Social Security Administration
Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach

Many people with disabilities are dependent on Social Security for income and health care benefits, and although they might like to work, they have been lead to believe that if they work they will lose their benefits. For many, the loss of the cash benefit is inconsequential if it can be replaced by earned income. For many, the loss of health care coverage could be a life threatening event.

The Congress has worked in conjunction with the Social Security Administration to develop specific procedures and work incentive programs that will allow individuals who receive disability benefits from SSA to have options and assistance available to assist them to enter or return to the workforce. These changes to the Social Security act are described in the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act. (http://www.ssa.gov/work/ResourcesToolkit/legisregfact.html) As part of the Act, each state must provide assistance to beneficiaries to understand the various work incentive programs that might be available to them, and provide advice about how to manage one’s benefits during the transition to paid employment.

CHD has a grant with SSA to provide Benefit Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) services for Alaska. We have a pool of SSA certified Benefit Specialists around the state who can complete a detailed analysis of the benefits a person is receiving, describe how those benefits will be affected when the individual begins to generate earned income, and describe available work incentive programs that the recipient may use to make the transition from entitlements to earned income as smooth as possible.

Alaska has an array of benefits that make the return to work a very feasible and realistic possibility for many people with disabilities. BPAO services are provided at no cost to the beneficiary. If you need BPAO services or more information on benefit planning contact Ken Hamrick ankeh1@uaa.alaska.edu 907-264-6235 or 1800-243-2199.

Another component of the act established Protection and Advocacy services for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS). Each state has a PABSS program, and their role is to provide legal advice and advocacy regarding issues related to helping beneficiaries who want return to work. In Alaska, our PABSS program is the Disability Law Center of Alaska (http://www.dlcak.org). They can be reached at 1-800-478-1234 or 907-565-1002.

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