JFActivist

JFAAN Seeks Employment Commission

*** Take Action: Sign On Today***

From the Justice For All Action Network (12/7/09):

Dear Friends and Allies:

 One of JFAAN’s priorities is to increase the employment and economic self-sufficiency of people with disabilities.

 The JFAAN Employment Task Force has developed, with lots of input from many disability organizations, the attached proposed draft Executive Order that we are about to ask the Obama Administration to issue that will create a Commission on Employment.  It incorporates and goes beyond some of Obama’s campaign platform promises to create such a Commission on Employment and Social Security disability benefits. 

>>>Proposed Exec-Order Creating Commission (Word)

We are signators to the below letter to President Obama requesting that he announce his Executive Order.  The letter suggests that if he is able to announce it before the first anniversary of his Presidency, it could enable the members of the Commission to be appointed in time for the Commission to hold its first meeting on or before the 20^th anniversary of the ADA on July 26, 2009.

We urge as many organizations as possible to sign on to the letter requesting the President to issue the attached Executive Order. Note that by signing on to the letter you indicate your organization’s endorsement of the Executive Order.  If your organization’s procedures do not enable you to give an organizational endorsement by this deadline, we encourage an officer of your organization to sign on as an individual and, if possible, to indicate his or her title with the organization.  

As we intend to deliver the letter to the White House on Friday, December 11, the deadline for sign-on’s is 10:00 am Thursday, December 10^th.  Send your sign on authorization – with full organizational names (no acronyms please) to United Spinal Association’s Director of Legislation amorris@unitedspinal.org.

Thank you for supporting this important effort.

Executive Order Cover Letter:

The Honorable Barack Obama

President

The United States of America

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, D.C. 20500

 

Dear Mr. President,

The Justice for All Action Network (JFAAN), a national coalition of organizations of, by, and with people with disabilities, applauds you and your Administration for declaring employment of people with disabilities as a top priority.

As follow-up to our June 29, 2009 letter outlining the JFAAN Employment Team Policy Recommendations as a roadmap out of poverty for millions of Americans with disabilities, we offer the attached draft Executive Order establishing a Commission on People with Disabilities, Employment, Economic Empowerment and Social Security as a blueprint to carry out your campaign assurances through concrete action.

As a measurable benchmark of your Administration's commitment to the employment and economic self-sufficiency of people with disabilities, we look forward to your announcing your Executive Order to establish such a Commission. We anticipate it will create a national dialogue on these important issues. 

The 20^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coming up on July 26, 2010, offers an ideal opportunity for milestones. If you are able to announce your Executive Order before the end of your first year as President in January 2010, it could enable the Commission to be appointed in time to hold its first meeting on or before the 20^th anniversary of the ADA.

The attached draft Executive Order is endorsed by the signatories to this letter. It reflects due diligence, considerable thought and input from a broad perspective of stakeholders and subject matter experts, including employed subject matter experts with disabilities, who remain resources to your Administration in bringing the Commission to full fruition.

We are happy to work with Special Assistant for Disability Policy Kareem Dale and other Administration leaders to establish this historic Commission that will finally bring full access to the American dream for millions of men, women and children with disabilities for generations to come.

Signatories, 

Action Alert: Support ABLE Act Which Allows Families to Save for Children with Disabilities

ACTION ALERT: ASK YOUR MEMBER TO SIGN ONTO THE ABLE ACT OF 2009

 

The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2009 (S 493/HR 1205), which is supported by over 40 national disability organizations has been introduced in both the Senate and House.  The ABLE Act will give individuals with disabilities and their families the ability to save for their child's future just like every other American family, and help people with disabilities live full, productive lives in their communities.  

The ABLE Act will allow individuals with disabilities to create a disability savings accounts or 'ABLE Accounts' that would accrue interest tax-free.  The account could fund a variety of essential expenses for the individual, including medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing, and transportation.  Importantly,  the legislation prohibits amounts held by, or paid or distributed from any ABLE accounts from being treated as income or assets when determining eligibility for benefits provide by any Federal benefits program.

Asset development is one step toward improving economic self-sufficiency, and the legislation's focus on encouraging asset development will greatly incentivize people with disabilities to live more productive lives through earning and saving resources for their future.

ACTION REQUIRED:

If your Representative and/or Senators are not already a cosponsor of S. 493/H.R. 1205, please call them to cosponsor this important legislation (a list of Members who have already signed on to the bill is included below).

Talking Points to Call Your Senators and Representative:

·      I am calling to ask my [Senator/Representative] to cosponsor the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2009 (S 493/HR 1205) led by Senators Casey (D-PA), Hatch (R-UT), Dodd (D-CT), Brownback (R-KS), and Burr (R-NC) and Representatives Crenshaw (R-FL), Meek (D-FL), Kennedy (D-RI), and McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).

·      The legislation encourages persons with disabilities to save in order to live an independent and meaningful life while reducing their dependency on public benefits.

·      This legislation allows for the establishment of tax-exempt financial security accounts for individuals with disabilities to pay certain expenses, including: medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing, and transportation.

If your boss is interested in signing on as a cosponsor, please contact:

• Will Hansen (202-224-6324) in Senator Robert Casey's office
• Dustin Krasny (202-225-2501) in Representative Ander Crenshaw's office

House ABLE Act of 2009 (HR1205) Cosponsors

Rep Crenshaw, Ander [FL-4] - 2/26/2009
Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] - 6/12/2009	Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 3/3/2009
Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] - 3/17/2009	Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 3/6/2009
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 5/7/2009	Rep Barrow, John [GA-12] - 4/21/2009
Rep Bean, Melissa L. [IL-8] - 3/18/2009	Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 3/12/2009
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] - 5/7/2009	Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 5/13/2009
Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] - 3/3/2009	Rep Blunt, Roy [MO-7] - 3/3/2009
Rep Boccieri, John A. [OH-16] - 5/21/2009	Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-45] - 6/19/2009
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 3/30/2009	Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] - 3/12/2009
Rep Brady, Kevin [TX-8] - 3/6/2009	Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] - 7/8/2009
Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-3] - 3/12/2009	Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] - 3/6/2009
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 3/3/2009	Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] - 4/21/2009
Rep Campbell, John [CA-48] - 4/2/2009	Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] - 4/2/2009
Rep Cao, Anh "Joseph" [LA-2] - 7/8/2009	Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] - 5/13/2009
Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] - 3/18/2009	Rep Chaffetz, Jason [UT-3] - 4/21/2009
Rep Childers, Travis [MS-1] - 5/21/2009	Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 6/19/2009
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 3/17/2009	Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" [VA-11] - 7/31/2009
Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] - 5/4/2009	Rep Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] - 6/12/2009
Rep Davis, Geoff [KY-4] - 3/30/2009	Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] - 4/21/2009
Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] - 3/6/2009	Rep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] - 10/6/2009
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 4/27/2009	Rep Dreier, David [CA-26] - 3/17/2009
Rep Driehaus, Steve [OH-1] - 4/30/2009	Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. [MI-3] - 3/17/2009
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 9/10/2009	Rep Ellsworth, Brad [IN-8] - 3/18/2009
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 3/24/2009	Rep Fleming, John [LA-4] - 7/8/2009
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 3/18/2009	Rep Fudge, Marcia L. [OH-11] - 4/30/2009
Rep Gerlach, Jim [PA-6] - 4/30/2009	Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] - 7/17/2009
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] - 3/24/2009	Rep Graves, Sam [MO-6] - 3/3/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 6/12/2009	Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 3/10/2009
Rep Harper, Gregg [MS-3] - 3/3/2009	Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] - 3/24/2009
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2] - 6/26/2009	Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 5/21/2009
Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] - 3/24/2009	Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 3/10/2009
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 6/12/2009	Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 7/8/2009
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] - 2/26/2009	Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 5/4/2009
Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] - 4/2/2009	Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] - 3/6/2009
Rep Kline, John [MN-2] - 5/13/2009	Rep Kosmas, Suzanne M. [FL-24] - 6/19/2009
Rep Lamborn, Doug [CO-5] - 5/13/2009	Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] - 4/21/2009
Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] - 5/4/2009	Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 5/13/2009
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] - 5/4/2009	Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-9] - 4/27/2009
Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] - 6/12/2009	Rep Mack, Connie [FL-14] - 3/18/2009
Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] - 3/24/2009	Rep Massa, Eric J. J. [NY-29] - 5/4/2009
Rep Matsui, Doris O. [CA-5] - 4/27/2009	Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 4/30/2009
Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] - 7/17/2009	Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 5/21/2009
Rep McHugh, John M. [NY-23] - 5/4/2009	Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] - 4/21/2009
Rep McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [WA-5] - 2/26/2009	Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17] - 2/26/2009
Rep Mica, John L. [FL-7] - 3/3/2009	Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] - 9/29/2009
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 3/3/2009	Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 3/3/2009
Rep Murphy, Tim [PA-18] - 6/26/2009	Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] - 4/30/2009
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 7/8/2009	Rep Neugebauer, Randy [TX-19] - 4/2/2009
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 3/10/2009	Rep Nunes, Devin [CA-21] - 4/2/2009
Rep Olson, Pete [TX-22] - 3/30/2009	Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] - 3/3/2009
Rep Paulsen, Erik [MN-3] - 3/6/2009	Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 7/8/2009
Rep Pence, Mike [IN-6] - 3/24/2009	Rep Peterson, Collin C. [MN-7] - 4/30/2009
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] - 3/6/2009	Rep Posey, Bill [FL-15] - 4/30/2009
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] - 7/31/2009	Rep Reichert, David G. [WA-8] - 7/31/2009
Rep Roe, David P. [TN-1] - 4/2/2009	Rep Rooney, Thomas J. [FL-16] - 4/2/2009
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] - 3/6/2009	Rep Roskam, Peter J. [IL-6] - 3/3/2009
Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 3/10/2009	Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 3/3/2009
Rep Sablan, Gregorio [MP] - 4/30/2009	Rep Schauer, Mark H. [MI-7] - 6/26/2009
Rep Schmidt, Jean [OH-2] - 3/30/2009	Rep Schock, Aaron [IL-18] - 5/7/2009
Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] - 3/3/2009	Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] - 5/4/2009
Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] - 6/26/2009	Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 3/3/2009
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] - 5/13/2009	Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10] - 3/10/2009
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] - 4/21/2009	Rep Thompson, Glenn [PA-5] - 4/27/2009
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] - 3/17/2009	Rep Tonko, Paul D. [NY-21] - 6/12/2009
Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] - 7/17/2009	Rep Turner, Michael R. [OH-3] - 7/8/2009
Rep Welch, Peter [VT] - 4/30/2009	Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 4/21/2009
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 5/4/2009	Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] - 3/3/2009
Rep Young, C.W. Bill [FL-10] - 3/6/2009	Rep Young, Don [AK] - 5/4/2009

 

Senate ABLE Act of 2009 (S493) Cosponsors

 

Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA]
Sen Brownback, Sam [KS]

Sen Burr, Richard [NC] - 2/26/2009

Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT]

Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] - 2/26/2009

Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA]

Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 4/22/2009

Sen Risch, James E. [ID] - 4/30/2009

Sen Specter, Arlen [PA]

Sen Wicker, Roger F. [MS]

Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] - 7/30/2009

Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] - 10/1/2009

 

 

 

New Study: Disability is a Cause and Result of Poverty

From the Chicago Tribune(11/4/09):

Poverty and disability greatly correlated, new study shows
By Mike Ervin

Hard economic times are even harder when you have a disability. But poverty and disability don't have to be synonymous if we design our policies well.

A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (a Washington-based think tank) titled "Half in Ten" states that almost 50 percent of working-age adults who experience poverty for at least a 12-month period have one or more disabilities.

People with disabilities, the report says, account for a larger share of those experiencing poverty than people in all other minority, ethnic and racial groups combined and are even a larger group than single parents.

The extra costs associated with living with a disability such as purchasing expensive equipment like wheelchairs and catheters or obtaining specialized medical attention keep many disabled people and their families in poverty, the report notes.

The report also astutely observes that direct care workers who assist people with disabilities in their homes and communities are often themselves in poverty. The median income for the 3 million direct care workers in the United States is only $17,000 a year, the report says.

Fortunately, there are several steps we can take to ensure that disability doesn't spell poverty...

>>> For the Full Article

>>> For the Report

Social Security for Wounded Warriors Webinar

From the Social Security Administration:

Social Security for Wounded Warriors Webinar

Please join us on November 4 for our national webinar Social Security for Wounded Warriors. During the webinar, you can learn more about our benefit programs and the expedited processing of disability claims available to our nation's Wounded Warriors.  The expedited process is used for military service members who become disabled while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs.

We welcome service members, their families and friends, and those that advocate on their behalf to participate in this seminar.

The webinar will be on November 4, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. EST. To RSVP for the webinar, please visit: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/survey/woundedwarriorsrsvp.htm.   You will have the option of submitting questions in advance of the webinar with your RSVP.

 
We also ask that you share the information about the webinar with your members, colleagues, clients, and any others who may be interested.
 
I hope that you will join us and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this important program with you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Cheri Arnott Parlaman
Office of External Affairs
Social Security Administration

Just In: AAPD Joins Facebook Causes

From the JFA Moderator:

AAPD recently joined Facebook Causes as a way to get the word out about the disability rights movement and to make it easier for YOU, our dedicated activists, to contribute your support.

Take Action TODAY: Join or Donate to AAPD's Cause on Facebook and share these links with your friends.

>>> To Join the Movement

>>> To Support our Work

IL: Action Alert! State Funding Cuts Must be Reversed

From Amber Smock, IL Activist:

To disability advocates across the United States:

I write this letter in the spirit of a call to arms, from the grassroots to the White House.  Thus far, 2009 is proving to be both a golden and a very difficult year in disability rights advocacy.  While the President has ordered the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities signed, the JFA Action Network has been developed, the youth wing of disability rights continues to grow, and we continue to find ways to work better and smarter together, our people are also facing dire crises away from the national level of advocacy.

This year, I cannot think about freedom without looking at the situation of people with disabilities in states such as California, Pennsylvania, Colorado and now Illinois.  All of these states are dealing with major cuts in services our community desperately needs to live even the most basic of lives.  These are states that have some of our strongest and most powerful advocates, and yet systems and funding in these states are completely out of control.  This is not to say that only these states have problems---but it is to say that the issues being confronted in these states, among others, are extremely serious this year.

I want to focus on the crisis facing Illinoisans with disabilities, in this letter.  About two weeks ago, Illinois centers for independent living were informed that the state would no longer fund any personal attendant services provided through CILS.  This includes PA training, PA referral and emergency back-up PA programs.  State funding for PA services will only come through our Department of Human Services, for which waiting lists are already a couple of months at least and do not include any kind of counseling or support for people with disabilities needing PAs.  In addition, the asset limit to receive PA services through DHS is being reduced from $3,200 to $2,000.  Hours will be reduced for many people who receive PA services now.  These cuts will be effective October 1.

At Access Living, we are slated to lose two staff with disabilities who coordinate PA services.  At other CILs across the state, they are losing even more staff.  Most of these staff are also people with disabilities.  I was informed today that a great disability advocate at Progress Center for Independent Living named Mark Karner, who has worked there for 16 years, is being let go along with five of his coworkers.  The very people with disabilities who make our movement great in Illinois are losing their jobs and being forced to live in poverty.  As far as I understand, over 40 CIL workers who coordinate PA services are being let go statewide.

Cutting Illinois PA services provided through CILs strikes a sickening blow at the very core idea of independent living and consumer control.  To compound the issue further in Chicago, we are facing major cuts in paratransit services and a fare raise from $2.25 to $3.00 as of October 1. For people with disabilities who work and have more than $2,000 in assets, they are facing the possibility of needing to quit their jobs and spend assets to meet the levels required in order to receive services.

I fully realize the importance of continuing the struggle for disability rights on Capitol Hill and in the White House, and I applaud those who have been doing this work.  However, I also wanted to raise the issue that currently in the states, we are facing these extremely serious legislative and bureaucratic threats to our way of life as a community.  I find these threats ableist and also sexist, in that PA service cuts will disproportionately cause not only people with disabilities but especially women PAs and women with disabilities to lose jobs.  I am very disturbed by the systemic neglect of the welfare of all of us, including the poorest of the poor of us.  I am disturbed by the forced classism of the cuts that force more of our people into poverty.  And I am very disturbed by the fact that we had thought we were rid of a corrupt politician, Rod Blagojevich, and that his successor has seen fit to try to balance a deficit on the backs of disability rights heroes living in Illinois.  It’s nothing new…but I am just disturbed afresh.

My friend Mike Ervin, who is also a friend to many of you and one of our best known advocates, is someone who may potentially lose PA services due to these cuts.  Mike has been asking advocates to contact the office of Illinois Governor Quinn at 312-814-2121and ask him to restore funding for PA services and to reverse the asset limit.  So please support us by calling the Governor and letting him know how shameful these cuts are, and how important it is to preserve our Home Service Program services.

Through September, this will be the focus of many Illinois advocacy efforts and I and others will certainly be sending along news as things develop here.

Shame on the state of Illinois, which is already one of the worst states to live in for community choice!  This should be the land of Lincoln, not lockdown.  FREE OUR PEOPLE!

Amber Smock

Access Living, Chicago ADAPT, FRIDA

TAKE ACTION

Dear advocates,

 Further news on Illinois cuts to services for people with disabilities…still looks like they want our people to stay home, eat minimally, and drop dead.  Reportedly:

 ·         I had incorrectly cited the projected decrease in the asset limit and going from $3,500 to $2,000.  In fact, our Department of Human Services is looking at decreasing the asset limit from $17,500 to $2,000.  Astounding!!!!  This decision is not yet final but very, very stressful while we wait for the outcome.

·         Caps on personal attendant hours are as follows:

          Money Management            3 hours/month

          Food Preparation                  27 hours/month (less than an hour a day!)

          House Work                           17 hours/month

          Laundry                                  12 hours/month

          Outside the Home                 15 hours/month (no appeal possible on this cap)

·         DHS does not yet know how many people will be affected, how many hours will be cut, or how much money will be “saved.”

·         PAs will begin to be paid through debit cards in the near future.

 According to our organizers on this issue, we need help taking action as follows:

 Call Illinois Governor Quinn’s office today!

 When you call:

Ask for the Governor’s chief of staff Jerry Stermer.  Call 312-814-2121.

          To email  go to:  www.illinois.gov/GOV/contactthegovernor.cfm

     Also call Speaker Michael Madigan’s office at  773-581-8000  fax  773-581-9414

And call Senate President John Cullerton at 773-883-0770 fax  773-296-0993

Tell the Governor AND THE OTHER state LEADERS: 

• You made a mistake!
•  REVERSE THE CUTS! Please DON’T ELIMINATE THE FUNDING FOR PA Coordinator positions at CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING.
•  Please make sure the Governor continues to fund home services programs like the one at Access Living and its sister CILs across Illinois.

Amber Smock

Foolish State Social Security Cuts Delay Crucial Benefits

From the New York Times (April 12, 2009):

State Cuts Delay U.S. Benefits, Official Says

By ROBERT PEAR

WASHINGTON — The nation’s top Social Security official says benefits for tens of thousands of people with severe disabilities are being delayed by furloughs and layoffs of state employees around the country.

The official, Michael J. Astrue, the commissioner of Social Security, said Sunday that “governors are hurting their own states, their own citizens, and increasing the backlog of claims” by furloughing workers who make disability decisions.

“The states’ response is completely illogical,” Mr. Astrue said.

State officials have announced furloughs, layoffs and hiring freezes to help balance budgets battered by the recession.

Claims are evaluated by state employees, but the federal government reimburses states for the salaries of those employees and pays the full cost of benefits for people found to be disabled.

“We pay the full freight,” Mr. Astrue said. “States do not save any money when they furlough or lay off these employees. They only delay payments to disabled citizens who rely on the monthly benefits.”...

>>> For the Full Article

Comment Below: How have you been seeing these cuts impact your lives? How has this played out in your state?  Are there any state officials who understand and are sympathetic to these problems?

SSA to Hire "Significant Number" of People with Disabilities

From CESSI (5/14/09):

SSA Hiring Initiative: Free Teleconference

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 1:00-2:30pm EST

 

Ticket to Work Colleagues and Partners,

 

The Social Security Administration recently received funding to hire a significant number of employees throughout the country.  This hiring initiative offers a unique opportunity for individuals with disabilities who may want to get a job with SSA.  These jobs will be at various skill levels including a number of entry-level positions.

 

SSA will be holding a national teleconference on this issue specifically for Employment Networks, State Vocational Rehabilitation Staff and others who help people with disabilities go to work on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST.  This session will build upon an earlier Webinar and provide more details regarding the initiative.  A guest speaker from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will also discuss the Schedule A Hiring Authority.  Please visit www.cessi.net/ttw to register for the teleconference.

 

What kinds of jobs is SSA offering?

SSA is recruiting employees to work in field offices and teleservice centers where they will assist the public by phone and in person with a wide variety of program related activities such as filing claims, applying for new or replacement Social Security cards and other types of inquiries.  SSA also is recruiting employees to work in Program Service Centers where they will process claims and to work in hearings offices in legal and paralegal positions.

 

Where are these jobs located?

All across the United States; for example, some are in the 1,300 local SSA field offices or SSA hearings offices, some in the 37 teleservice centers nationwide, some in SSA’s 6 program service centers and some at SSA headquarters in the Baltimore area.

 

How will SSA recruit?

SSA will use a variety of avenues to recruit and hire people with disabilities. In particular, the Agency is reaching out to Ticket to Work Ticket Holders who are trying to return to work, veterans with disabilities through programs such as the Wounded Warrior transitional program, and students with disabilities.  Many individuals with disabilities will qualify for consideration under a special placement authority called “Schedule A.”

 

How can I tell if an individual is eligible for Schedule A?

A person is Schedule A eligible if s/he has documentation establishing both a disability and “job readiness.”

 

Who can provide this documentation?

o        Proof of a disability can be provided by a licensed medical professional or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a US territory that issues or provides disability benefits.  A recent benefit status letter is acceptable from a Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income disability beneficiary.

o        Proof of job readiness can be provided by a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist working with a State Vocational Rehabilitation agency or an Employment Network under the Ticket to Work program.

 

What is the next step?

o        To register for the April 21 teleconference, please visit www.cessi.net/ttw and select the “SSA Hiring” icon.

o        For more information and resources about this hiring opportunity, please visit www.cessi.net/ttw/SSAHires/index.html

o        Please send resumes and documentation for Schedule A eligibility to Selective.Placement.Applications@ssa.gov

 

Employment Seminars In Your Area

The Department of Labor's search function to find Ticket to Work and Work Incentives seminars in your area on their calendar of events can be found on the CESSI website.  Below is the invitation from http://www.cessi.net/WISE/ .

You're Invited! Welcome to the Registration Site for Work Incentive Seminars! Are you thinking about work? Do you want to learn how work will affect your Social Securty Benefits? If you are interested in learning about the Ticket to Work Program or other Work Incentives, you can attend a FREE Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE). WISE are community events held by local organizations for beneficiaries to learn more about available work incentives through accessible, informal, learning opportunities. Please select your state from the list below and sign up today! Space is limited, so please sign up as soon as possible!

>> For the Calendar Search

JFA Exclusive: Tax Tips III

Guest Blog for AAPD

March 24, 2009

 

 

Earned Income and Other Tax Credits Can Help Individuals with Disabilities

 

Guest Column: Paul Gada

 

Welcome to another in a series of columns discussing timely tax issues. With the April 15^th tax filing deadline close at hand, people can use all the help they can get to survive this tax season.

 

If you are looking for a real-world example of the principle of “give and take,” look no further than our federal tax code. Our tax system both takes and returns our tax dollars (through various credits, deductions and exemptions) in a way that is seemingly designed only to confuse the average taxpayer.

 

The good news is that there are a number of tax credits available only to lower income or disabled taxpayers.

 

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is among the most important and, potentially, one of the most under-used by eligible taxpayers. It also was the subject of a reader’s question submitted through this blog.

 

If you or your spouse earned any taxable income for the year, you may be eligible for this credit. The most appealing feature of the EITC is that it is a refundable tax credit. This means that if your credit amount is higher than your tax bill, you can actually get the unused part of the credit back as part of a tax refund.

 

The EITC is part of a federal tax program designed to help low-income workers and families by offsetting the burden of Social Security taxes and providing an incentive to work. Even if you don’t earn enough to owe federal income taxes, you may get a refund from the IRS if you qualify for the EITC. If you qualify, it could be worth up to $4,824 for the 2008 tax year.

 

Even though it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. In the 2007 tax year, approximately 24 million people received over $44 billion in earned income credits by filing a federal income tax return. Unfortunately, the IRS estimates that approximately one in four people who could have been eligible failed to claim the EITC.

 

A main reason people fail to claim this important tax credit is because they simply don’t know about it. Here’s your chance to learn more.

 

If you or your spouse were employed for at least part of 2008, you may be eligible for the EITC based on these general requirements:

 

2008 EITC Eligibility
Maximum Earnings		Qualifying Children	Investment Income
Single	Married Filing Jointly
$12,880	$15,880	None	Maximum $2,950
$33,995	$36,995	One	Maximum $2,950
$38,646	$41,646	Two or more	Maximum $2,950

 

 

 

The amount of the EITC itself depends on your income and family size. For 2008, the maximum credit amounts are as follows:

 

2008 Maximum EITC Amounts
Number of Qualifying Children	Maximum Credit
Two or more	$4,824
One	$2,917
None	$438

 

 

 

Based on tables provided by the IRS, the maximum credit amounts are phased in from the first dollar earned. The EITC phases out completely when the earning levels listed earlier are reached.

 

When figuring out your EITC, benefits you receive under an employer’s disability retirement plan (e.g., plans providing pensions to workers who lose their jobs because of disability) are considered earned income until you reach minimum retirement age. According to the IRS, minimum retirement age is considered the earliest age at which you could have received a pension if you were not disabled. The taxable disability payments you claim on line 7 of either Form 1040 or Form 1040A count toward qualifying for the EITC.

 

However, you should be aware that benefits such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or military disability pensions are not considered earned income that qualify for the EITC. The same is true for payments you received from a disability insurance policy that you paid the premiums on. You or your spouse must have earned income to qualify for the EITC.

 

There are several ways to determine EITC eligibility and the actual amount of the credit. The hard way is to work through the worksheets and tables provided in the instructions to IRS Forms 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. An easier way is to use the EITC Assistant tools (http://apps.irs.gov/app/eitc2008/SetLanguage.do?lang=en) provided by the IRS that walk you through the entire process. If you elect to do so on your tax return, the IRS can also figure out your EITC for you. If none of these choices work for you, seeking professional tax help is highly recommended because of the complexities involved.

 

 

Other tax breaks for low-income taxpayers. Depending on your particular situation, there may be many more tax breaks that can take the sting out of filing your taxes and even help your financial situation in the end. Among these are:

 

• Recovery rebate credit. In addition to the recently announced $250 bonus payment, Social Security recipients who did not take the full tax-rebate credit based on their 2007 income may still be able to do so based on their 2008 income. Individuals with at least $3,000 in qualifying income (from a job, SSDI, etc.) can take this credit. It is $300 for single filers and $600 for married couples receiving just Social Security or veterans-disability benefits. The rebate is more for people who have earned income in addition to disability income. Anyone claiming a rebate may be eligible for an extra $300 for each of their children under 17.

 

• Credit for the disabled. You are eligible for this credit if you receive taxable disability income from a former employer’s accident, health or pension plan—and have 2008 adjusted gross income under $17,500 for single filers; $20,000 for joint filers with only one spouse eligible for the credit; and $25,000 for joint filers with both spouses eligible.

 

More detail on these and other credits are available on Allsup’s Web site under Tax Credits for Lower Income Taxpayers.

 

To take full advantage of these tax breaks, consider seeking out professional tax assistance or tax preparation software that can help walk you through filling out your tax return.

 

I welcome your questions on these or related tax topics. You can post them here or reach me at p.gada@allsupinc.com.

 

Happy tax season!

 

~Paul Gada is a tax attorney and the Personal Financial Planning Director for Allsup (www.allsup.com), a national provider of Social Security, Medicare and financial services for those with disabilities.

 

Copyright, Allsup Inc., used with permission.