What is benefits planning?
Benefits planning helps you to be more informed about, and better prepared for, the potential impact work has on your benefits, including benefits like cash, medical, housing, personal-care services, and food benefits. A benefit specialist can help you explore and leverage work incentives and also help you develop a plan to ease your transition to work.
Why is benefits planning important?
Benefits planning:
- Educates you about how work can impact benefits;
- Reduces your uncertainty;
- Empowers you to work to your potential, instead of limiting your earnings in order to keep benefits;
- Informs you about Social Security work incentives and other programs that can help pay for items and services you need to maintain employment; and
- Helps you explore healthcare options
How do I connect with a benefit specialist in my area?
As a customer of Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, services you receive from DVR include benefits planning. Use the benefit calculators to estimate how wages from a job would impact your Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Some county Developmental Disabilities programs also offer benefits planning. Ask your Case Manager at the DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration to find out if these services are available in your area.
Additional benefits planning resources:
- Disability Rights Washington: A private nonprofit organization protecting the rights of people with disabilities in Washington state.
- Medicare: The official federal government website for Medicare recipients.
- Social Security Online: The official website of the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
- Social Security Administration - SSA Office Locator: Locate the nearest Social Security Office in your area.
- Social Security Administration - Ticket to Work Program: Information about the "Ticket to Work" program and work incentives for beneficiaries and service providers.
- The University of Montana Rural Institute: Learn about the Social Security work incentive "Plan to Achieve Self-Support."
- Washington Law Help: (NW Justice Project) Fact sheets with self-help information and legal aid providers.
- Washington State Health Care Authority: A state-sponsored program providing low-cost health care coverage through private health care plans.