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Text Results - Recommendations

A "Recommendation" will appear in Text Results to advise you to use WorkWORLD in order to see if in your particular circumstances you have options that could be beneficial to you. A recommendation may suggest, for example, that you try an SSI Work Incentive (WI) or an SSDI (Title II) WI, or that you make adjustments to a WI you are already using.

Generally, WorkWORLD presents the recommendations that are most realistic for your situation and that are most likely to be beneficial first.

For example, if you receive SSI benefits and have disability-related work expenses, WorkWORLD will suggest first that you consider including those expenses in a PASS. Next, WorkWORLD will tell you the maximum expenses and employability investments that could be at least partially compensated with a PASS.

The first recommendation is both realistic (because you already have the expenses) and beneficial (because you may be able to recover up to 100% of the expenses). The second recommendation is less realistic (because you may not have the expenses or know of appropriate employability investments) but possibly very beneficial.

Next, WorkWORLD will suggest that you include your work expenses in an IRWE (if you can't include them in a PASS). And finally, WorkWORLD will tell you the maximum expenses that you could at least partially recover with an IRWE.

The first IRWE recommendation is realistic and beneficial (though less beneficial than a PASS, since it would allow you to at least partially recover only up to 50% of your expenses. The second IRWE recommendation is less realistic (since you may not have work expenses that would help you enough that you would want to pay out 50% or more of the expense).

If you click the "More Information" link below a recommendation, WorkWORLD will present you with a Help screen that has a more in-depth explanation about that recommendation. (See Text Results for an explanation of how to move to and activate Text Result "More Information" links using the keyboard.)

Also provided in the Help screen are "What-If?" Steps – that is, the steps that you can take to use WorkWORLD to find out the results of following the recommendation in your particular circumstances.

Example:

You are 25 years old and currently unemployed. You are receiving SSDI (Title II) benefits of $350 per month as a Disabled Adult Child and SSI benefits of $182 per month.

After you have entered the above information, WorkWORLD gives you the following Text Result:

If you don't understand the recommendation, you can click on the "More Information" link beneath it. The following information pops up in the Help window:

If you still need more information about "employability investments", or "work related expenses", or any underlined phrase in the remainder of the topic, you can click on any of those underlined terms and get that information. (To then come back to the above information, click on the "Back" button, or hold down the "Alt" key and press "B").

Let's say that you have been interested in preparing for a clerical job and have already identified a training program that will give you the skills you need. Your disability makes it impossible for you to drive, and there is no public transportation between your house and your school. In order to get to the training program, you must pay someone to drive you.

The total cost of the training and transportation would be $250 per month. So you decide to see what the effects of getting a $250 PASS would be. The recommendation suggests that you take the following "What-If?" Steps:

1.   Create a New Situation.

2.   If you have only entered one situation, the new situation will be based on it. Otherwise, choose the column containing the recommendation as the column on which to base the new situation. (The new column will contain the same answers as the chosen column until you make changes.)

3.   Go to the top of the new column and enter a situation label such as "Using PASS".

4.   Then scroll down to the Employability Investments section. Answer "Yes" to the question, "Employability Investments: Are you spending or saving for any educational or training expenses, equipment purchases, or other expenses that should improve your future financial self-sufficiency?" (Only the first line of the question will be visible until you click on the answer box.)

5.   As soon as you accept the "Yes" answer (by pressing "Enter" or clicking on the "Okay" button) you will be asked the amount of the employability investment. Refer to the "Text Results" recommendation for the highest total amount of work expenses and employability investments you can at least partially recover in this situation. Enter the amount you would like to spend or save to become more self-supporting.

ALSO NOTE: You may enter an amount higher than the amount recommended – if that is what you want and are able to spend or save – but the extra amount cannot be recovered through your SSI benefit. (The recommended amount raises your SSI check to the maximum for your situation.) If, however, you have other benefits such as housing subsidies or food stamps, then including the full amount may cause those benefits to be higher. Check with the applicable agencies.

6.   As soon as you accept the amount, you will be asked, "PASS reducing Countable Income: Are you claiming any of your employability investments and/or work expenses under a Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS)?" Answer "Yes".

7.   You will then be asked, "How much of these employability investments and work expenses per month are you claiming under a PASS?" Accept the amount that is already in the box unless you have a reason to enter a lessor amount. The amount already entered will be the sum of the work expenses and employability investments you entered above.

REMEMBER: If you are including any of your work expenses in an IRWE, you should not include those expenses in your PASS.

8.   Finally, review the numeric and graph outputs for changes to your net income and benefits, and the text outputs for additional recommendations specific to your actual situation.

While taking the "What-If?" Steps, they will remain visible unless you close or minimize the Help screen. You can move and/or re-size the Help screen so that it doesn't cover up the relevant questions and answer boxes by using your mouse.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Consult with your local SSA office (and the agencies that administer any other benefits you may have) about your WorkWORLD results before you take action based on those results. If possible, you should print a copy of your inputs and outputs and have them with you when you make the call and/or go into the office.

WorkWORLD™ Help/Information System

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This is one topic from the thousands available in the WorkWORLD™ software Help/Information System.
Complete information about the software is available at: http://www.WorkWORLD.org