1. “What About My Benefits?” The Importance of Benefits Planning & Assistance in Customized Employment Services for Persons with Disabilities Presented by “Whatever It Takes” A Collaborative Effort of HempsteadWorks and Abilities, Inc.

2. Background The fear of losing benefits (particularly medical coverage) is the primary barrier preventing individuals with disabilities from entering or returning to meaningful employment. The Social Security Administration (SSA), as authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, awarded 116 cooperative agreements to a variety of community organizations called Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) projects. These BPAO projects provide all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities (including transition-to-work aged youth) access to benefits planning and assistance services. Cooperative agreements were awarded throughout every State, The District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

3. The Role of the Benefits Counselor The Role of the Benefits Counselor Provide work incentives planning and assistance to SSA`s beneficiaries with disabilities to better enable them to make informed choices about work Conduct outreach presentations to those beneficiaries (and their families), who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentives programs

4. The Product: Benefits Analysis The Benefits Counselor can provide the consumer (and their service provider) with a Benefits Analysis Report. The purpose of the report is to clearly illustrate for the consumer what will happen to their benefits if they decide to go to work. The consumer is presented with the available options to help them make a more informed choice about future work activities.

5. Contact Information To locate the BPA&O project nearest you: Phone Call 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD) for the hearing impaired. Web www.socialsecurity.gov/work/ServiceProviders/BPAODirectory.htmlwww.socialsecurity.gov/work/ServiceProviders/BPAODirectory.html.