In calculating Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment amounts, we exclude income and resources set aside under an approved Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) from countable income and resources as long as the plan is active. In order to prevent overpayments, the exclusions should not extend more than one month after the month of the next scheduled progress review (see SI 00870.055). An amendment to a plan may affect the excluded income and resources (see SI 00870.050B.3). See SI 00870.070 for a discussion about counting excluded income and resources when a plan is suspended or terminated.

Income and resources are set aside when they are:

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  used to pay for current PASS expenses; or

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  used to pay for previously incurred expenses (see SI 00870.007B.2); or

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  saved for a future expense.

A PASS participant must keep set-aside PASS funds distinguishable from other monies, particularly when the participant is saving for future expenses.

A beneficiary cannot set aside income that exceeds the planned expenditures in an approved PASS.

In calculating SSI payment amounts for PASS, we will exclude:

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  earned and unearned income, including

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  any income deemed to the beneficiary, or

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  any in-kind support and maintenance valued under the presumed maximum value (PMV) rule.

(See SI 00835.300 for information about the PMV and SI 01320.140 when deemed income is involved.)

EXCEPTION: The PASS income exclusion cannot reduce the value of the one-third reduction (VTR).

In calculating SSI payment amounts for PASS, we will exclude resources owned by or deemed to the beneficiary,

Additionally, we will exclude resources when the beneficiary plans to use them directly in the work (e.g., business equipment) involved in the approved PASS.

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  Apply the PASS income exclusion per the specified order of exclusions in SI 00820.500 (earned income) and in SI 00830.050 (unearned income).

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  Apply the exclusion against unearned income first with any remaining PASS exclusion applied to earned income.

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  Apply the PASS resource exclusion if we cannot exclude the resource under other provisions.

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  Exclude a bank account if the beneficiary uses the account solely for PASS.