DYK??? Certain Income is EXCLUDED under SSI?

NOT ALL EARNED INCOME COUNTS when determining SSI eligibility and payment amount. SSA first excludes income as authorized by specific Federal laws or statutes. Earned income exclusions are then applied in the following order to the remainder of earned income to determine countable earned income for each calendar month. Be mindful of these if you are receiving SSI. It could mean a big difference in your monthly cash benefit:

• Earned income tax credit payments and child tax credit payments;
  
• Up to $30 of earned income in a calendar quarter if it is infrequent or irregular;
  
• Earned income of a blind or disabled student regularly attending school, who is under the age of 22, up to the student earned income exclusion (SEIE) monthly limit, but not more than the SEIE yearly limit. (See SI 00820.510 for monthly and yearly SEIE limits);
  
• Any portion of the $20 monthly General Income Exclusion (GIE), which has not been excluded from unearned income in the same month;
  
• $65 of earned income in a month;
  
• Earned income of disabled individuals that is used to pay Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE). These are reasonable out-of-pocket costs that are related to the individual’s disability and which are necessary for work. For more information, see POMS SI 00820.540 Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE);
  
• One-half of remaining earned income in a month;
  
• Earned income of individuals with blindness that is used to meet any expenses the person has related to working-whether or not it is related to blindness, called Blind Work Expenses (BWE). Blind Work Expenses include items that would be excluded under the Impairment Related Work Expense (IRWE) rules. In addition, these deductions are any out-of-pocket expense that is necessary for work. For more information, see POMS SI 00820.535 Blind Work Expenses (BWE);
  
• Any earned income used to fulfill an approved Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS). PASS is a highly valuable, yet complex work incentive.

Earned income is never reduced below zero and unused earned income exclusions are never applied to unearned income. An unused portion of a monthly exclusion cannot be carried over for use in subsequent months. In addition, the $20 general and $65 earned income exclusions are applied only once to an eligible couple, even when both members (whether eligible or ineligible) have income, since the couple’s earned income is combined in determining SSI payments.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Economic Stimulus Package - "How will that affect me?"

Economic Stimulus Payments

Starting in May, the U.S. Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million individuals. The vast majority of Americans who qualify for an economic stimulus payment will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive this payment. Here are a few facts on these payments.

A worker or beneficiary must file a 2007 federal tax return to get the payment even if he/she would not regularly be required to file a return.

To obtain the payment, an individual must have at least $3,000 of qualifying income.

Qualifying income includes earned income such as wages, net self-employment income, and Title II Social Security benefits such as Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Qualifying income does not include Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

The minimum stimulus payment for an individual who has little or no tax liability is $300.

The stimulus payments will not count toward or negatively impact any other income-based government benefits, such as SSI and food stamps.

For more detail, check out the IRS web site at: www.irs.gov.

A Checklist of Tax Benefits for Parents of Special Needs Children

http://www.specialneedsanswers.com/resources/article.asp?id=5678&section=4

Working While Getting SSI and/or SSDI

What the heck does Terry do?
Not enough around the house if you ask my wife…
For Rehab Services, Inc. (RSI) however, I help implement a statewide program called Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) whose primary objective is to assist Social Security (SS) Beneficiaries with disabilities in their transition from dependence on public benefits, to paid employment and greater economic self-sufficiency.

As a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) I must first have a solid understanding of not only the various SS work incentives, but also the full array of vocational services available to individuals with disabilities. While I must be able to help beneficiaries understand the potential impact of certain employment outcomes on their benefits, I must also be proficient at connecting beneficiaries with the specific services and supports needed to obtain and maintain paid employment.

In my opinion, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and their respective medical benefits: Medicare and Medicaid, comprise the greatest social program in the world. However, the programs are complicated and difficult to navigate - something hopefully this blog helps remedy for people with disabilities.