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Wisconsin Disability Benefits Network Newsletter For Your Benefits

Vol. 6, Issue 27, September, 2008

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For Your Benefit – Introduction

The Wisconsin Disability Benefits Network (WDBN) is a statewide system that provides direct assistance to benefits counseling practitioners and seeks ways to reach out to and better serve people with disabilities, their supporters, and professional service providers in Wisconsin. This newsletter provides current program news, important notices and updates, and upcoming training and educational opportunities. Check out past editions of this newsletter!

2008 WDBN Calendar:

• Oct 14 and 15 – Benefits Specialist Conference (In collaboration with Annual ADRC conference) More Information.

• December 9 – WDBN Quarterly Meeting: This meeting will be by webcast. More information and an agenda will be available soon.

• 2009 WDBN Benefits Specialists Initial Training Dates: Following is a tentative schedule for the 2009. This training will include both online and classroom training.

Jan 6-7 and 20-22
April 7-9 and 21-23
July 14-16 and 28-30

What's New


Benefits Specialist Opportunities at the Wisconsin Aging and Disability Conference

The Wisconsin Aging and Disability Conference, "Opening Doors", is now open for registration. The conference will be held October 13th-15th in Appleton, WI. There are various sessions that will be offered throughout the conference especially for Benefit Specialists to attend. Specifically on the 14th and 15th, there will be at least two sessions designed for benefits specialist per session time slot.

The conference is for all types of benefits specialists, ADRC staff and interested parties. Register for this event. The registration form starts on page 25.

Plan to Attend…

October 14 from 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
A10 Benefits Specialist Round-up Session
Get information about the three types of benefits specialists regarding credentialing and other important trends in benefits counseling. You will have an opportunity to get more details on the current work being done to establish a benefits specialist credentialing system in Wisconsin as well as meet other benefits specialists.

October 14 from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.
C6 ADRC Responsibilities Regarding Employment
People with disabilities want to work. Wisconsin's employers need qualified and willing workers. This session will examine the role ADRCs can play in connecting individuals with disabilities to local employment services and supports, and other activities that advance the employment outcomes sought by people applying for public benefits. Session Update: This session will also include a description of SSA's Ticket to Work Program and recent improvements. Presenters: John Reiser, BADR and Bob Monahan, SSA.

Photo of door opening.October 14 at 4:45 pm (immediately after sessions)
Rounding Up WI Ben Specs
In addition to the wide variety of topics and sessions at the ADRC conference, join your peers after sessions for beverages and snacks hosted by the Benefits Specialist QA Task Force.

Who: All benefits specialists and others interested in hanging out with them (EBS, DBS and WIBS)
What: Ben Spec Hospitality Roundup
Where: Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Redwood Room
Why: Munchies, beverages, socializing, talking shop, dinner planning, etc.

We hope the ADRC conference will be a great opportunity for networking and socializing with ben specs from around the state!

Check out the Events section for more upcoming training opportunities.

Credentialing Update

Recently, the WDBN has been engaged in an activity with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to conduct a peer review of benefits reports purchased statewide by DVR in 2007. The work group developed a set of quality standards to measure the reports against and also had access to the VR counselor case noting corresponding to each report. Seventy five reports are in the process of being reviewed by approximately fifteen reviewers from the WDBN/DVR Work Group. While the project is not yet complete, preliminary responses are proving that there is a big disparity in the products being provided to DVR customers by Benefits Specialists. It reminds us why we are on a determined path to develop a system to provide monitoring for consistency and quality for the profession of benefits counseling in Wisconsin. It reminds us why:

Right now, there is a survey being conducted by Dr. John Lui, UW-Stout to gather information from all Benefits Specialists regarding how you do your job. The survey is a key piece of the Benefit Specialist Quality Assurance Initiative. The results will provide major input into the development of certification and other quality assurance standards, and procedures for Wisconsin Benefits Specialists. If you are a Benefits Specialist and received the survey by email, your participation is key.

Therefore, while the survey is voluntary, we urge you to complete it as soon as possible. The more responses received quickly the more preliminary data Dr. John Lui, the principal investigator, can share at the Benefit Specialist Session at the ADRC Conference on October 14 in Appleton.

What Does Professionalism Mean to You? Benefits Specialists Respond...

Photo taken at the 2008 June WDBN Quarterly meeting.

Part of providing quality services is to provide professional services.  Professional attitudes and actions are just as important as the information we provide to the consumers we serve.  Even if we have all the correct information, a person may not benefit from it if we are unable to communicate in a professional and personal way. 

This means we must respect the individuals we serve by providing information pertinent specifically to them.  It also means we must follow some of the basic principles of professionalism – return phone calls and emails in a timely manner, complete tasks by deadlines, arrive at appointments on time, and schedule enough time to meet with consumers so they do not feel rushed.  Little things can go a long way in helping someone else understand the complicated systems of the benefit world.  Let’s see what some of the ben specs said when asked what it means to be a professional benefits specialist…

Thanks to the following Benefit Specialists for providing feedback:

Char Guehrer, IndependenceFirst
Samina Grimes, Riverfront, Inc.
Brian Vanderwyst, New View Industries

What does professionalism mean to you?

Char: I think one quality that is really important for another Benefits Specialist is for that person to not only be knowledgeable about SSA benefits but also community resources for people with disabilities. I also think a good quality for a Benefits Specialist should be someone who can take complex ideas/concepts and explain it in a way that anyone can understand it, without sounding condescending. It is also important for them to use their own words in a report instead of cutting and pasting a paragraph from the SSA POMS.

Samina: Professionalism is following an ethical obligation to provide unbiased and accurate information to assist individuals in understanding all choices surrounding their situation.

Brian: Professionalism can be many things, but perhaps it is best seen in people who can do their best at a time when they don't particularly feel like it. So, how does this pertain to a Benefits Specialist? Maybe that is not the right question. Let's try, "How does one become a professional?" We need to set measurable standards for skills and competence, and look at the characteristics of a person. Some of these standards can be measured objectively and others would be more subjective.

What qualities do you appreciate in your co-workers?

Brian: I look at how a co-worker utilizes their skills and abilities in a way that allows them the ability to resolve conflict, while demonstrating a canny sense of gracefulness and a moral disposition of conveying a service. These professionals are able to adjudicate a situation through knowledge, experience, and God given talent. They appreciate the position they are given and have an innate determination to complete services with excellence.

Char: Professionalism to me would mean many things. It is partially about maintaining your knowledge regarding benefits and services available to people with disabilities but I feel a large part of it is being respectful to the people you are meeting with. Not judging their situation and focusing on the benefits. Also confidentiality is very important.

Samina: Qualities that I appreciate in others includes ethical behavior, an ability to provide honest feedback to co-workers, as well as determination to continue to improve the services provided.

In your role as a Benefits Specialist, what is one thing you use to insure quality in your work?

Samina: To assure quality in my work, I consult. Consult, consult, consult. All benefit work should be double checked by a co-worker or supervisor to ensure that accurate, up to date information is provided and that all choices were considered and provided to the consumer through the benefits counseling process.

Brian: Training! In the Benefits Specialist role today, training is essential due to continuous changes to programs, the implementation of new programs, and changes within organizations and agencies. The job of a Benefits Specialist by all means is not an easy job, considering most Benefits Specialists have other facets to their positions. We need to instill accountability for those providing benefit services in order to uphold the quality of services for those we serve.

Char: Two things I think every Benefits Specialist should do in order to assure quality work is that they should have another Benefits Specialist read over their reports before they get sent out and that they should check the reading level of the report in the word document.

Updates to Note


Work Incentives Liaisons List Update – Note that new WILs have been appointed in Oshkosh and Appleton.

The AWIC coordinates with the Work Incentives Liaisons in Wisconsin local SSA offices in order to provide improved services and information on SSA's employment support programs which are structured to assist beneficiaries with disabilities who want to start or continue working. The local office WIL is the "point of contact" on return to work issues. Download a copy of the latest Work Incentives Liaisons List (WORD).

Disability Rights Wisconsin Update September 2008:

Disability Benefit Specialists … Check out the following updates from DRW as well as some important Medicare Updates

SSDI "Two for One" Employment Pilot Replaced by SSDI Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND)

Wisconsin, along with three other states, has been participating in a "2 for 1" pilot program with the Social Security Administration to promote employment for SSDI recipients. The pilot eliminated the post-trial work period, all or nothing "cash cliff" by allowing the 500 participating SSDI beneficiaries to keep their SSDI benefits when earning above SGA. Instead of losing their entire benefit, participants lost only $1.00 for every $2.00 earned above SGA. In addition to the benefits offset, some participants received benefits counseling. The pilot will end on March 31, 2008. More Information.

The pilot will be replaced by BOND (the Benefit Offset National Demonstration) in Spring 2009. Wisconsin and all or parts of 15 other states are part of the demonstration. (Douglas County will be excluded as it is not part of SSA Area 2.) About 8,000 WI SSDI recipients will be randomly assigned to participate in either a control group or a "treatment" group. In addition, about 1,500 volunteers will be solicited and randomized into 4 groups. These groups will receive different levels of employment counseling (the control group won't receive any), and 2 groups will receive the "2 for 1" offset. Details of BOND are still being developed, including how to solicit volunteers.

Badgercare Plus News

Growth in BadgerCare Plus (BC+) enrollment slowed in July, climbing by roughly 360 people during that month. Still, DHS calculates that the increase in family coverage over the initial 6 months of the new program is more than 77,000, including more than 50,000 children. (I'll analyze the numbers more carefully in a future update.) Find state and county figures.

As the Wisconsin Radio Network reported, the Covering Kids and Families coalition worked with several school districts around the state on organizing back-to-school enrollment events for BC+ last week.

An August 14 article in the Journal Sentinel reports on the back-to-school enrollment efforts and summarizes recent findings of a Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) report about the benefits of health care coverage for kids.

Governor Doyle applauded BC+ during his recent "Up North" tour, and he spoke again about the need to cover childless adults. In addition, he cited the RWJ report in a recent press release.

Social Security "Direct Express Debit MasterCard" Cards Available

Earlier this year, the federal government announced the creation of a program to give unbanked Americans the option of using a prepaid debit card to receive (and spend) their Social Security and other federal benefit payments. The program is now in operation and recipients can sign up to receive a "Direct Express debit MasterCard." Once signed up, benefits will be automatically deposited to the "card account" on the designated payment day. Card holders will be able to access their money at ATMs and financial institutions nationwide. They will be able to use their card to get cash back and make purchases at retail locations, as well as pay bills and make purchases online. In addition, these accounts are PIN-protected, FDIC-insured, and subject to federal consumer protection regulations.

There is no charge for most transactions - there is no fee for making purchases, getting cash back with purchases, or getting cash from bank tellers, for instance. One ATM withdrawal in the U.S. and territories per account deposit is free (though the ATM owner may impose a surcharge); additional withdrawals cost .90 each (plus any ATM surcharge).

Recipients can sign up by calling 1-877-212-9991 or going on-line to www.USDirectExpress.com.

Cool Resources:

Benefits News Roundup

Benefits News Roundup

Social Security Title II Benefits – Insured Status

To be entitled to a monthly Social Security Title II benefit, a person must either have worked a certain amount paying FICA tax on the work earnings or be the qualified dependent of someone who has. In paying the FICA tax, workers earn credits, often called Quarters of Coverage or QC's. One of the factors of entitlement for Title II benefits, which include Retirement, Survivor, Auxiliary, and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, is having a specified number of credits, which is called having insured status.

To earn a credit a worker, either working for wages or being self-employed, must pay FICA on earned income of a certain amount. In 2008 the amount of earnings a worker needs to make to earn one credit is $1050: anyone who earns and pays FICA tax on $1050 this year will have one credit or QC. The most credits that anyone can earn in a year are four (4), so earning $4200 ($1050 x 4) in 2008 will yield the maximum of 4 credits. Any work earnings over $4200 will not result in more than 4 credits for the year and cannot be carried over to another year to earn credits.

The amount needed to earn a credit normally rises each year and is determined by a formula in the Social Security Act that reflects a national percentage increase in average wages. The amount was $1000 in 2007.

The number of credits needed to have insured status for a Social Security Title II benefit differs with the type of benefit. For example, to be entitled to Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB), a person needs 40 credits earned anytime in his/her lifetime. The number and distribution of credits over a worker's lifetime are different for other types of Title II benefits. For example, for Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) a person normally needs to have earned credits in recent years, and the number needed depends on the person's age.

To determine if insured status is met in any particular situation, a person or his representative needs to work with SSA to determine what the credit requirements are and to make sure all the information used is correct.

SSI and Jointly Owned Resources

To be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), an individual's or a couple's countable resources must not be in excess of a certain level at the beginning of the month. For an individual the level is $2,000 and for a couple $3,000.

Certain resources do not count toward the limit. These include but are not limited to a home which serves as the principle place of residence, a vehicle for transportation, and household goods and personal effects. (POMS SI 01110.210)

In cases in which an SSI applicant or recipient owns property jointly with someone else, SSA generally assumes each owner of the shared property owns only his or her fractional interest which can be sold. SSA divides the total value of the property among all of the owners in direct proportion to the ownership share held by each owner and then counts that toward the resource limit. (POMS SI 01110.510.D)

In Wisconsin there are two types of shared concurrent ownership, tenancy in common and joint tenancy; in neither is the consent of the other owner(s) needed to transfer ownership interest (unless otherwise stated on the deed.)

However, in the case of a married couple, there may be restrictions of the disposal of home property which would make it not countable as a resource. In Wisconsin, a spouse has an ownership interest in the home (and only home property), even if the home is held solely in the name of the other spouse. If a spouse who holds title in his/her name only wants to sell or transfer the home to someone other than the spouse, the other spouse would have to give consent. The same is true if the married couple held the home property by joint ownership. (POMS SI CHI01110.510)

In addition, the value of an individual's ownership interest in jointly owned real property can be excluded as a resource for as long as sale of the property would cause undue hardship (because of loss of housing) to a co-owner. Undue hardship exists if the co-owner uses the property as his or her principal place of residence, would have to move if the property were sold, and has no other readily available housing. (POMS SI 01130.130)

Disabled Widow(er) Benefits: Prescribed Period

Disabled Widow(er) Benefits (DWB) entitlement has a unique requirement: to qualify for disability benefits, a widow(er) (including certain surviving divorced spouses) must be found disabled before the end of a certain period prescribed in the law.

To qualify, a person must have become disabled within a period that starts with the later of the death of the spouse or the last month the person was entitled to mother/father's benefits on the spouse's record, and ends with the earlier of age 60 or seven (7) years after the period began. (POMS DI 00115.040)

For example, if a person currently age 59 had a spouse who died January of 2001 and becomes disabled August of 2008, that person would not be entitled to DWB because disability onset occurred more than seven (7) years after the death of the spouse. In this case the end of the seven (7) year period after the spouse's death is earlier than attainment of age 60. If disability onset had occurred within the seven (7) years, the prescribed period requirement would be met.

Of course, an individual may be eligible for DWB based on a disability which began before this prescribed period, that is, when the disability onset predates the spouse's death (or the last month of entitlement to mother's or father's benefits.)

Also note that a disabled widow(er) normally must have been married to the insured worker for at least 9 months, and a disabled surviving divorced spouse for at least 10 years. Generally a person must be unmarried unless the remarriage occurred after attainment of age 50 and the onset of the disability. (POMS RS 00207.003A.2)

In addition, the deceased spouse must have been fully insured, that is, have earned one credit (quarter of coverage) for each calendar year after the year in which the he/she attained age 21 up to the year in which he/she attained age 62 or died, whichever occurs earlier. (POMS RS 00301.105)

COBRA

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provides the opportunity for continuation of group health insurance plans for qualified workers, their spouses, and their dependent children when their health insurance would otherwise be stopped. COBRA serves as a safety net for families when unemployment, divorce, or death occurs. The federal Department of Labor administers COBRA.

Here are a few important points about COBRA that potential recipients should be aware of.

For more information about federal COBRA, contact the US Department of Labor (DOL) via their toll-free telephone number (866-444-EBSA), or visit Employee Benefits Security Administration EBSA).

Entitlement to Parent and DWB

Ask Ben SpeckDear Ben,
My only child, Dave, who is 21 is disabled and receives child benefits from SSA on my deceased husband’s work record (he died about three years ago.) I am 55 and get benefits because I take care of my son, although I’m not sure how long that can go on. We both get the same benefit amount which is around three quarters of what my husband had as a disability benefit before he died.

Now I’m disabled. I’ve never had a job outside the house so don’t have earnings of my own to get benefits on, but I heard that I might be able to get disability benefits as a widow and that I could get Medicare with that. But would that hurt my current benefits?

Gwen
Cozy Corner, WI

Dear Gwen,
Your son is receiving Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) on your husband’s record based on the fact he is over 18 and became disabled before 22. You receive Mother’s benefits because you are the widow of Dave’s father and have Dave in your care. As long as your son remains disabled and in your care and you meet the other requirements, your Mother’s benefits can continue. (POMS RS 00615.340 and RS 00615.020)

As survivor beneficiaries, your son and you each receive 75% of what your deceased husband’s full benefit was before he died. In some situations, the survivor’s benefit amount is less than 75% because a cap (Family Maximum) is placed on how much family survivors can draw on one worker’s record, but that is not the case in your situation.

Even though your Mother’s benefit is higher than what you would receive as a disabled widow (71.5% of what your husband received), you should still apply for Disabled Widow Benefits (DWB.) There is a special provision in the Social Security law that allows you to still receive the higher Mother’s benefit amount and be “deemed” a DWB beneficiary so that you would be entitled to Medicare after two years. (POMS DI 10110.001 C)

So you should contact SSA as soon as possible and say you want to file for disabled widow’s benefits. Depending on when you became disabled, it is possible SSA can go back to establish an earlier disability onset date when you could have been entitled to Disabled Widow Benefits and so reduce the time you have to wait for Medicare entitlement.

Ben S.


Training and Educational Opportunities:


Assistive Technology EXPO 2008

Date: October 2, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Place: University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus, Engineering Centers Building
Admission is FREE!

Experience the latest in rehab robotics, voice recognition systems, innovative design, adapted sports equipment and much more! This event is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Rehabilitation Association, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pathways to Independence, UW-CREATe, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the College of Engineering at UW-Madison.

Contact Samantha Ninnemann at (608) 266-5209 or at ninnesl@dhfs.state.wi.us for more information or visit us online.

APSE Wisconsin's Annual Conference on Community Employment

The Road to Work: Achieving High Performance in Supported Employment
Date: October 6th, 7th and 8th
Location: Osthoff Hotel and Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
More Information

Wisconsin Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) ADRC Conference

Dates: October 13, 14, 15, 2008
Place: Paper Valley in Appleton
More information

Conference Objectives:

Brewing Best Practices in Transition

Dates: October 16-17, 2008
Place: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
More Information

The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT), the Wisconsin and Illinois DCDT subdivisions, and the National Secondary Education and Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) are co-sponsoring "Brewing Best Practices in Transition" on October 16-17, 2008 in Milwaukee Wisconsin. This two-day event, will feature sessions on writing transition IEP's, Indicator 13, effective transition curriculum, self-determination, transition assessment and many more topics.


Ongoing Training:

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