This program assists Vermonters who are receiving Social Security Benefits (SSI or SSDI). If you are interested in returning to work but you are concerned about what will happen to your benefits and health care if you do work, VR Benefits Counselors can help. In most cases, people on Social Security Disability benefits are financially better off if they work – as long as they understand the work incentives. Our Benefits Counselors can help you:
- Decide whether to work.
- Keep the necessary benefits while you work.
- Avoid work/benefits conflicts.
- Help you understand the Ticket To Work program
Introduction to Benefits Counseling
Social Security rules for disability programs are notoriously complicated. Trying to figure out how changes in your work situation—a new job, a raise, going back to school—are going to affect your benefits can be an overwhelming prospect for anyone. That's where Benefits Counseling can help.
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation established Benefits Counseling in 1999 under the Vermont Work Incentive Initiative (VWII). Vermont now has a statewide network of professional Benefits Counselors serving:
- Adults on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits; and
- Youth with disabilities transitioning from high school to adult life
VWII's Benefits Counselors work with
- Adults on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits; and
- Youth with disabilities transitioning from high school to adult life.
Services a Benefits Counselor can provide include
- Comprehensive and accurate information on the impact of employment on benefits
- Advice and assistance on taking advantage of available work incentives like the Ticket To Work program
- Help developing a financial / benefits management plan for transitioning to employment
- Ongoing support as recipients increase their earned income and reduce their dependence on public benefits
Benefits Counseling Fact Sheets
- SSI Work Reporting
- Section 301
- Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) Fact Sheet | Jennifer's PASS Story Video
- Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)
- Transition-Aged Youth Fact Sheet on Work Incentives
