>> Good afternoon, everyone. We are going to get started-in about. We're going to give a little

bit more time for people to log on. Thank you .

>> good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to one -- Understanding Asset Building and Benefits

for People with Disabilities , part one. My name is Nakia Matthews, and it will be your host for

today. I just wanted to give everyone an important note about this webinar. This is the first of a

two-part series. Access to part two of this webinar, which will take place on September 19 at 3

PM, is only given to those who have attended part one. Following this webinar, you'll be sent a

link and password for part two. And I would like to make a note. If you are listening by phone

only, and you have not logged into the web portion, please send me an e-mail at

nmatthews@ndi-inc.org . So I can send you the info for part two.

>> The audio for today's webinar is being broadcast through your computer. Please make sure

your speakers are turned on, or your headphones are plugged in. You can control the audio

broadcast by the audio podcast panel, which you see below. And, if you accidentally close this

panel, or if the sound becomes unintelligible, you can close and reopen this panel from the top

menu item by going to communicate, join audio broadcast.

>> If you do not have sound capabilities on your computer or if you prefer to listen by phone,

you can dial the number you see here. I'll also take this number into the chat box for

everybody. Real-time captioning is provided during this webinar. Captions can be found in the

media viewer panel, which appears on the lower right-hand corner of the webinar platform. If

you want to make the media viewer panel larger, you can minimize some of the other panels

like chat or question and answer and conversely, if you want to make the media penalty or

smaller, you can Nice -- you can. You have a question and answer portion at the end of the

webinar. Please use the chat box or question and answer box to send any questions you may

have, and I will direct them accordingly at the end. If you are listening by phone and not logged

in, you may also ask questions by e-mailing me directly at nmatthews@ndi-inc.org .

>> Please note that this webinar is being recorded and that the materials will be available on

our website on or after the airing of our second part, which is on September 19. If you

experience any technical difficulties during the webinar, please use the chat box to send me a

message, Nakia Matthews, or you may also e-mail me. Again, at nmatthews@ndi-inc.org . I

would like to take a moment to thank all of the NDI sponsors. Walmart, Bank of America,

[ Indiscernible ] therapeutics, [ Indiscernible ] look into to end our partners at the IRS. For those

that are new to NDI, National Disability Institute is a national research and development

organization with a mission won't affect development for persons with disabilities to build a

better economic future. The real economic impact network is an alliance of organizations and

individuals dedicated to advance the economic empowerment of people with disabilities. The

REI network consists of more than 900 partners and over 100 youth in the US and in group

nonprofit, community tax coalitions, asset that element or in addition, financial education

initiative, corporations and private sector businesses, federal, state, local government and

agencies, and individual and families with disabilities. And the REI network and its partners

joined forces to embrace compromise and pursuit access and inclusion of people with

disabilities in the economic mainstream.

>> I would like to introduce our presenter for the day, Sharon Brent. Sharon Brent is a

national expert on multiple federal policy issues related to the employment and self

determination that improves economic status of youth in transition and adult individuals with

disabilities. From 2006 until 2012, she was director of training and technical assistance for the

National Disability Institute and president of NDI consulting. She is now a senior adviser and

treasurer of the national disability Institute and remains the president of NDI can voting. Her

expertise is in youth and adult issues regarding employment, housing, healthcare, asset

development, Social Security programs, DLL, HUD, and mass. She has over 20 years

experience as a curriculum developer, trainer and advocate for people with disabilities. And

now, I would like to turn it over to Sharon Brent.

>> Hello, thank you very much for the introduction. I am going to walk through here with you

today, the basics, and when I say basics, I mean basics, a 90 min. presentation, and I will very

and questioned and answers and I encourage you to send in your questions, and if we do not

get to some of the questions today, I will respond by e-mail if you continue to send your

questions in. So, that would not be a problem as well, if you don't get all questions enter today.

I also want you to be aware that because we only have a 90 min. spot here, and there is

another 90 min. a 90 min. spot here, and there is another 90 min.scheduled for September, the

19th, which is part two of this series, basically, what you're going to get today is a big, huge

overview of a subject that has caught a lot of technical issues to it. But, we will encourage you

to continue your learning with some of the websites that we have provided for you in the power

points that you're going to see as we go through this.

>> I think we are going to start with the actual application process. You'll run into folks who

may already be on benefits, but then you also run into a lot of folks who have questions about

the application process itself. And, there is what I can figure mythical facts, because there is a

lot of denied and people feel that it's an issue apply for benefits, you're automatically going to

be denied the first timeout. You got large enough to ticker cash occurs because of the lack of

understanding in the process of the application systems. None of us know something that we

don't know. So, the more that we can learn about it before we start the process, the better

chance we are going to have becoming eligible for these kinds of programs initially. And, we

have given you some information here on this first slide, first of all, the Social Security

Administration's website, which is a national website, is really, very user-friendly. Those of you

who are on this call have not visited the website, I encourage you to do so. The more that you

familiarize yourself with the access of information on that website, the more comfortable you

will be as you start to learn more and more about this system. So, you see the website we

have got here, which is www.SocialSecurity.gov. And in that section, there is an actual portion

of their website that talks about the application. And there is a toolkit that you see here, there is

a checklist for developing an initial application. There is a requirement that help people

understand what it is going to test fate will have to provide to meet the test of both medical and

also financial, depending on which program they are talking about. So, we encourage folks,

again, the more information that you can learn about prior to the application process -- excuse

me, prior to the application being submitted to the Social Security Administration, the better

chance a person is going to have to not get denied the very first timeout.

>> There is definitions for disability that are both for both programs, which is the supplemental

security income and the social set ready disability insurance program, and the medical mission

that meets the disability test for the Social Security Administration is someone who is got the

inability to engage in what the Social Security Administration called substantial gainful activity.

Better known as SGA. This number changes, and we will start to see that new number four

2014, out pretty soon. It will come out the month of October. More towards the end of the

month. It may come out on their website on sometime at the beginning of November. So,

you're going to be able to start to look and see what the 2014 number is. But, the 2013 number

is in a month, the gross wage that a person will be unable to our is $1040 a month. And for

someone who meets the plant criteria, which is the criteria that belongs just to the Social

Security Administration, that substantial gainful activity gross wage number is $1740. And you

can see on the bullets, the medical determination can be either physical, mental, or a

combination of anything. I also encourage folks to incorporate everything that they have

difficulty with. So, for one person may focus on a very specific disability, and I could use the

example of cerebral palsy. Someone with cerebral palsy might also have high blood pressure,

might also have asthma. So, I encourage folks to incorporate everything that may prevent a

person from being able to earn a wage. Also, if someone gets diagnosed with, for instance,

cancer, and that diagnosis is going to result in death, and it's going to occur prior to this 12

months, it would be important for people to identify that as part of the information so that the

Social Security Administration can expedite the process of eligibility.

>> The medical eligibility, again, for both disability insurance program, better known as Social

Security disability insurance, and also supplemental security income, better known as the SSI

program, both of these programs are the two programs that the Social Security Administration

for people with disabilities. The medical portion of the evaluation and determination of eligibility

medically is the same for both SSD I and SSI. Every state in the union, and all of our territories

that fall under our jurisdiction have what they call in their state a disability determination

service. That is a contracted agent that the Social Security Administration who makes a

medical decision in a state for the Social Security Administration. So, every state has one of

those disability determination services. They may call it something different, but the national

term is disability determination services.

>> It also could fall under the Medicaid system in the state, it could fall under the vocational

rehabilitation in the state, but it is a separated contract with the Social Security Administration

to make the medical decision only for someone who could be eligible in that particular state for

SSD I or SSI. But remember, both those two programs are administered by the Social Security

Administration and have federal jurisdiction. Not state jurisdiction.

>> The steps to the eligibility process. An initial claim. And you can see here that we have

identified keeping copies is absolute crucial. There are multiple ways for someone to apply for

benefits. If someone wants to educate them even further, prior to the application process, you

could actually go into the Social Security Administration's website and you can see that we

have put in here what is called the professional bluebook. It is an absolutely full index of all of

the definitions of disability that the Social Security Administration has approved. And it will give

you a perimeter of what a disability would look like if they fit one of those parameters. I

encourage folks to use the language that is in the bluebook when they are trying to describe

their disability on the application to see the Social Security Administration. It's going to be

important to complete all of the paperwork, and give examples of disability, and how to fix

someone's daily activities. It would be pretty hard for a person who is unable to function in their

daily activities to go out and figure out how they're going to go and get a job. So, I encourage

folks to actually think about how a person functions daily, and use those examples. So, don't

answer test questions yes and no. Actually give examples. Is there room on the forms to do

that? Not necessarily, but I encourage folks to just add pages of information that help give

examples of how a person may not be able to function. Going to the grocery store, dealing with

public transportation, getting out of bed in the morning, anything that you could describe that

helps describe the disabilities details and daily function. Provide correct permissions about all

of the medical sources. So, hospital phone numbers, doctors offices, any kind of physical

therapy programs people are going to, it could even be education programs, to need

assistance to go to community college? All of those pieces of information become evident that

you can provide to help develop the case for disability. Responding to additional request for

information is going to be crucial if they send you additional paperwork. It's important that you

fill it out and copy it and submitted timely. He also will have the ability to contact the disability

determination services, where you see in this last bullet on this slide, DDS, disability

determination service, my recommendation is that determined what that phone number is

intestate, and are to contact that office. They are the ones that are going to develop the case

to prove medical determination. So, they will go after all of the medical evidence, and they will

develop a file and they are the ones that are going to then go back to the Social Security

Administration with their findings and recommendations as to whether they consider a person

meeting the definition of disability for the Social Security Administration.

>> The steps to eligibility usually follow. So, if you submit an app Asian -- and application,

anywhere from 3 to 6 months, you may get your first letter determining whether you are or are

not eligible. If you are not eligible, if you get you the first time, you will have 60 days to file what

is called a reconsideration. You file the paperwork, at any additional information, then resubmit

again to the Social Security Administration. They again will submit the information to the

disability determination service, another set of eyes in that it will review and go after any

additional information that they did not get the first time. If you get a second e-mail, you will

receive a letter from the socials. Administration, and they will then offer you 60 days to file

what is called an appeal, and that will put you into the administrative law judge system. And it's

part of the eligibility process, but that was for you will then wait to go onto the court docket to

see the ministry law judge.

>> What is the Social Security disability insurance program? First of all, be aware that it stands

for Social Security disability insurance. So, it is important that you ask questions, it's important

that you utilize the word disability insurance. If a person just says the Lord Social Security, if --

says the Lord Social Security, if you are going to call the one 800 number of the Social

Security Administration, you will get responses on the retirement program. It is important that

you use the word disability insurance program. It is also known as the title II program. The

Social Security disability benefits are based on a person's work history, looking at the length of

time in the amount of money that they have earned in what is called FICA, which stands for

federally insured contributions act. The Social Security disability insurance check amount

varies from person to person, based on how long you have been working, and how much you

earn while you worked.

>> A person could also qualify for SSD I when connected to a legally opened work history of a

parent. So, sons and daughters to meet a particular criteria could qualify on their parental work

history if their parent who aren't working street has already opened it.

>> What is Medicare? Medicare is the health insurance when someone qualified for a disability

insurance payment, 24 months after the date of eligibility, Medicare becomes their health

insurance. It is the same health insurance that retirees qualify for when they retire and qualify

for the Social Security retirement benefit. There are various parts to Medicare. Part a is

considered the hospitalization, and there is usually no premium to qualify for part A. Part B is

there medical services. So, you go to your doctor, you go to a specialist, there is usually a

monthly premium payment, and you have the option to choose part B or not.& Paid opinion,

anyone qualify for part B. Part C is considered an additional program that Medicare offers

along with other insurance programs called Medicare advantage. That also has a premium to

it, but it depends on what programs you choose. Part B of the Medicare system is their

prescription drug program. And, there is also going to be a premium cost and that is going to

very depending on what state you live in, what option of health insurance coverage or exceeds

me, not health insurance, prescription drug coverage you are interested in, how much of a co-

pay you might want to pay. So, it will vary from person to person and also has variation,

depending on what state you actually live in. There is also some programs that the Social

Security disability insurance program offers, once a person is on benefit, so now they are

receiving a cash benefit from disability insurance, because the medically qualify, and, there

may be a person would like to reengage in employment. The Social Security Administration

disability insurance program has multiple incentive that encourage folks to go out and try to go

back to work and be able to use some of these protected work incentives so that they can test

their abilities. Some people are going to be able to go back to work and do just fine. Other

people may not be able to go back to work, but they are also not wanting to lose all of their

benefits just in case. So, you have all of these variations of work incentives that I have listed

that fall under the disability insurance program. You see the trial work, and have given you all

of the 2013 numbers, and be aware that those 2013 numbers may change in 2014. So, these

are the current numbers.

>> And you see in red, what the quick value is of a trial work period.It protects a person from

losing benefits. It is a safety net. Once you have used up your trial work period, they have a

safety net and go into the next window called extended perid of eligibility. You also have

extended Medicare coverage. A person could keep their Medicare for five and half years,

even though they might not be continuing to receive a cash payment. But, will continue to be

covered under their Medicare. There is also special rules for the blind. You can see they have

a higher substantial gainful activity.

>>. Also protection for if a person needs to pay for things out of their own pocket to support

their disability while they are working. They could get credit for that out-of-pocket expense. And

have it not be part of their earned countable wage. So, you see that asset impairment related

work instead. Section 301, where a person continues to need to be on benefits but are in a

vocational rehabilitation program. Special conditions is when a person is receiving support in

order to be able to earn wages. There is a great chance that a person could be earning what

looks like some of the SGA number of this $1040. But because they need so much help

supporting their ability to earn that, the Social Security disability and entrance program may not

fit her that -- ┬╖ substantial gainful activity and they've continued to stay on the cash payment.

Then there is a quick way for somebody to get back on cash payment called expedited

reinstatement. And there is an additional program above and beyond all of these programs

called the Ticket to Work programs. He would then use your vocational services in our state or

all of your work opportunity programs that would help someone get a job and keep a job. Now,

I would love to be able to tell you that all of these work incentives are automatic. If a person is

interested in utilizing some of the work incentives, there are requirements, and sometimes you

actually have to apply for these benefits. That is done to your local Social Security office, or if

there are programs and specialists that are working in your state, these folks would be able to

also help you apply and keep your benefits and actually interface with the Social Security

Administration on your behalf. So, these are the work incentives that you see listed here on

this particular slide that belong to the Social Security disability insurance program. So, these

are different work incentives that are different than the work and some tips that will apply to the

SSI program that we will get to in just a few minutes.

>> We are now going to talk about leaving the disability insurance program and we are now

going to talk about the other disability program that the Social Security Administration operates

called supplemental security income. It is important that people make a differentiation between

the disability insurance program and the SSI program. These two programs are very different

from each other. And how wages are counted, how you become eligible for them are different,

with the exception of the medical determination. So, if I am medically eligible for DI, I would be

medically eligible -- I would be medically eligible for SSI. It does not mean that I would be

eligible for cash payments because there are other qualifiers. The SSI program has both a

medical determination and a financial determination. So, you see here, supplemental security

income, SSI, is also known as the title 16 program. This program is not a medical term. It then

eligibility term. SSI comes from federal income tax that we all pay with me on wages. So, it's

considered a taxpayer's dollar. For disability insurance is eight dollars that comes from wages

that we have all earned, comes out of our paychecks. If you look at your pay stubs, you will

see where it may safely cut, it may say OASDI. We have actually put into the DIY the SSI

program comes from taxpayers dollars. One of the criteria for SSI is based on a person's

financial picture. So, how much honored him, are they receiving from a different source? Are

they earning any wages? Do they have resources over a certain amount in any given month?

>> All of those financial criteria pieces are also considered an error looking after one's eligibility

to the SSI program. So it is not just medical eligibility, it is also financial eligibility. There DI is

do you have enough work history at enough dollars in your FICA work history record to draw,

and do you meet the medical criteria? So, one is enough work history in meeting the medical,

and the other is meeting the medical and also financial. How much resource, how much

unearned income, how much weight are you earning if you are earning wages at the moment.

>> Federal benefit rate maximum. For the SSI payment that is strictly from the federal system

in 2013 is a $710 a month. The cash payment comes to that individual who qualifies on the

first day of the month. If the first day of the month falls on a holiday or a weekend, the

individual would get the benefit, the cash payment, prior to that first. So, they have to have it

on the first to be able to utilize the dollars. The health insurance that goes with the SSI

program is called Medicaid. Now, Medicaid is the national term. Some states change and

called it in their state. But, the national term is Medicaid. And the Medicaid program in every

state is administered by the states, not by the Social Security Administration. So, someone

who is eligible for SSI then could go to the state and walk-through the state Medicaid door.

Because every state has multiple doors into Medicaid. SSI eligibility is one of those stories that

gets a person into the Medicaid system. Most states follow the SSI eligibility rules to also

determine whether someone is eligible for Medicaid in their state. Some states to change that

Medicaid eligibility in their particular state. But, most of the states follow the federal guidelines.

Some states automatically determine Medicaid eligibility when a person becomes eligible for

Medicaid.

>> So in some states, I get my eligibility to the SSI program and I will then get my Medicaid

card in the mail. Some states require you to apply for a Medicaid separately. And so once you

are eligible for SSI, they have to apply for Medicaid in some states. The fact that you are

eligible for SSI is going to make it easier for you to qualify for Medicaid, even if you have to

apply separately in a particular state.

>> So Medicare goes with SSD I, Medicaid goes with SSI. And you could have some folks

have qualify for all four of those. That would not be unusual for seven to qualify for a 50 eye

and Medicare and SSI and Medicaid. Because they are different programs.

>> [ Silence ]

>> Hi, folks. I think we might be having a little bit of technical difficulties. If everyone could hold

on one second, I'm going to try to get ourselves going again, thanks.

>> [ Captioner standing by ]

>> One second, everyone, we're having a little bit of audio technical difficulties. We had to get

Sharon connected again. Please hold on for 1 min. Thank you.

>> [ Captioner standing by ]

>> I am here again. Sorry, folks. Can you give me an indication as to where I dropped off?

>> Sure. I'm going to take a look at the transcript. The last thing we heard you say was, you

were talking bout Medicare goes with SSD I and Medicaid goes with SSI.

>> Okay, so I was just repeating what I said. So now I'm going to go to the next slide, and the

top of the slide says, what are Medicaid waivers? I apologize. For some reason my phone line

picked off I'm using a different line. It's also going to be important for people to be aware that

there are other additional programs that are offered in various states. And almost every state

has what they call Medicaid waivers. They are going to vary from state to state, because

basically a state develops a waiver, has been approved by the Center for Medicare and

Medicaid services, so that they can basically waive the state Medicaid cash plan rules for folks

who qualifies for the regular Medicaid. It maybe you get additional services, it may be that you

qualified differently financially, but every state has a different group. So, I could live in one

state and beyond a Medicaid waiver that provides me with personal care assistants.

>> And I then moved to a different state and that other state may not have such a waiver. And

even if they did, I might have to go on the bottom of their waiting list because I just moved into

that state. Because most Medicaid waivers are a combination funding between the federal

government and the state government. And they control the amount of folks that are eligible for

Medicaid waivers because it controls the cost. So, there is usually waiting list honesty to have

Medicaid waivers. And usually, the services that are in a waiver are not found in regular

Medicaid.

>> There could be specific disabilities have qualify. It could be a particular geographic area in

the state. And then again, be aware that states do not allow waivers to move from state to

state. So each state has their own group of waivers. Most waivers are going to require

eligibility to state Medicaid to also be eligible for a waiver. There are some exceptions to that,

depending on the state and depending on the waiver services that are provided in that

program.

>> The waivers are again administered by the state and overseen by the centers for Medicare

and Medicaid services, which is a federal part of the US Department of Health and human

services. Now remember that I him on SSI now, and you're looking at in the next slide, if I want

to go out and I want to earn wages. And I'm on SSI, I'm going to be required to report my

wages to the local SSI field office every single month. Even if a person gets paid once a week,

you're going to want to wait until all of your pay stubs are given to you in a month that are

dated in that month, and turn them over in the first week of the next month. Remember to copy

everything. Don't let anything out of your hands until you have copied it first and then send it to

the local field office.

>> What you're looking at right now on this slide is the basic for someone who is earning a

gross wage. So in a month, before taxes, and are also receiving SSI. So, I went out and 85

Dodge I earned -- I aired $1085 gross wages in the first month. -- Call that a general exclusion

and also give me a $65 earned income exclusion. So now the wage that they are accounting is

only two dollars. For every two dollars iron, SSI is only going to -- cc this division program. The

new countable wage is no longer $1085, but only five dollars. So, if I'm receiving the full $710

of SSI in the month, they are going to count $500 of my gross wages, and I will still receive

$210 of the SSI payment, even though I have earned $1085 in wages. So a person who is

getting SSI and during wages is always going to have more money to learn on then if they are

just receiving SSI. There is no time limit, as long as I am both medically and financially eligible

for SSI, I could earn wages forever as long as I report them and as long as I need both the

medical and financial criteria to be eligible for SSI.

>> So financially, it is much more beneficial to be receiving some SSI and earning wages and

just living on the 700 -- and just living on the $710 a month. SSI also has a list of work

incentives. That are utilized when someone is on SSI and earning wages. These have details.

You can go to the Social Security Administration's website and learn in detail each one of

these work incentives. But again, I have listed here for you all of the SSI work incentives and a

quick, in red, value. So, student earned income exclusion, there is criteria but it excluded

wages. So if you meet the criteria of the student earned income exclusion, they may not count

any of your wages. There is also a blind worker expense, which is out-of-pocket expenses to

support a person even though they are working and they also meet the blind criteria. 1619a is

a work incentives that protects SSI activities from substantial gainful activity. 1619b, which I

encourage folks to learn a whole lot more about this one, allows a person to earn enough

wages to where they may not be receiving any cash payment, but they would still be eligible

for Medicaid. So, it is a way for someone to be able to earn a lot more wages and still be

eligible for Medicaid. Can't save any more resources, they have to meet the resource criteria,

but they are allowed to earn more wages and still be eligible for Medicaid. So I encourage you

folks to learn a lot more. This is a wonderful work incentive to protect folks who want to earn

more but are afraid that they're going to lose medical benefits.

>> The next incentive is called a plan for achieving self-support, and it is a savings program to

help somebody reach an occupation. So if you need to go to school to be a certified nursing

assistant, it's going to cost you to go to school. It's going to cost you for books and supplies. It

may cost you 12 -- for transportation. This is protected under the first limitations but allows you

to use that savings for those expenses so you can reach the occupational objective of being a

certified nursing assistant. This belongs to the SSI program. Property essential for self-support

low protect some things that you own, including a bank account that you may use for small

business that will not count towards your research limitations, which may then make you

ineligible for an SSI payment if you go over the resource limits. But if you have, say, a bank

account that belongs to a small business and the money that is in that bank account goes to

the business, it could be protected under that resource limitation, under the property essential

for self-support.

>> The next work incentive that you see here is called an impairment related work expense.

And it is different than the blind work expense because the blind work expense belongs only to

those folks who meet the blind criteria definition under the Social Security Administration. The

impairment related work expense belongs to all other people that are disabled that don't meet

the blind criteria that have out-of-pocket expenses that they paid for on their own that support

their disability in her trash in order to earn wages. Examples might be co-pay for medication or

doctors visits. Or co-pay for transportation. Things that you are paying for out of your own

pocket that support your disability in order to be able to receive the SSI payment. They will

give you credit for those out-of-pocket expenses.

>> Section 301, again, protects benefits when you're no longer medically eligible, but if you are

in a card vocational rehabilitation program, either with state vocational rehabilitation or working

with the federal one-stop system or workforce investment system, you would be eligible to

continue to get your cash payment even though you may no longer be eligible medically, until

you have completed your vocational program.

>> SSI also has special conditions and subsidies. Calculate the value of work when you are

initially applying for SSI, this would be very, very valuable. Expedited reinstatement is a quick

method to get right back on benefits that you are no longer getting because you are no longer

eligible for the SSI payment. Now, I need to also let you know the difference with 1619 b,. Is

protecting your Medicaid, you are still going to be eligible for the SSI eligibility, even though

you may not receive the SSI cash payment. But, 1619 b keep you in eligibility status with SSI

and keeps you in eligibility status with Medicaid, even though you are not receiving a cash

payment. But, you are earning wages enough that the cash payment no longer is coming to

you because they do this formula and I went back one slide, but if you were to wipe out your

entire $710, because you are earning more gross wages, you would no longer be getting a

cash payment of SSI. But, you would then qualify for 1619b which keeps your Medicaid and

keeps you in SSI eligibility status. Even though you are not getting a cash payment. So, there's

lots of ways that folks can have a better financial quality of life and still be eligible for SSI and

eligible for Medicaid.

>> These are the contact pieces of information that work for the National Disability Institute

and are fluent in rules and regulations, and then also we have given you the actual website

again for the Social Security Administration website. I am now going to open it up, because I

want to make sure that you have enough time to answer questions, and it takes time for Nakia

Matthews to read questions and for me to answer them. So I wanted to get as many questions

as I can answer. And if there is additional information that I did not cover that you want

information about, don't hesitate to ask those as well.

>> I just wanted to say to everyone, if you have questions, please send them in using the

question and answer or chat box and I will convey them to Sharon. We have a decent amount

of time left, everyone. So go ahead and send all of your questions in.

>> So, we do have a few persons in so far. So the first one is, you have to have working up to

be eligible for SS A disability, right? I have looked into this but don't think I have worked

enough. I have not worked for years because of [ Indiscernible ].

>> I'm going to answer. There are a couple of questions in with that question. First of all, SSA

stands for the Social Security Administration. What you are asking about is the program that

Social Security Administration administers, Social Security disability insurance. And in the

question that you asked, yes, you have to have enough work credit in your work history to

qualify for the SSD I payment. The qualifiers could be age related, so someone who is

between 18 and 25 are not going to be required to have the same amount of work credit

earned as someone who is over the age of 31. The other criteria is, you also, in order to qualify

for the disability insurance payment have to have wages earned in the most current five years

of your disability eligibility definition and qualifying.

>> So, say you got a work history and you have not worked in the last 10 years, you don't have

a current work history to draw disability insurance. Also, folks, you have to remember that the

qualifiers for disability insurance payment are different than the qualifiers for retirement

payment. So, you don't want to mix up those programs, even though it is the same type of

money that is paying out for disability insurance as it is for retirement. But, the eligibility criteria

is going to be different from disability insurance versus the retirement program. I hope that

answered your question.

>> Thank you, Sharon. The next question is, when a child becomes 18 and now becomes the

adult category but has been getting SSI a long time, how do you help families so that the child

consumed any of cash can continue as an adult on SSI?

>> Great question. First of all, currently, medical eligibility criteria for a minor, which is birth to

the end of your 17th year, the medical criteria for eligibility to SSI is different than the medical

adult criteria. So, if I'm a minor and I'm eligible for an SSI payment, it is because I met the

medical criteria for a minor and the financial criteria of both the minor and the family. At age

18, a redetermination will need to be made to determine whether I still meet the medical

criteria but now, as an adult, not as a minor. So, minor medical criteria is based on the

developmental milestone. Your gross motor, fine motor, speech, vision, hearing. Your adults

medical criteria is, does your disability get in the way of your earning what is called substantial

gainful activity? And I'm going to go back to the slide, for those of you who are looking at the

slides, can be reminded again of what those numbers are. It is, an adult must be able to prove

medically that they are unable to earn, in 2013, $1040. So, a person who is on SSI as a minor

needs to be predetermined under adult definitions, medically. I hope that answers the

question.

>> Okay, thank you, Sharon. We have another question about minors. Can a minor qualify for

SSD I on a parent or guardian's earned income once the Guardian has passed?

>> Yes, but it is not been considered -- there is no medical criteria. All of us to earn wages and

put into the system under the Social Security Administration, under FICA, if the parent who is

earning that wage has minor children and that parent opened up their work history either by

retiring, passing away or becoming disabled, both minor children will qualifying for what is

called a dependent minor benefit. There is no medical criteria. You do not need to be disabled.

To qualify for a dependent minor benefit. You just need to be the minor who is connected to

that now open parental work history, because that parent either retired, died, or became

disabled and is receiving a cash payment. So, if not a disability-based benefit. It's a dependent

minor benefit. I hope that answers the question.

>> Thank you. There are a few questions similar to that. To those that 10,000 questions and, I

hope that that previous answer help you. If not, could you let me know and I will try to get

Sharon to qualify. The next question is, if I have SSD I, can or should I apply for SSI?

>> Good question. First of all, I will tell you that if you are medically eligible for disability

insurance, you are already medically eligible for SSI. Remember that SSI has also a financial

eligibility requirements. The federal benefit maximum SSI payment is $710. So, if you are

receiving more than $710, Johnny disability insurance payment, even though you are

medically eligible for an SSI payment, because you are making more than the allowable

maximum on the federal government payment of SSI, you have what SSI calls too much

unearned income. So you don't financially qualify for an additional amount of money from SSI.

Let me give you another example. If I'm only receiving $520 a month from DI, that is my DI

payment, my work record, I have a history of work history and based on the amount of money I

earned when working, qualify for $520 a month of DI. I am also medically eligible for SSI. So,

SSI says, Sharon, we are going to have to count all but $20 of your DI payment. So we have to

count $500 of your disability insurance and we also have to make sure that you meet the

resource tests. So, we need to know, do you have more than $2000 in a savings account? Do

you have stocks and bonds? Do you have retirement money? You have resources that go over

the $2000? If I have no resources and Elm have my disability insurance payment of $520, SSI

says, okay, it's $710 that is the maximum SSI payment that you're living in, we will subtract

$500 from the $710 and we will then qualify you for an SSI payment of $210. So, you will

receive $520 from DI because that is what you are qualified for. SSI will qualify for you $210 of

the SSI payment. So, you are the kind of person then that would have SSD I and Medicare and

an SSI payment and Medicaid. So, you're always going to be medically eligible, is whether or

not you are financially eligible to receive additional payment from SSI program when you are

on DI.Hopefully that helps.

>> Thank you, Sharon. Somebody needed a quick clarification. Anyone on SSD I is eligible for

Medicare?

>> 24 months after the date of eligibility will qualify for Medicare. Yes.

>> Thank you. Our next question is, can you be eligible for state waiver programs if you are

receiving SSD I and Medicare?

>> Yes you could. If you meet the criteria of the waiver in that state. And again, it depends on

the waiver and how it is written, and it also will depend on whether or not you can qualify for

Medicaid, depending on the criteria financially for that particular waiver. So, if you are getting

DI and Medicare, there is a possibility that Medicare is not going to buy what Medicaid waiver

services might buy. Medicaid in the states might not by those waiver services either. You need

to make sure that you understand the waiver that you're asking about and what the eligibility

criteria is, both financially and whether it is the disability that qualifies the person, is it the

geography in the state that they are living in? So, there is different criteria than regular

Medicaid. So, waivers are different than regular Medicaid estate plan eligibility rules.

>> Thank you. I think we talked about this briefly earlier. Can you provide an example where

someone might be eligible to collect both SSD I and SSI?

>> Right. I did do that once but I am happy to repeat it because some of this stuff is very

complicated and people need to hear it over and over again. I will give you another example. I

applied for Social Security disability insurance. I submitted my paperwork and disability

insurance saw that I had a work history and I met the medical criteria that defines me as

unable to earn substantial gainful activity because of my disability. And I am now going to get a

payment of $420 a month from disability insurance. And, I don't have to meet any financial

criteria because I could have $1 billion in the bank and still qualify for disability insurance

payments because I earned it. I put it in from my work history. So, there is no financial hook to

be eligible for disability insurance, or Medicare. 24 months after I received my disability

insurance payment, I will then qualify for Medicare. Now, how do I also qualify if I qualify to

receive an SSI payment? SSI will say, Sharon, you have met the medical tests. Because to be

eligible for DI, it is the same medical tests as it is to be eligible for SSI. Now, SSI has to

determine, am I also financially eligible for an SSI payment? They are going to look at what

else I am receiving every month.

>> One of the things they will be required to look at is my SSD I payment. SSI calls SSD I

unearned income. So, they're going to look up at $420 a month that I am receiving from DI and

they are going to say, Sharon, we have to count four dollars of that $420. The $20 we are

going to give you is a general exclusion. We won't count at $20. But we have to count four

dollars. And I live in a state where the maximum SSI benefit is $710. SSI is also going to have

to look at, do I have a savings account? Do I have this billion dollars that I have sitting

someplace? If I do, then I am not going to meet the eligibility test, and I won't qualify for the

SSI payment. If I don't have any assets or resources, or what I have is under the $2000 that I

am allowed, in any given month, then SSI says, okay Sharon, you meet the resource tests,

and you are receiving $420 a month in unearned income and you're not earning wages

currently. So, we don't have to look at wages. But, we are are required to look at your

unearned income. We can't give you the full $710, but we will take the $710, subtract the $400

of the unearned income they are counting, and I will then receive $310 of an SSI payments.

Because I'm receiving the $420 of ATI payment. I will then depending on the state I live in have

to apply for Medicaid separately because I will be eligible for Medicaid or automatically, in

some sense, get my Medicaid because I am going to be automatically eligible for Medicaid in

some states when I got at least one dollar of an SSI payment. So, that's another example of

how you would be able to get an SSI Medicaid eligibility and SSD I Medicare eligibility. Same

person.

>> Thank you, Sharon. We have a couple of questions come in about the interaction between

receiving SSD I benefits and your Social Security and retirement. And they both basically

boiled down to if you are receiving SSD I currently and then he becomes 62 and are eligible to

receive your Social Security retirement, does SSD I affect retirement, does retirement affect

SSD I? Can you have them simultaneously? Good question. First of all, one thing we all need

to remember is it is the same pot of money that pays out SSD I that also pays out a Social

Security retirement. It's just how you qualify to draw the money.

>> Prior to retirement age, if you are no longer able to work because you are medically eligible,

that pot of money will payout under disability insurance rules. If you meet the retirement

criteria, you do not have to prove medical eligibility. You just have to prove that you have

enough work history and you meet the age criteria. There is a difference in how they formulate

the amount you receive under disability insurance versus retirement. So, a person who could

be under the retirement age could be receiving a disability insurance payment, because they

have been on the benefit and met the medical criteria. When they reach retirement age, they

can flip from disability insurance rules to retirement rules. The only caution is to make sure that

you are going to maintain your eligibility to the health insurance Medicare. That is the only

difference between the retirement program and the disability insurance program, and also the

amount of money you may qualify for under the retirement formulation versus the disability

insurance formulation. But, it's coming out of the same pot of money. It just, the criteria in

which you qualify for.

>> Thank you, Sharon.

>> You're welcome.

>> This question is talking about the application process. How do you handle, if you cannot

reach the person that is handling the paperwork during a reconsideration, and you need to

make sure that they have all of the medical records that they may not have had previously.

>> Great question. First of all, remember that you really don't want to be calling the Social

Security Administration. The Social Security Administration does not make the medical

decisions. The medical decision is again made by the state contractor disability determination

service. If you go on to the state website and you put in their search engine disability

determination service, you will get the phone numbers for the state agencies that you want to

contact. Once that paperwork has been given from the Social Security Administration to the

disability determination service, there will be a technical analyst assigned to that case. That is

the person that is going to go after the medical evidence, go to get the doctors information,

everything that you have given them on the application, hospitalizations, various specialists,

what you do want to do, and that is why it is a great question, you want to stay on top of those

folks, because if they make a request of the medical resources, at least two times, the medical

resources don't give the information to the disability determination service, people will get you

nine, not because I disability determination service that you are disabled, but they don't have

the factual medical document patients they are required to collect to prove it. So, when you

make regular calls, once a week, to the disability determination analyst that is assigned to your

case, you can ask them, did you get the doctors information yet? And they will say, no, we

didn't. Then you can call the doctor's office and say, please make copies of the information,

because I will get denied if you don't get your information ASAP.

>> You can also request from the disability determination technical analyst, would they be

willing to give you just a little bit of time to see if you can get the medical evidence from your

Dr. to that office? So, when you are in a regular contact with a disability determination service,

you can negotiate with them, because you are acting on your own advocacy and you're trying

to stay on top of the decision-making process to get them what they need so that they can

make an accurate decision, rather than denying you denying and denying. Because it may not

be that they don't think you are disabled. They just don't have enough evidence to prove it.

And so, they are required to deny. Hopefully that answers that question.

>> Thank you, Sharon. We have a couple questions about 1619 B. The first is, if an individual

who has been receiving SSI no longer get the cash payment due to high wages, how do 1619

B kick in?

>> Okay, first of all, it does not really matter whether the wages high or not, because

somebody can be getting a combination of a DI and SSI payments of and not getting very

much SSI. But, as soon as the SSI cash payment is fully eliminated, because of the SSI wage

population, and again, I'm going to go back to the wage copulation so you can see what it

looks like, if I wiped out my entire SSI payment ever that SSI payment is, because of the

wages that I earn, I wish I could say to everybody on the call that 1619b would be automatic.

But, it's not always automatic. And so, I encourage folks who are applying for 1619b at their

local Social Security field office, what that is going to entail is to show that you have been

reporting more wages, you are medically and financially eligible for SSI, but because of the

wages you are earning, you're no longer receiving a cash payment, they will then enter into

their federal system that URL before SSI, which sends a message to your State Medicaid

office that shows that you're still eligible for Medicaid, and that's how you keep your Medicaid.

Do not go to the local Medicaid office to get 1619b . It does not belong to Medicaid. It belongs

to SSI. Remember, you also still have to be under the resource limit. So, you might have a lot

of wages, but you still can't pay more than $2000 for an individual and $3000 if you are a

married couple. So you still have to maintain all of the financial eligibility criteria to maintain

your connection to 1619b and your connection to Medicaid.

>> Thank you. In the next 1619b question was, which is better for a person to apply for?

1619b for the Medicaid buy-in program?

>> I encourage folks, you can do both. You don't have to pick one or the other. Depending on

the state you live in, sometimes you have a threshold that you have to meet against what the

federal poverty level is in some of the states Medicaid buy-in programs. But, there is nothing

that says that you can't be in both. They are two different programs. The value of 1619b for a

person is that if they lose their job, they automatically go on a cash payment, back on a full

cash payment of SSI. The disincentive to staying on 1619b if you are not allowed to save any

more than $2000 of resources. Most Medicaid buy-in programs have a higher resource

volume. So you can save more money, and most of the Medicaid buy-in programs in the states

have a higher earned income, annual earned income level. So, 1619b is going to have an

income level that is going to have a max, depending on what state you live in. But, it is

certainly a lot more than being on SSI. I could say in some states, it might be $35,000. The

state threshold to still be eligible for 1619b, and that same state might say, well, in our state

you can earn $45,000 under the Medicaid buy-in program. And the state this as there is

$35,000 in earned income, annual income threshold limit, you're still only allowed to save

$2000 in that same state that says you can have $45,000 of income, we are also going to say

that you can have $10,000 in resources. It depends on what a person understands both sets of

rules in the state that they live in. So, it's important for them to understand the Medicaid buy-in

rules and what the limitations are in their state under 1619b . Because Medicaid is

administered by the state, and there's always a state threshold under 1619b formula as well

from state to state.

>> Thank you, Sharon. A couple of folks have been sitting in a couple of questions. One

asking when the PowerPoint are going to be available, and also if answers to the questions

that we have gone over today will be available. To answer the first question, the slides are up

right now on our website. I will put the URL in the chat box here in just one second. Or you can

just go to our site and look for the webinar. The slides are there. And about the questions, the

transcript for today's webinar will also be available as soon as we are done. That will be on the

site as well so you can go through the transcript and look at some of the questions and

answers that we have gone over today.

>> Also, so you are aware, if you look at the last slide, for those looking at the slides, and I'll

give you the information on this e-mail, but if you have questions after the call, you can still

send in those questions in a you still respond to them. You can see that my e-mail address is

here and for those that are not looking at the slides, it is sbrent@ndi-inc.org, or you can send

the questions into Nikita -- Nakia Matthews so that they get posted. And I'll answer all of the

other questions that come in.

>> Thank you, Sharon. We have about 15 min. left we will get through as many questions as

possible. The next question is, if you're going to the appeals process and you have new

medical results that show or prove a disability, should you submit to the Social Security

Administration immediately or should you wait for your court hearing?

>> I encourage folks, as soon as they get the information that you think would qualify you,

because there are times when even though your process is in the administrative law judge

system where they are looking at all of the documentation, even if you had an attorney that is

helping you do this, if you can submit something that will then have them eliminate the fact that

you have to wait for your date to go to court to seek the administrative law judge that proves

that have the criteria, because there are people that are going to be looking at the

documentation all along before it even gets to the date on the calendar, they could go ahead

and make you eligible before you ever reach your date. The concern I have is that it gets to the

right person and I cannot encourage all of you enough, don't let anybody send documentation

anywhere until they have got copies that they are going to maintain. Because things get lost,

the Social Security Administration is a huge system and I will tell you that they lose things or it

might go in the wrong file or does not get what they wanted to go fast enough because they

are overworked and don't have enough staff. I encourage people to keep their own files, keep

copies of everything that they submit. I encourage you if you're in the appeals process and you

have an advocate or attorney, it's important that he get that documentation to that individual

that is helping advocate for you. They will know exactly where it needs to go to see if they can

circumvent, stop the process on the court calendar and somebody could approve it in between.

So you don't have to wait to go to court. You should always turn in information as you get it.

That is pertinent to making you possibly eligible.

>> Thank you. Our next question, will be affordable care act affect those SSA beneficiaries

receiving both Medicare and Medicaid?

>> That's a loaded question. I wish I wasn't so fluent on the new health care act that I can

answer that for me. But I can tell you that it is going to vary from state to state. We do not know

yet the full impact. I do note that the rules right now under disability insurance and Medicare,

there will still be the 24 month waiting period, so Medicare is not going to come to DI recipient

any faster. That is one of the things we're hoping was going to occur and right now it's not. It

does not mean that women in the future but right at this moment, that 24 complaining -- waiting

period will still hold. In terms of retirees, the affordable care act will modify how their previous

cost may look, their supplemental politics test policies might looking thing with Medicaid, what

we are required to choose. But again, I wish I was fluent enough right at the moment in terms

of what is going to be implemented in 2014 to answer that question state-by-state. But, as of

yet, I cannot do that. I'm not sure I know anybody that can at this moment. But, there are

people that are detailing out the affordable care act and disability and Medicaid and Medicare.

So I can tell you that the national disability Institute is right there working on this as we speak.

So hopefully at some point we will be able to give you a cheat sheet to make it easier for

everybody else to understand as well.

>> Okay, thank you. Let's see. Can you explain a spend down?

>> Yes. Spend down has to do with someone financially qualifying in their state for Medicaid

because they are not financially eligible. There is a formula that the state Medicaid system

uses to determine whether someone who has got too much on earned income -- unearned

income. So that they can use the example of disability insurance. I'm getting $1000 a month of

disability insurance payment, and I'm receiving Medicare. But, I know that I have some things

that Medicare will not pay for, and I can't afford my out-of-pocket for a certain medication, and

Medicare will not pay for it. Or, I know I'm going into the hospital and Medicare is only going to

pay 80%, and I know I'm not going to be able to afford the 20% that is going to get billed to me

because I'm only getting $1000 a month of disability insurance. I want to find out if I can qualify

for Medicaid as well.

>> Because someone is receiving $1000 a month of unearned income, and the eligibility

criteria for Medicaid in that state is the same as it is to get SSI, I don't automatically get

Medicaid. But, medically, I qualify for Medicaid. I just don't qualify financially. So, I go to the

Medicaid office, they subtract standard deductions that they will look at as far as I'm

concerned, and once they get done subtracting all of the things that the state allows them to

subtract, the leftover number is what I have to spend out of my pocket first before Medicaid will

cover anything else.

>> To let's say my spend down in a month is $300. So, the month that I go into the hospital,

because I can pay the $300, the month I go into the hospital, I meet my spend down, and then

I use both my Medicare & Medicaid as my insurance, and the 20% that is left of the hospital

bill, once I paid the $300 spend down that month, will get covered by Medicaid. I will not be

responsible for the full 20%. I only have to meet my $300 a month spend down that was

calculated by Medicaid to make me eligible that month. For Medicaid. So, basically, they are

making a person financially eligible for Medicaid, based on the spend down formula. In a state.

Some states call it share of costs. Other states collect spend down. But, every state has such

a system.

>> Thank you. Client applying for vocational rehab services like DRS find themselves in a

situation where on one and they need SSI/SSD I benefits and would probably qualify for them

because they meet both of the criteria, but they could not claim that they cannot become

employed because of the purpose of becoming eligible for BR is to get -- VR is to get

employment. Is there any guidance on that situation?

>> What you have identified is what NDI is working on a research project right now because

exactly what you said, first you have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are unable

to earn wages over SGA to prove that you're medically eligible. Then the Social Security

Administration has all of these wonderful work incentives that say, okay, now that you're on

benefits and maybe you have recovered a bit, we've got wonderful programs to help you go

back to work. When you go to the Department of rehabilitation and every state has a

vocational rehabilitation system, what you're saying to them and they are required to look at is

your capability of returning to work. The Mac but there is nothing that says that you're going to

be able to return to work at full capacity. So, vocational rehabilitation is there to do an

assessment, to determine what you might qualify to do, given your disability.

>> You may have been a roofer before you fell off the roof and night can no longer be a roofer

because your disability will allow it anymore. But now, if you can sit in a chair and you might be

able to become an accountant or bookkeeper, well, it would be the job of vocational

rehabilitation, if you meet their criteria, to help you qualify and become a bookkeeper, because

you no longer can be a roofer. So, you are not restricted to going to vocational rehabilitation

that says you can go back to work, that is what they are there to do. If you're already on

disability insurance or SSI indigo to vocational rehabilitation, it's their job to help you find

employment. Then when you get jobs and start earning wages, the rules under the DI wage

rules would apply to you, or the rules for SSI rules would apply to you. If you're not on benefits

at all that you meet the criteria to go to vocational rehabilitation to help you get employment,

you are saying are ready for implanting -- employment and disability is not getting in your way.

>> You have to make the decision, if your disability getting in your way from earning a

maximum -- or excusing, a minimum amount of money, substantial gainful activity in a month,

or are you needing to apply for benefits but that does not mean that you still would not get

services from your state vocational rehabilitation system. So if a little confusing because you

have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can't work and then want to go to

vocational rehabilitation to pick a job. But that is what they are there to do. I know that they

confusing answer because the question was right on the money in terms of proving one way or

the other, but, that's the way the system is working currently. And until the Social Security

Administration changes their definition of medical determination, that's what we have to work

with.

>> Thank you, Sharon. Another question we have in, and you may have covered this earlier,

but again it's always good to get some of these things reiterated. If you have a Medicaid

waiver, can you qualify for SSD I or SSI?

>> You sure can. One has nothing to do with the other. Remember that Medicaid waivers are

administered by the states. And they're going to be buried on to state, depending on what the

state feels they want to create for a certain population or a perfect geographic area, that does

not have anything to do with your medical determination. As a matter of fact, if I'm on a

Medicaid waiver and they meet the criteria of the state, I would want to use that as medical

evidence to help me qualify medically for SSI and disability insurance. It would be another

piece of evidence that shows I have a disability. Anybody who is under an individual education

plan, that would also be considered medical evidence because it shows that you need support

services from the education system because you have a disability and are unable to do it on

your own. Any have that kind of documentation can be used as medical evidence to qualify for

SSD I -- SSI or DI as well.

>> I have a client with quadriplegia who requires a nursing home because they require 24-hour

care. The client is adamant that living in the community is not an option for them but he wants

to work. Is this possible with institutionalized long-term-care Medicaid? Is 1619b an option in

this case?

>> Well, okay, this is a multi-answer question. Because it also depends on whether the state

has implementing what they call Money follows the person. So if I'm a person in institution, I'm

in a nursing home, and I need -- would like to be in the community, will Money follows the

person's program meet the needs that I have two live in a community? And if a person is

adamant about wanting to live and work in the community, even though they need the care

that is required, if you look at all of the programs that are in the state that will support that, but

Medicaid waiver might be dollars the previous, Money follows the person could be dollars you

could use, Medicaid could be dollars you could use, it depends on the state, again, whether

they have those programs and what those programs look like. But even if you are in a nursing

home, and you want to go out on wages, there's nothing that stops you from doing that. And if

you qualify for SSI, and your earning wages and earn enough wages that euro outdoor SSI,

you would qualify for 1619b.

>> Is that all of the answer?

>> Yes, and I would look at all of the programs that are available in the state for someone who

needs 24 seven services. There are lots of folks who use programs in a state and package the

support and dollar needs to have a person live in the community, rather than a nursing home, if

that is what that person wants to do. Emacs thank you. So, we are almost at the end. I'm going

to ask one more question and then I will try to send all of the unanswered questions to Sharon.

If anyone has a question not answered today, they can e-mail her at sbrent@ndi-inc.org,

>> Is very time-limited that a person can receive -- and still receive --

>> So now the question is, are we talking about a person who is on DI earning substantial

gainful activity. First of all, is it truly substantial gainful activity? The question has to be asked

Emma does that individual need any kind of support in order to be able to earn that money

every single month. Are they paying for things out of their own pocket? Are they getting

services from a provider? Or transportation or job coaching? Is it customized employment?

How is this person able to earn this $1040 a month. If they are really able to earn it on their

own without any support, yes, there is time limits. So, the first window, and I'm going to go to a

slide gives you the work incentives for disability insurance, you see the first window of time is

called the trial work period.If you aren't $750 a month or more, you will earn one of those

months. If you're able to earn nine months over a 16 month window, you will leave that window

of protection and go into the next window of protection, which would be an extended period of

eligibility. Under disability insurance, you have windows of protection but the key component is

the person really able to earn substantial gainful activity 100% on their own? If not, then you

need to look at some of the other work incentives, like impairment related work expense,

special conditions and subsidies. Those are the kinds of programs that you want to look at and

submit documentation that says, oh, no, this person is unable to this without having a job

coach there three days a week. That agency would be considered special condition. They are

not able to do it on their own, prove it. Send Social Security Administration the documentation,

and even if the person is earning $1000.40 -- $1040 growth among, they would not be able to

do that unless they have services under special conditions and subsidies that you can prove

because the agency is documenting what services they are providing to that individual that

allows them to earn that kind of money. The Mac it is important that you look at the person,

what the person needs in order to do the earnings, and submit that documentation. If the

person is able to do it on their own, then yes, there are time-limited Windows. Trial work

period, extended period of eligibility.

>> Thank you, Sharon. So that's all the time that we have four questions today. Again, if you

need to contact Sharon following this webinar, you can see her contact information here. The

slides for today's webinar are up on our website, and the transcript will be available in about an

hour or so, so you can& Check out answers to the questions. I want to let everybody know that

part two will be happening on Thursday, September 19, from 3 PM-4:30 PM. And you will be in

e-mailed a link and password to this part two. If you're listening to the phone and not by web,

please e-mail me at nmatthews@ndi-inc.org so that I can send you the login information for

part two.

>> I would again like to thank all of NDI sponsors for their wonderful help in doing our work.

And, thank you again for joining us today and we hope to see you on part two -- I am tired,

Thursday, September 19 at 3 PM. Thank you, everyone, and thank you, Sharon.

>> Thank you. Goodbye, everybody.

>> [ Event concluded ]