With the new year comes a new a sense of hope for those who receive Social Security disability benefits. The 2023 annual Cost of Living Adjustment brings an extra bit of relief to these individuals. Adjusted each fall, the COLA rates are based on the Consumer Price Index, a measure of the average change in prices for the nation’s goods and services.
How does COLA help those who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
The annual COLA rate affects Social Security’s Substantial Gainful Activity level and many of its work incentives. In 2022, for instance, a person eligible for SSDI and earning less than $1,350 per month could still be eligible for benefits after their Trial Work Period ended. In 2023, the new SGA level for disabled workers is $1,470, and for workers who are blind, the new SGA level is $2,460. This means a person can earn an extra $120 more per month ($1,440 per year) and still qualify for benefits.
Does COLA also help Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients?
Yes, COLA also affects recipients of SSI. In 2022, the maximum SSI payment was $841. In 2023, the new SSI rate is $914, an increase of $73 per month. The Social Security Administration (SSA) also ensures that working students with disabilities who are using the Student Earned Income Exclusion can keep more of their SSI check. In 2023, the first $2,220 per month ($8,950 annually) of earned income will not be counted when calculating the student’s monthly SSI payment. This is a real incentive for students to try working.
What does an employment specialist need to know and do?
The most important piece of information to share with your consumers is that, if they receive benefits, they must report employment and earnings to the SSA. As an employment specialist or consultant, you can support people with reporting their earnings, which is much simpler than you might think.
Here are some tips to share with your consumers:
- Report employment to the SSA as soon as work begins and continue reporting each month.
- Submit earnings reports to all agencies coordinating need-based benefits (e.g., the Indiana Department of Family Resources, if receiving Medicaid).
- Keep a receipt if they took their paystubs to an SSA office—it is proof of reported income.
- Keep original paystubs and receipts in a safe, easily accessible location.
- Report other changes (e.g., student status, marital status, living arrangement).
- Open and respond promptly to ALL mail that comes from the SSA or other agencies.
- Contact the SSA for questions via phone, mail, in-person, or My Social Security account.
Regular reporting eliminates complications and sets a successful employment path
Failure to report can lead to over payments, reduced, or terminated benefits all together, which may cause people to panic and quit their jobs. Quitting the job can further reduce income and does not resolve the issue. Quitting because of disrupted benefits does not resolve the issues. Let’s work to not let these missteps stand in the way of successful employment in 2023.
You can help by educating and assisting individuals with reporting from the start of employment. This will develop a reporting habit that can continue throughout their career, even after your services have ended. Add reporting education to your regular employment support, and you will be handing your clients the keys to a more financially secure future.
Have more questions?
Contact a Benefits Information Network (BIN) Liaison. Many community rehabilitation providers in Indiana have certified BIN Liaisons on staff. For a referral, contact your consumer’s Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor or talk to your co-workers. You may have a BIN Liaison in your own agency!
Resources
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- Social Security Administration Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
- Benefits Information Fact Sheets from the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC)
- Benefits Information Network trainings page
Planning for success means developing effective teaching based upon the support and learning needs of the job seeker. It also entails involving the job seeker’s personal support networks as much as possible. Planning for obstacles means developing back-up or alternative strategies before a pivotal event occurs. Just as you would have a back-up plan for a monthly budget deficit, you should establish workplace related back-up plans.
Next, the employer trains the job seeker to complete the tasks with safety in mind. The job seeker experiences firsthand what it takes to do the job they have interest in—physically, mentally, emotionally. The best part is being able to ask their paired co-worker questions such as, “why do you like your job,” or “why do you do this kind of work?”
The other referral type occurs when the job seeker has never worked in this field but has selected it as their top choice. In this scenario, you are looking to see if this is really the right choice and give them more time in this field to explore and determine if this is what they want to do. Often, they are paired with another coworker or supervisor at that company and an employment staff member observes or receives feedback to assist with any needs, concerns, accommodations, or recommendations.
Informational Interviews are not doing the work, but, instead, speaking with someone about the job. Prepared questions can include what it is like to work in that field/job, what is their favorite or least favorite part about the job, the kind of education or certification required, what a typical day is like in that job, and more. Typically, these interviews gather information in a 20–30-minute session with a professional in that field. Next, the employment specialist will discuss that information with the job seeker to determine if they still want to pursue that interest or move on to something else instead.
In other words, vocational themes are areas a job seeker persistently gravitates towards or shows a preference or proclivity for. This preference might come from lived experience and already be well-established. For job seekers with a narrow bandwidth of job experience, vocational themes might result from an EC providing exposure experiences for the job seeker. Identifying vocational themes is both a responsibility and an exercise in observation and critical thinking for the EC.
If you find it difficult to name vocational themes, despite your best effort, you may want to peruse the 16 career clusters and over 900 positions found at the 
theme development is to improve direction and alignment. Identification of several vocational themes helps to create directional parameters for eventual job development. Vocational themes allow an EC to stay within specific lanes and construct a tangible bridge or link to optimal career opportunities from what was learned about the job seeker throughout Discovery.
Setting up natural supports and training from the beginning will help an employment professional avoid pitfalls such as an employee being overdependent on the job coach, the employee being left out of the office social environment, or an employee seeing the employment consultant as their boss.