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Clallam County presenters push back on myths that working will cost Social Security benefits
Summary
At a Clallam County DDAC meeting, local benefits planners and service providers reviewed how Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) interact with Medicaid and Medicare and urged staff and families to seek benefits-planning advice before deciding against work.
Karen Pierce of Pierce Jones and Associates told the Clallam County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee on June (date not specified) that common beliefs that paid employment will make people with disabilities lose benefits are “evil urban myths.” She urged families and providers to get benefits planning help before making decisions about work.
Why it matters: Many families avoid pursuing employment because they fear losing health coverage or monthly income. The presenters said that understanding differences between SSDI and SSI and the available work incentives can increase earnings while preserving health benefits.
Pierce outlined the practical difference between Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI, Title II) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI, Title XVI) and said moving from SSI to SSDI can make a person a “dual beneficiary” with Medicare and Medicaid. She and other presenters recommended consulting trained benefits planners; Pierce and her partner described themselves as Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) who help interpret complex Social Security materials for the people the county serves.
Pierce and other speakers gave concrete examples from the meeting. She noted how credits are earned and said the quarterly earnings number used to compute “credits” can change yearly; she gave $1,810 as an example of a quarterly earnings threshold in recent years. Using a simplified illustration, presenters showed that a person whose SSI cash payment drops after starting work can still have a higher total monthly income when wages plus reduced cash benefits are combined. “Going to work will make your life better,” Pierce told the committee, adding that work can reduce poverty and loneliness and increase participation.
David Hankinson, a vocational rehabilitation counselor with DVR’s Port Angeles office, affirmed that benefits planning and coordination with agencies such as DVR matters when people increase hours or change employment. Committee members asked for a longer, deeper training; Pierce said she would be willing to provide an extended presentation for providers and families.
What’s next: The committee agreed to place a fuller benefits-planning session on a future agenda and circulated contact information for local benefits-planning resources.
