If you receive SSI or could qualify for SSI after setting aside some income or resources, you could benefit from a PASS.
A PASS allows you to set aside income besides your SSI for a specified period of time so that you may pursue a work goal that will reduce or eliminate the SSI or SSDI benefits you currently receive. For example, if you receive SSDI, wages, or other income, you could set aside some of that money to pay expenses for education, vocational training, or starting a business.
Social Security does not count the income you set aside under a PASS when figuring your SSI payment amount. Also, Social Security does not count the resources you set aside under a PASS when determining your initial and continuing eligibility for SSI. As a result, a PASS can help you establish or maintain SSI eligibility and may increase your SSI payment amount. For example, if you receive $800 per month in SSDI, you have too much income to be eligible for SSI. But if you otherwise qualify for SSI and have a work goal, you could use some of your SSDI to pay for PASS expenses to help you reach your work goal. Because we would not count the portion of your SSDI you are using toward your PASS, this could reduce your countable income enough so you could be eligible for SSI.
A PASS must be (1) designed for you; (2) in writing; (3) have a specific work goal you are capable of performing; (4) have a specific timeframe for reaching that goal; (5) show what income you receive and/or resources you have that you will use to reach your goal; (6) show how you will use your income and resources to reach your goal; and (7) show how the money set aside will be kept separate from other funds. A PASS must be approved by Social Security and will be reviewed periodically.
Social Security has created a form, SSA-545-BK, for PASS applications that will assist you in compiling all the necessary information and presenting your goal in an organized way. Here is a link to the form: http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-545.html. Also, here’s a link to a website run by Cornell University’s Employment and Disability Institute that discusses PASS in more detail, provides sample answers for the application, and lists possible considerations for deciding whether a PASS might be right for you: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/pass/ .
