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The Importance of SSI Work Incentives for Transition-Aged Youth with Disabilities

by David R. Johnson

Ensuring the successful transition of youth with disabilities from school to work and adult life has been a major federal policy initiative since the mid-1980s. Despite efforts of the federal government, state and local agencies, parents, and community service providers, young adults with disabilities still achieve limited outcomes as they leave school and attempt to access employment and adult services (Johnson, McGrew, Bloomberg, Bruininks, & Lin, 1997; Lou Harris Poll, 1998; National Council on Disability, 2000). An often-cited barrier to successful postschool employment and related outcomes for these youth with disabilities is a lack of access to needed adult services (e.g., vocational rehabilitation, postsecondary education, supported employment, residential services) and other supports (e.g., Supplemental Security Income and related benefit programs, family supports, medical assistance).

SSI Programs

Currently, many children and youth with disabilities receiving special education services also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Social Security Administration (SSA) reported, for example, that in 1996 a total of 974,189 children under the age of 18 were enrolled in the SSI program (SSA, 1996). The SSI program is important to children and families because it extends to its beneficiaries general income support and health insurance.

Through its SSI program, SSA shares the U.S. Department of Education's commitment to supporting transition-aged students as they prepare for entry into the workforce and adult life. Providing monthly cash payments, SSI can be a valuable resource to eligible transition-aged students and their families. Students receiving SSI benefits may also use the SSI program's work incentives, which are designed to increase their overall income while engaging in employment during and after their secondary education experience. SSI work incentives available to transition-aged students include Earned and Unearned Income Disregards, Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE), Impairment-Related Work Expense (IRWE), Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS), Blind Work Expense (BWE), and Property Essential to Self Support (PESS). Each of the SSI work incentives is an income or resource exclusion that combines to assist individuals with disabilities in maintaining necessary SSI benefits while pursuing employment. These incentives can be particularly helpful in designing community-based, paid employment transition programs for students without decreasing the cash assistance benefits provided by the SSI program.

SSI and IEPs

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for special education students must include a statement of needed transition services, beginning no later than age 14 (or younger, if deemed appropriate), which includes a statement of the interagency responsibilities or linkages (or both) before the student leaves school. Information concerning the potential use of SSI work incentives can be incorporated within the transition component of the IEP plan in relation to the IEP team's discussion regarding school and postschool employment and related goals. It is within these federal requirements that opportunities can and should be created to address how the SSI work incentives can benefit a student during and directly following high school. It is this critical link between the SSI work incentives and the federally required transition planning process that must be forged in an effort to help young people achieve meaningful employment outcomes. In doing so, special education personnel will need to assume a major responsibility for ensuring that these SSI work incentives are discussed and potentially incorporated within students' IEPs.

Need for Information

Although there is evidence of increased interest in incorporating SSI work incentives into the IEP/transition plan of students with disabilities, work incentives remain an under-utilized resource nationally. Currently, it is estimated that only 15% of parents learn of the SSI program through public school personnel (Virginia Commonwealth University, 1996). Further, information concerning SSI work incentives programs rarely complements student transition/IEP planning meetings. Less than 1% of transition-aged students with disabilities use the Impairment-Related Work Expense or PASS program to augment the transition process (Social Security Administration, 1996). Parents, individuals with disabilities, and professionals are in urgent need of information, support, and assistance in order to access the SSI benefit program and effectively use its work incentives.

How Schools Can Help

Special education personnel responsible for the transition of students from school to work and independent living can take several steps to support the use of SSI work incentives as a viable part of transition planning. Specifically, these school personnel can:

• Identify students who are currently receiving SSI benefits and students who may or will be eligible.
• Incorporate SSI work incentives into the IEP/transition planning process and community-based employment.
• Inform students and parents about SSI program benefits, eligibility, and work incentives when transition planning begins (at age 14, or younger, if appropriate).
• Assist students and parents in collecting appropriate documentation on students' disabilities, limitations, performance, and behaviors that will assist SSA in initial determination, continuing disability review, or age-18 redetermination of eligibility.
• Establish a close relationship with local SSA staff to facilitate communication among students, parents, school personnel, and SSA staff.
• Collaborate with and engage other professionals (i.e., vocational rehabilitation, SSA, and human services) who share a common interest in students' secondary and postsecondary education, and employment success.

Additional Support

Other recent federal legislation has also been enacted to support students' post-secondary participation in employment. The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (P.L. 106-170), signed into law in 1999, is an example of federal legislation designed to help SSI and SSDI recipients access employment. The Ticket to Work program, for example, expands the number of employment service providers, and grants to SSI and SSDI recipients the right to choose from whom they will receive services.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor, through its newly established Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), has recently funded several new demonstration projects focused on the employment of youth with disabilities. Those include Demonstration Grants for Youth with Disabilities, High School/High Tech Start-up Programs, and High School/High Tech Realignment Programs. These demonstration programs serving high school age youth with disabilities are intended to design and test effective strategies and approaches that increase employment opportunities for these young people.

Conclusion

The SSI work incentives can serve as a valuable support to secondary students both while in school and upon graduation. These work incentives enable students to be proactive in obtaining training, support or other services critical to enhancing their future employment opportunities and outcomes. With the availability of these work incentives, special education teachers, SSA professionals, vocational rehabilitation personnel, parents, and others must become knowledgeable of their application, use, and benefit for youth with disabilities as a means to achieving positive employment outcomes.

References

Johnson, D. R., McGrew, K., Bloomberg, L., Bruininks, R. H., & Lin, H. C. (1997). Policy research brief: A national perspective on the postschool outcomes and community adjustment of individuals with severe disabilities. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration.

Louis Harris and Associates (1998). National Organization on Disability/Harris survey of Americans with disabilities. New York: Author.

National Council on Disability (2000). Transition and postschool outcomes for youth with disabilities: Closing the gaps to postsecondary education and employment. Washington DC: Author.

Social Security Administration (1996). Plan for achieving self-support. (SSA Form No. 545-5/96). Baltimore MD: Author.

Virginia Commonwealth University (1996). Project UNITE: The results from a survey of parents of students with disabilities at a meeting of Vocational Rehabilitation, Project UNITE, and Office of Special Education Personnel. Richmond, VA: Author.

David R. Johnson is Director of the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He may be reached at 612/624-1062 or at johns006@umn.edu.

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