Section 1149 of the Act, as added by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-170), requires SSA to award cooperative agreements (or
grants or contracts) to community-based organizations to provide all disabled beneficiaries
with access to benefits planning and assistance services. Periodically, SSA holds
a cooperative agreement competition to provide these services nationally. Services
must cover the entire country.
Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) was the original program SSA funded
under Section 1149 of the Act. In 2006, this program became Work Incentives, Planning,
and Assistance (WIPA).
The goal of the WIPA Program is to provide accurate information, counseling, and analysis
of the effect of work on federal, state and local disability benefits and work support
programs to beneficiaries engaged in work or self-employment, or about to engage in
work or self-employment.
Each WIPA Project has CWICs who will:
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Meet with SSA disability beneficiaries to gather information about their employment
goals and circumstances;
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Educate the beneficiary on the effect of work on benefits, and how and when to report
work activity to SSA and other agencies;
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Assist beneficiaries with submitting work reports, and other documentation necessary
for accessing SSA work incentives;
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Request and receive verification of the benefits and services the beneficiary uses,
including the Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from SSA;
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Assist beneficiaries in preparing Plans to Achieve Self-Support, when appropriate;
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Prepare a written report for the beneficiary describing their unique circumstances
related to how work will affect their benefits, including health insurance, when they
return to work;
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Provide information and referral to beneficiaries about programs designed to support
employment or reduce the effect of poverty;
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Conduct limited outreach efforts to those beneficiaries (and their families), who
are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentives programs;
and
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Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations
that serve disabled beneficiaries.
TSC/SPIKE/FO/PC staff will inform beneficiaries who receive disability/blindness benefits
about the availability of WIPA services. FO staff may not charge WIPA programs for
verification of benefits, including the BPQY and should assist WIPA staff when asked
for clarification regarding a beneficiary’s situation, when provided with appropriate
releases of information. Whenever applicable, refer individuals to appropriate SSA
field personnel (e.g., Claims Specialist, Work Incentive Liaison, or Technical Expert)
to answer detailed questions about SSA's work incentives and other employment support
programs. Also, refer inquirers, if appropriate, to www.ssa.gov/work (the Work Site) for additional information and WIPA contact information by State
or territory.
SSA has a contractor to provide technical assistance and training to all WIPA CWICs
on SSA's disability programs and work incentives, the Medicare and Medicaid programs,
and on other Federal work incentives programs. WIPA Program awardees must secure training
and technical assistance for their CWICs about the state and local programs within
the WIPA’s service area and their effects on other programs' eligibility and benefits.