2019 National Employment Network Association (NENA) Annual National Training Conference

New Orleans, Louisiana

Social Security Administration (SSA)

Renee Dugas, Area Work Incentive Coordinator - Dallas Region

Mandy Lomax, Area Work Incentive Coordinator - Dallas Region

David Rangel, Area Work Incentive Coordinator – Dallas Region

Ann P. RobertAssistant Regional Commissioner

Management and Operations Support (Chicago Region)SSA Operations Executive Lead for Employment Support

SSA Presenters

SSA Organizational Structure

Workload Overview and Considerations in SSA Operations

SSA Operations’ Role in Support of Ticket to Work

Workshop Objectives

SSA Organizational Structure

SSA Organizational Chart

Social Security Commissioner

Deputy Commissioner, Retirement and Disability Policy

Associate Commissioner, Office of Research, Demonstration, and

Employment Support

Deputy Commissioner for Operations

Regional Commissioners

Associate Commissioner, Office of Public Service and Operations Support

5

Regional Organizational Chart

6

Regional Commissioner

Area Directors

Local Field Office Managers

Work Incentives Liaisons

Area Work Incentive

Coordinators

Assistant Regional Commissioner,

Program Service Center

Assistant Regional Commissioner,

Management and Operations Support

Regional Ticket to Work Coordinator

Regional Communications Director, Regional

Public Affairs Office

Public Affairs Specialists

Teleservice Center Director

Workload Overview and Considerations in SSA

Operations

Workload BalanceIn FY 2018:

Issued payments to more than 70 million beneficiaries and recipients;

Issued 17 million new and replacement Social Security cards;

Completed over 32 million National 800 Number calls;

Assisted 42 million visitors to our over 1,200 field offices nationwide;

Processed over 5.8 million Retirement, Survivor, and Medicare claims;

Processed nearly 2.3 million Initial Disability applications;

Completed over 190,000 Supplemental Security Income non-disability redeterminations;

Completed over 800,000 Medicare-subsidy applications.

Workload Balance Cont’d

Additional Workloads:

Benefit Verifications

Post-Entitlement Work Address changes

Direct Deposit

Representative Payee changes

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 10

Program Integrity:Supplemental Security Income

Redeterminations and Limited Issue Workloads

2,000,000

2,100,000

2,200,000

2,300,000

2,400,000

2,500,000

2,600,000

2,700,000

2,800,000

2,900,000

FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019

2,255,000

2,522,0002,562,000

2,900,000

2,672,000

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 11

Program Integrity:Medical Continuing Disability Reviews

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019

790,000

850,000 880,000 890,000

703,000

SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 12

Program Integrity:Work-Related Continuing Disability Reviews

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019*

369,019

500,840 517,161551,838 545,994

*Through 9/14/19

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 13

Average Daily Visitors to SSA Field Offices

*Data through 09/06/19

145,000

150,000

155,000

160,000

165,000

170,000

175,000

FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019*

156,510

171,448

161,677

163,929

166,066

SSA Operations’ Role in Support of Ticket to Work

SSA and Ticket to Work

Our mission is to promote the employment of Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities by:

› Educating the public about programs and services that facilitate entry into the workforce;

› Partnering with other public and private groups to remove employment barriers for people with disabilities;

› Designing policies that make work pay; and

› Promoting research and program innovation.

SSA Roles and Responsibilities

› AWICS

› PASS Cadre

› WIL

› Local SSA Offices

› National Toll Free: 1-800-772-1213

› Online Services: ssa.gov & choosework.ssa.gov

AWIC - Area Work Incentive Coordinator

› Coordinate and conduct public outreach on Work Incentives in their areas;

› Provide, coordinate and oversee training on Work Incentives and SSA’s employment support programs for all personnel at local Social Security offices;

› Monitor the disability work-issue workloads in their areas;

› Prepare reports on a regular basis recommending overall improvements in work processes and operations;

› Work closely with the WILs in their area to provide and assist with training needs; and

› Dallas Region AWICs also serve as PASS specialists.

SSA.GOV

How to Locate AWICs

PASS Cadres

› Review PASS application to ensure work goal is reasonable;

› Ensure income/resources are needed;

› Ensure expenses are reasonably priced;

› Work with recipient to make changes on PASS plan if necessary;

› Make final determinations on PASS applications;

› Monitor and review progress on all PASS plans;

› Dallas Region AWICs also serve as PASS specialists.

PASS

How to Locate PASS Cadres

WIL - Work Incentive Liaison

› An employee in each local Social Security office (or cluster) serves as a WIL to provide cross program work incentive expertise for SSA staff, individuals with disabilities, and organizations and advocates;

› Serve as primary point of contact for local Ticket Partners on work incentives information and BPQYs;

› Consult and give feedback to the AWIC to determine local training needs or initiatives to be taken to assist in processing work incentive workloads; and

› Provide necessary training to Field Office employees to ensure continued expertise in employment support programs.

Field Office Employees

› Provide BPQYs and technical assistance to beneficiaries and Ticket partners;

› Promote Ticket to Work;

› Make sure Ticket to Work incentive materials are available;

› Obtain Work Reports received from beneficiaries/recipients or third parties (e.g. ENs, VR agencies); and

› Process Work-Related Continuing Disability Reviews (i.e. Work Reviews or Work CDRs).

WWW.SSA.GOVHow to Locate a Field Office

www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook

A Guide to Employment Supports

How to Order 2019 Red Books

NATIONALWork Incentive Training

› AWICs across the nation provided a comprehensive Work Incentive training series to Work Incentive Liaisons (WILs) on their roles and responsibilities in promoting employment for Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities.

› WILs across the nation provided training to employees in their local field office(s).

Work Incentive Training -

› Promoting Ticket to Work

› Partnering with Ticket to Work service providers (EN, VR, WIPA, PABSS, WF)

› BPQYs (value, timeliness and tips)

› SSDI Work Incentives

› SSI Work Incentives

› Medicare/Medicaid 1619b continuation

› Work Reports and Work Reviews

› Section 301 & Youth in Transition

AWIC training to WILs

WIL training to local employees

my Social Security accounts

my SSA

my Wage Report

1st

Notify SSA of employment &

EIN

my Wage Report

my Wage Report

my Wage Report

my Wage Report

my Wage Report

BPQYBenefits Planning Query

BPQY - Benefits Planning Query

› A BPQY provides information about a beneficiary’s disability cash benefits, health insurance, representation, continuing disability reviews, and work history;

› Beneficiaries may request a BPQY by calling SSA’s toll free number, 1-800-772-1213 or contacting their local Social Security office (in person or by phone);

› ENs and other third parties may request a BPQY by faxing two SSA-3288 consent forms (signed by the beneficiary) to the local Social Security office (Attention: WIL);

› BPQY’s are provided FREE of charge if needed for return to work planning; and

› The BPQY Handbook can be located in the Red Book under ‘Resources to Assist You Return to Work’ (www.ssa.gov/redbook/).

1st

Consent for

SSA Records

2nd

Consent for

IRS Records

BPQY Tips› Develop a good working relationship with your local

WIL or other field office staff who assist with BPQYs.

› Ask how long you should expect to wait for BPQYs. If you do not receive the BPQY in the expected timeframe, call to follow-up and submit a second request.

› If you still encounter difficulty receiving BPQYs from the local SSA office, reach out to your AWIC for assistance.

BPQY Tips

› Ask beneficiaries to request the BPQY themselves by calling Social Security’s toll-free number or contacting their local Social Security field office. Did you know ENs may request that SSA send a BPQY to the beneficiary’s address on SSA records? TC 17001.052B

› Provide the beneficiary with information they can provide to SSA to explain their request.

› For example: A card or fill-in document to indicate whatthey want (BPQY), why (return to work), claim numbers (for DAC/DWB) and policy references (to confirm the request is free).

I am requesting a BPQY for return to work purposes.

Social Security provides BPQY’s FREE of charge if needed by the

beneficiary seeking to return to work or participating in the Ticket to

Work program (GN 03311.005B.3.c).

I receive the following benefits (select the following that apply):

SSI SSDI DAC/CDB (Disabled Adult Child): claim# ____________

DWB (Disabled Widow): claim# ______________

Note to SSA: Please use the Claim# to pull a BPQY for DAC or DWB.

References for SSA: TC 17001.052, GN 03311.005B.3.c

Example: BPQY Request

BPQY Tips – DAC (Disabled Adult Child)

› Tip for SSA employees: For DAC entitlement use the Claim Number to request the BPQY:

What’s wrong with this picture?

One Call or Click Away

› National Toll Free: 1-800-772-1213

› SSA Online Services: www.socialsecurity.gov

› Ticket to Work Website: www.yourtickettowork.com

› Red Book and SSA Support Resource Contacts: www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/resources-supports.htm

Questions?