SSA beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Each WIPA Project has Benefits Planners who:

• Provide work incentives planning and assistance
• Conduct outreach efforts in collaboration with SSA's Beneficiary Access and Support Services (BASS)
• Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities
• Screen and refer beneficiaries with disabilities to appropriate Employment Networks
• Provide information on the availability of protection and advocacy services

Answers to Social Security's Frequently Asked Questions about disability benefits and working

1. Will my disability benefits be reduced if I get workers' compensation or other public disability benefits? If you get either workers' compensation or public disability benefit payments, we may reduce Social Security benefits for you and your family.   Workers get workers' compensation benefit payments because of job-related injuries or illnesses. Category: Disability
2. Can I return to work while getting Social Security disability benefits? Yes, you can return to work while receiving Social Security disability benefits. We have special rules to help you get back to work without jeopardizing your initial benefits. You may be able to have Category: Disability
3. What are the eligibility requirements to get Social Security disability benefits? To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have worked long enough in jobs covered by Social Security (usually 10 years). Then, you must have a medical condition that meets Social Security's definition Category: Disability
4. What is the Ticket To Work Program? The Ticket To Work Program can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work, get a good job that may lead to a career, save more money, and become financially independent, all while they keep Category: Disability
5. Can I qualify for Social Security disability benefits if I get veterans' benefits?  Even if you meet the requirements to get veterans disability benefits, you may not qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Eligibility for each program is different. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs pays Category: Disability
6. What is substantial gainful activity? The term“substantial gainful activity”(SGA) is used to describe a level of work activity and earnings. Work is“substantial” if it involves doing significant physical or mental activities or a combination of both. If you earn Category: Disability
7. What is a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) and how can I get one? A PASS helps Supplemental Security Income disability beneficiaries return to work. PASS lets disabled individuals set aside money and things they own to pay for items or services they need to reach a specific work Category: Supplemental Security Income [SSI]
8. How do Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments differ? The two programs are financed differently. Employment taxes primarily finance Social Security retirement, survivors, and disability insurance benefits. Generally, we pay Social Security benefits to eligible workers and their families, based on the Category: Disability
9. Can noncitizens living in the United States receive Social Security benefits? Yes, if they are lawfully in the United States and meet all eligibility requirements. Lawfully present noncitizens include but are not limited to: Noncitizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Category: Noncitizens
10. How can I get a Social Security Statement that shows a record of my earnings and an estimate of my future benefits? You can get your personal Social Security Statement online by using your mySocialSecurityaccount. If you don't yet have an account, you can easily create one. Your online Statement gives you secure and convenient access

Additional answers to Social Security's Frequently Asked Questions

 

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