[rehab] Blind people working

Thu Oct 6 13:45:23 UTC 2011

Hi,

The other day I asked one of the supervisors in our state agency about
Ticket to Work.  She hasn't seen any tickets for some time and said the
agency didn't need a person's ticket in order to bill SSA.  In case some
of you don't know it, a state rehab agency can be reimbursed 100% for
everything they spent on a person, including staff time, if that person is
on either SSDI or SSI and achieves Subtantial Gainful Activity (SGA),
which is approximately $19,600 a year.

SGA is the earnings level at which SSDI payments will end, after a nine
month trial work period and an additional three months of payments.
That's after your work expenses, referred to as Impairment Related Work
Expenses (IRWE) with SSDI and Blind Work Expenses (BWE) with SSI, have
been deducted from your earnings. For more information on IRWE and BWE, go
to the Red Book site mentioned below.

Why is the fact that state agencies can be reimbursed by SSA important to
all of you?  Sometimes agency staff will complain about spending money on
adjustment to blindness training (especially at an out of state training
center like the NFB centers), on technology, etc.  That's extremely
shortsighted, because if their services enable you to get a job above the
SGA level, they get everything that they have spent back. Those of you who
are preparing for careers that will bring in more than that amount should
remind them of that whenever they get stingy.  Given some of the training,
or lack thereof, that counselors receive, your counselor may not even know
about it.

RJ, there are many SSA incentives that encourage a person to go to work.
Medicare can be continued for five years after a person achieves SGA.  SSI
does not stop all at once like SSDI.  It tapers off, so depending on how
much SSI you receive, you may continue to receive some even after you
achieve SGA.  The only time I think it is a disadvantage to go to work is
when your SSDI payments are high and your circumstances (such as age or
living in a very rural area) are such that you cannot find a good paying
job. In that circumstance, you can keep your SSDI as long as your earnings
stay under $19,600.

This is perhaps an overly simple explanation of a complex subject, but I
do like the Red Book.  It provides more detailed information and is pretty
readable for mortals like us.

Dick Davis
Chair, NFB Employment Committee

-----Original Message-----
From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Alissa.Auer at dars.state.tx.us
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 7:20 AM
To: rehab at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [rehab] Blind people working

The ticket to work really doesn't have anything to do with you going back
to work, per se. It's a way for rehab agencies that help you get employed
get reimbursed for the funds they spent on you for your rehab plan. It
doesn't get you any services any different than if you didn't have a
ticket. If you're working with a state vocational rehab agency the ticket
has already been assigned to them most likely. Its really not anything you
need to worry about.

Alissa Auer
Employment Assistance Specialist
Division for Blind Services
**note new phone number 817-759-3506**
http://www.youtube.com/DARSTexas

-----Original Message-----
From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jan Bailey
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 10:13 PM
To: Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List
Subject: Re: [rehab] Blind people working

I'm really  not sure.
Jan

----- Original Message -----
From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
To: "Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List" <rehab at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: [rehab] Blind people working

> For the better or worse? RJ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jan Bailey" <jlb021951 at gmail.com>
> To: "Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List" <rehab at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 10:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [rehab] Blind people working
>
>
>> That program has changed a lot, but ask your rehab agency about it.
>> Jan
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
>> To: "Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List" <rehab at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 9:36 PM
>> Subject: Re: [rehab] Blind people working
>>
>>
>>> What about the ticket to work program? RJ
>>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>>  From: Alissa.Auer at dars.state.tx.us
>>>  To: rehab at nfbnet.org
>>>  Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 9:52 PM
>>>  Subject: Re: [rehab] Blind people working
>>>
>>>
>>>  http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/
>>>  this explains it all. I would def call social security and make sure
>>> you are coded as blind. I know that sounds dumb because duh, you are,
>>> but you wouldn't believe the errors SS makes-or maybe you would
believe
>>> it! Since people who are blind can earn more than people with other
>>> disabilities, you need to make sure you're coded right.
>>>
>>>
>>>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>>>  From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of
>>> RJ Sandefur [joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com]
>>>  Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 6:18 PM
>>>  To: Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List
>>>  Subject: [rehab] Blind people working
>>>
>>>
>>>  Hi, This is RJ. I live in Florida. I'm on both SSI, and SSDI, and
some
>>> in my family are incorraging me to work, while others are telling me,
if
>>> I work, I will lose my social security check. What's the real story
>>> here? RJ
>>>  _______________________________________________
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>>> rehab:
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e.tx.us
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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