Do you receive SSI Benefits? Are you working now or actively seeking employment? Do you need supports to help you work? If yes is the answer to these questions, then the Social Security Administration's P.A.S.S. Program may be able to provide you with assistance. This work incentive program was created to assist SSI recipients in purchasing the necessary services to successfully attempt employment.

Who is eligible to use the program?
If you are an SSI recipient; you are working or have another source of income (S.S.D.I., a pension, etc); and you have expenses associated with working, you are eligible to develop a P.A.S.S. Plan.

How does the P.A.S.S. Program work?
When you receive SSI benefits and earn wages at a job, your SSI benefits are reduced according to a Social Security formula. The P.A.S.S. Program allows you to capture the funds that would normally be reduced from your monthly SSI check due to wages or unearned income, so that you can purchase supports to sustain employment. If approved, your P.A.S.S. Plan enables you to keep receiving the full amount of your SSI check to pay for your special employment supports for a designated time period.

What services can be purchased with a P.A.S.S.?
Only services that are directly related to your employment situation can be included in a P.A.S.S. Proposal. Here is a partial list of services for which a P.A.S.S. can be used:

• Job coaching
• Transportation to and from work (on a temporary basis)
• Tuition for training programs
• Child care
• Uniforms
• Medication not covered by Medicaid

How can I develop a P.A.S.S. Plan?
The staff of the PASSWORKS Project have been developing approved plans for the past four years and are available to assist you through this process for a fee. If you are interested in having a plan written on your behalf, please contact Susan Buckley at (617)691 1516, or send an email to her attention at sbuckley@workinc.org .

Please note that if you are not working and do not have another source of income, you are not eligible to apply for a P.A.S.S. In addition, you must have documented expenses that are necessary to support your employment.