Plans to Achieve Self-Support

Usually, if you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and have income from a job or from another benefits program, like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your SSI benefits amount will go down. Also, if you save up too much money in a bank account or build your assets in any other way, you could lose your SSI benefits if you go over SSI's resource limit ($2,000 if you’re single, $3,000 for couples).

Social Security’s Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program lets people who get SSI earn more money and save that money in a special type of account. There are two main benefits:

• You can save up resources without losing your SSI benefits.
• The income you put into your PASS won’t be counted as income by SSI, so it won't make your benefits amount go down.

The money that you save has to be used for a work-related goal you choose, such as:

• The cost of school or training
• Starting a business, or
• Paying for equipment, support services, and other expenses related to your goal.

Note: If you already go to college or have a job, you can set up a PASS to help pay for your current work, school, or health expenses.

Applying for a PASS

To set up a PASS, you must:

• Get SSI benefits or become eligible for SSI benefits as a result of an approved PASS application.
• Have a source of income other than SSI (for example, SSDI benefits or wages from a job) or have resources over $2,000 that you can use to fund your PASS.
• Choose a work goal that will help you earn enough money to lower your SSI benefits or get off SSDI benefits altogether.
• Write a plan that shows how saving a certain amount of money will let you reach your work goal. A Social Security PASS specialist can help you write your plan.
• Be under age 65. If you are 65 or older, you may be able to set up a PASS if you were getting SSI benefits based on disability or blindness in the month before your 65^th birthday.

On the PASS application form, you must describe your goals and how you plan to achieve them. This description should be detailed enough to convince Social Security that:

• You have a clear plan
• The plan is realistic, and
• If you complete the plan, your need for SSI benefits will go down or you won't need SSDI at all.

If you do not yet have a clear goal or way to achieve it, try working on one with an organization like the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS), Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), or an Employment Network (EN) through the Ticket to Work program.

Using a PASS

After Social Security approves your plan, they'll send you instructions about how to keep good records and make sure your PASS funds and expenses are separate from your other money. Follow these rules carefully.

If a medical situation or some other issue comes up that impacts your ability to continue your PASS, talk to your PASS specialist about your options. You may be allowed to put your PASS on hold for up to 12 months without having to re-apply.