Sep 16, 2021

Social Security Seeks Return To Work Ideas


      From a notice that the Social Security Administration is posting in the Federal Register tomorrow: 

... Through this notice, we are soliciting suggestions for potential policy changes and services related to supporting DI [Disability Insurance] beneficiaries, SSI recipients, and disability program applicants in their efforts to return to, remaining in, or enter the labor force. We are also soliciting suggestions for other potential demonstrations. Responses to this request may inform our decisions about future demonstrations and how to design such projects. ...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

They want claimants to return to work but they want to work from home. Nice.

Anonymous said...


10:15 SSA employees are working from home. This notice is about claimants who are not working at all, either from home or from an office, and their possibly reentering the labor force. Your analogy is a false one.

Anonymous said...

10:40 it wasnt meant to be taken literally. Chill dude, its only life.

MT said...

That’s an interesting use of the word demonstration.

Tim said...

More carrots, less stick! If you don't remove the security blanket too soon and make it easy to return once someone realizes they are not going to be able to sustain working... Then, some might be willing to try. But, you need to increase the reward while decreasing the risk.

Anonymous said...

@ Tim
For T2, there's a 9 month trial work period where someone can earn as much as they want and still keep their benefits. If they continue above SGA, they will be paid 3 additional months before having their checks suspended. If they stop working or reduced their earnings to less than SGA in the EPE, for any reason, their checks will restart. The 36 month EPE begins the month after one's trial work period ends. If one continues to work through the EPE and benefits are terminated, Medicare can still continue for several years. If the worker stops work within 5 years of benefits terminating (after the EPE so at least up to 8 years after the TWP ends) and has the same disability as before, the person can request expedited reinstatement. Benefits are restarted before a medical decision is made and can be paid up to 6 months while a decision is made. Of course if the person is found to be disabled again (and an EXR decision is a CDR decision so easier to receive a favorable one than a new claim) the benefits continue anew.
For SSI--benefits are reduced due to earnings. There's no longer a TWP, etc.

Tim said...

12:55 AM Hmmm. The program "sounds good," but, "something" just doesn't "feel right." It's probably not the details of the program, but something simpler: TRUST. I know in my case that it took 6 years to get SSDI after working essentially full time for nearly 30 years (all with disabilities). I had essentially 3 failed "work attempts" BEFORE applying. I was only able to work 11 months of the last 27 months I was employed and NEVER more than 5 months at a time. It took nearly 3 YEARS from the last day I worked to get a hearing, only to be denied. My second hearing took over 2 1/2 more years. Then, I had to wait a few more months to get paid... for a little more than a year...with 6000 removed for the lawyer. So, NO...I don't TRUST the Agency... As for my ability to just be able to work at a meager, sustainable level...even the least amount possible...I trust my body even less.

Anonymous said...

We need a real, functioning vocational rehabilitation that actually teaches somebody to do something that's marketable and can be done with their limitations. Right now, they just do contract work for somebody who needs something done on the cheap. (Like make pallets)