93 Gooding Avenue Bristol, RI 02809 401-253-8949 401-253-8929 Fax		Frequently Asked Questions Access this web site in French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish At Alta Vista Translator - Click Here What is RISILC? The Rhode Island Statewide Independent Living Council (RISILC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Independent Living for people with disabilities throughout the state. The Council’s membership is comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor of Rhode Island, and the majority of its members are people with disabilities The Council has joint responsibility with the Office of Rehabilitation services for developing and monitoring Rhode Island’s State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL), a three year-year blueprint funded through Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act, which directly addresses issues important to the advancement of Independent Living. www.risilc.org What is Independent Living? Independent Living is a philosophy whose principles empower people with disabilities to manage and control their own lives. This is made possible through community-based services that assist persons with disabilities so they may better perform daily activities. What are the CILS? The Independent Living Centers are consumer controlled, community based, nonprofit organization established to provide a range of independent living services to enhance, through self direction, the quality of life of Rhode Islanders with significant disability and to promote integration into the community. www.oscil.org ; www.pari-ilc.org What is the SPIL? In accordance with federal law, the Rhode Island Statewide Independent Living Council (RISILC) and the Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Human Services develop, implement, and monitor Rhode Island's State Plan for Independent Living. Through implementation of the State Plan, the State assures that it will: (I) promote a philosophy of independent living, including a philosophy of consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination equal access and individual and system advocacy . . .; (II) provide financial assistance for providing, expanding, or improving the provision of independent living services; (III) provide assistance to develop and support a statewide network of centers for independent living, operated by consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agencies . . .; and (IV) advocate for improving working relationships among the various entities providing services to and for persons with significant disabilities. (V) www.risilc.org May I work without losing my social security benefits, both cash and medical and if so, how? Many individuals with disabilities want to go back to work. Special rules make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive cash payments and Medicare and/or Medicaid while they test their ability to work. Employment supports provide help over a long time to allow you to test your ability to work, or to continue working and gradually become self-supporting and independent. Some rules are different for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries. Some of the more common work incentives or employment supports are listed below. For more information, contact any Social Security Administration office (Providence 528-4501; Pawtucket 724-9611; Warwick 822-1463; Woonsocket 766-8423; Newport 849-3487) or www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI) Ticket to Work - The Ticket to Work is an employment support program that increases your choice in obtaining the employment services, vocational rehabilitation services and other support services you may need to get or keep a job. This is a free and voluntary program. You can use your Ticket if you choose, but there is no penalty for not using it. If you do elect to use your Ticket, SSA will not conduct a medical review of your case while you are using the Ticket. Trial Work Period - A nine-month period (not necessarily consecutive) during which the earnings of a beneficiary who is blind or disabled will not affect his or her full SSDI benefit amount. The nine months of work must occur within a 60 month period. Extended Period of Eligibility - The month following your 9^th trial work month will begin a consecutive 36-month period known as your Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During the EPE, Social Security will be looking at your earnings to determine whether or not you are working at a level that they consider “Substantial Gainful Activity” (SGA). SGA amounts are adjusted yearly. During the EPE you are entitled to a SSDI check when your earnings are below SGA level but you are not entitled to one when your earnings are at or above SGA. (An exception to this is that the first time after the Trial Work Period that your earnings are at or above SGA, you are entitled to an SSDI payment for that month and for the following 2 months. This is called your “grace period.”) Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE’s) - Social Security will deduct the cost of certain impairment-related items and services that you need to work from your gross earnings before determining if you are performing substantial gainful activity (SGA). Some examples include medications, co-payments for doctors or medical testing, equipment that is needed for work because of your disability, etc. It does not matter if you also use these items and services for non-work activities. Subsidy & Special Conditions - “Subsidy” and “Special Conditions” are SSA’s names for support you may receive on the job that may result in you receiving more pay than the actual value of the services that you perform. “Subsidy” is support provided by your employer and “Special Conditions” are generally provided by someone other than your employer, for example a vocational rehabilitation agency. SSA takes subsidies and special conditions into account when they are making an SGA decision. SSA uses only earnings that represent the real value of the work that you perform to decide if your work is at the SGA level. Continuing Medicare Coverage - Your Medicare coverage will continue while your earnings remain below SGA, provided that you continue to be disabled under Social Security’s rules. However, even if your SSDI cash benefits stop because of earnings at or above SGA, your Medicare may continue for quite some time unless you recover medically. The period of extended Medicare coverage lasts throughout the Trial Work Period and the 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) and for about 4 ½ years after the EPE ends. Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits - If your benefits ended because you worked and had earnings, and you must later stop working because of the same or a related disability, you can request that they be started up again without filing a new application. The request must be made within five years of the month in which your cash benefits were terminated. Social Security can give you provisional benefits for up to six months while they decide whether your cash benefits should continue. If they do not decide in your favor, you will not have to repay the provisional benefits unless you knew or should have known that you were not eligible for reinstated benefits. Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) - This is a work incentive which allows individuals with disabilities to set aside income and/or resources (including SSDI payments) for a specified time for a work goal. A PASS must be intended to lead to a work goal which will eliminate or significantly reduce one’s dependence on cash benefits. A PASS can help you establish or maintain SSI eligibility and can increase your SSI payment. Unsuccessful work Attempt - An unsuccessful work attempt is an effort to do substantial work, in employment or self-employment, that you stopped or reduced below the SGA level after a short time (6 months) or less because of your impairment. Continued Payment under a Vocational Rehabilitation or Similar Program, also known as Section 301 - If you are participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, your benefits may continue (even if SSA determines that your disability has ended) until your participation in the program ends; provided that you started the program before your disability ended and SSA decides that continued participation in the program would increase the likelihood of your permanent removal from the disability rolls. Special Rules for Persons who are Blind - There are special benefit amounts and special Blind Work Related Expenses for individuals who are blind. See SSA Redbook at www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook Special Rules for Persons who are Self-Employed - SSA has special rules for individuals who are self-employed. See SSA Redbook at www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook. 93 Gooding Avenue, Suite 3, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809 (401) 253-8949 Fax (401) 253-8929 RI Relay 711

93 Gooding Avenue

Bristol, RI 02809

401-253-8949

401-253-8929 Fax

Frequently Asked Questions

Access this web site in French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish At Alta Vista Translator - Click Here

What is RISILC? The Rhode Island Statewide Independent Living Council (RISILC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Independent Living for people with disabilities throughout the state. The Council’s membership is comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor of Rhode Island, and the majority of its members are people with disabilities

The Council has joint responsibility with the Office of Rehabilitation services for developing and monitoring Rhode Island’s State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL), a three year-year blueprint funded through Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act, which directly addresses issues important to the advancement of Independent Living. www.risilc.org

What is Independent Living? Independent Living is a philosophy whose principles empower people with disabilities to manage and control their own lives. This is made possible through community-based services that assist persons with disabilities so they may better perform daily activities.

What are the CILS? The Independent Living Centers are consumer controlled, community based, nonprofit organization established to provide a range of independent living services to enhance, through self direction, the quality of life of Rhode Islanders with significant disability and to promote integration into the community.

www.oscil.org ; www.pari-ilc.org

What is the SPIL? In accordance with federal law, the Rhode Island Statewide Independent Living Council (RISILC) and the Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Human Services develop, implement, and monitor Rhode Island's State Plan for Independent Living. Through implementation of the State Plan, the State assures that it will:

(I) promote a philosophy of independent living, including a philosophy of consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination equal access and individual and system advocacy . . .;

(II) provide financial assistance for providing, expanding, or improving the provision of independent living services;

(III) provide assistance to develop and support a statewide network of centers for independent living, operated by consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agencies . . .; and

(IV) advocate for improving working relationships among the various entities providing services to and for persons with significant disabilities.

(V) www.risilc.org

May I work without losing my social security benefits, both cash and medical and if so, how?

Many individuals with disabilities want to go back to work. Special rules make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive cash payments and Medicare and/or Medicaid while they test their ability to work. Employment supports provide help over a long time to allow you to test your ability to work, or to continue working and gradually become self-supporting and independent.

Some rules are different for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries. Some of the more common work incentives or employment supports are listed below. For more information, contact any Social Security Administration office (Providence 528-4501; Pawtucket
724-9611; Warwick 822-1463; Woonsocket 766-8423; Newport 849-3487) or www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI)

Ticket to Work - The Ticket to Work is an employment support program that increases your choice in obtaining the employment services, vocational rehabilitation services and other support services you may need to get or keep a job. This is a free and voluntary program. You can use your Ticket if you choose, but there is no penalty for not using it. If you do elect to use your Ticket, SSA will not conduct a medical review of your case while you are using the Ticket.

Trial Work Period - A nine-month period (not necessarily consecutive) during which the earnings of a beneficiary who is blind or disabled will not affect his or her full SSDI benefit amount. The nine months of work must occur within a 60 month period.

Extended Period of Eligibility - The month following your 9^th trial work month will begin a consecutive 36-month period known as your Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE). During the EPE, Social Security will be looking at your earnings to determine whether or not you are working at a level that they consider “Substantial Gainful Activity” (SGA). SGA amounts are adjusted yearly. During the EPE you are entitled to a SSDI check when your earnings are below SGA level but you are not entitled to one when your earnings are at or above SGA. (An exception to this is that the first time after the Trial Work Period that your earnings are at or above SGA, you are entitled to an SSDI payment for that month and for the following 2 months. This is called your “grace period.”)

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE’s) - Social Security will deduct the cost of certain impairment-related items and services that you need to work from your gross earnings before determining if you are performing substantial gainful activity (SGA). Some examples include medications, co-payments for doctors or medical testing, equipment that is needed for work because of your disability, etc. It does not matter if you also use these items and services for non-work activities.

Subsidy & Special Conditions - “Subsidy” and “Special Conditions” are SSA’s names for support you may receive on the job that may result in you receiving more pay than the actual value of the services that you perform. “Subsidy” is support provided by your employer and “Special Conditions” are generally provided by someone other than your employer, for example a vocational rehabilitation agency. SSA takes subsidies and special conditions into account when they are making an SGA decision. SSA uses only earnings that represent the real value of the work that you perform to decide if your work is at the SGA level.

Continuing Medicare Coverage - Your Medicare coverage will continue while your earnings remain below SGA, provided that you continue to be disabled under Social Security’s rules. However, even if your SSDI cash benefits stop because of earnings at or above SGA, your Medicare may continue for quite some time unless you recover medically. The period of extended Medicare coverage lasts throughout the Trial Work Period and the 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) and for about 4 ½ years after the EPE ends.

Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits - If your benefits ended because you worked and had earnings, and you must later stop working because of the same or a related disability, you can request that they be started up again without filing a new application. The request must be made within five years of the month in which your cash benefits were terminated. Social Security can give you provisional benefits for up to six months while they decide whether your cash benefits should continue. If they do not decide in your favor, you will not have to repay the provisional benefits unless you knew or should have known that you were not eligible for reinstated benefits.

Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) - This is a work incentive which allows individuals with disabilities to set aside income and/or resources (including SSDI payments) for a specified time for a work goal. A PASS must be intended to lead to a work goal which will eliminate or significantly reduce one’s dependence on cash benefits. A PASS can help you establish or maintain SSI eligibility and can increase your SSI payment.

Unsuccessful work Attempt - An unsuccessful work attempt is an effort to do substantial work, in employment or self-employment, that you stopped or reduced below the SGA level after a short time (6 months) or less because of your impairment.

Continued Payment under a Vocational Rehabilitation or Similar Program, also known as Section 301 - If you are participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, your benefits may continue (even if SSA determines that your disability has ended) until your participation in the program ends; provided that you started the program before your disability ended and SSA decides that continued participation in the program would increase the likelihood of your permanent removal from the disability rolls.

Special Rules for Persons who are Blind - There are special benefit amounts and special Blind Work Related Expenses for individuals who are blind. See SSA Redbook at www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook

Special Rules for Persons who are Self-Employed - SSA has special rules for individuals who are self-employed. See SSA Redbook at www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook.

93 Gooding Avenue, Suite 3, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809

(401) 253-8949 Fax (401) 253-8929 RI Relay 711