Terri C says to (19:55): Can a person take advantage of SEIE also while using a PASS? Presenter says to (19:55): Yes. The SEIE comes off first on step 2. djuna m says to (19:56): Hi, Connie. My question is when did the rule change from definite times for achievement of goals to merely a reasonable amount of time? Presenter says to (19:56): It was about 5 years ago, but I don't know exactly. TJC says to (19:57): How do the participants "pay into" the account and what account is it? A personal bank account...or something set up special by SSA? Presenter says to (19:58): The person simply deposits into their own personal account, Soc. Sec. has the account #, so they can monitor the deposits. Terri C says to (19:59): When checking to see if a PASS will affect Medicaid should all case workers be aware of this? And should we be talking with the caseworker assigned to our client? Presenter says to (19:59): You don't need to check with caseworker, check your state Medicaid rules. And, if the state recognizes it, you don't need to do anything else. johnd says to (19:59): Person, needing college education to meet goal, should they go to the college to a certain academic advising office and ask for degree plan/tuition and books expense estimate? Colleges do this all the time? Presenter says to (20:00): That's a good place to start. They may send you to the financial office for some of the information. annedenise says to (20:01): I have a client who wants to do a school-related PASS. She is choosing between 2 colleges she has been accepted to, is waiting to hear from the 3rd. Can she do PASS app before she knows which school? It'll be the same number of classes at either school. Presenter says to (20:01): If she has enough of the tuition info. she can submit it. The PASS expert may want to wait on the final approval or may approve or amend later. apulido says to (20:03): if a blind consumer is on Sec 8 housing and has a provider, can he use a PASS and keep his Sec 8 housing and his provider and will sec 8 increase or cease if he puts money in saving as part of PASS? Presenter says to (20:03): HUD excludes any income and resources that are excluded in a PASS, so they should be able to keep Sec. 8 housing, and possibly could have a reduction in rent. kimb says to (20:05): Hi Connie-what happens if a person starts school, finishes a year, but then because of her disability is unable to continue. Does she have to re-pay the money already spent on tuition? Presenter says to (20:05): No. She should immediately inform SSA, they can suspend the PASS, and she doesn't owe back any money she's already spent. vfaith says to (20:06): I was a little confused with the part when they are Title II ONLY, and making over SGA, they are not allowed to use the extra unearned income towards PASS? Presenter says to (20:06): That is correct. Unless there are IRWE's to bring below SGA. Carrie says to (20:07): Hi Connie. This is Carrie in Tennessee. I have a client with an interesting situation. He wants to write a PASS for several things. He is starting some type of environmental science/energy agency. He has an outstanding student loan $3,200 from years ago whe Presenter says to (20:07): you're question got cut off, what is your last sentence? johnd says to (20:08): Do PASS Specialists have any formal POMS rules or informal seat-of-the-pants ideas on deferring stuff? Presenter says to (20:08): There is a small amount of info in POMS for them to follow. Not sure about the informal stuff. Carrie says to (20:10): When he was in grad school. Can he use a PASS to pay off a student loan? He has SSI only. Presenter says to (20:10): Probably not. 2 reasons, if ssi only, he has nothing to set aside until he has earnings. second, expenses that exists before the PASS officially aren't supposed to be included. But, talk to the PASS expert. djuna m says to (20:12): Do you have any suggestions on what to do when you disagree with the VR counselor about the feasibility of the occupational goal? Presenter says to (20:12): If the person wants to use the PASS to fund a voc eval by a 3rd party, that might be an option. Terri C says to (20:13): If a person does begin a PASS and is unable to complete it, and they already have a sum of money set aside in a special acct., will this suspend their SSI until that money is spent down? Does the 12 month Suspension period apply? Presenter says to (20:13): If the money is over the resource limit, the person will enter the 12 mo. suspension. When the amount goes under $2,000, they'll go in cash benefit status. if longer than 12 mos. ; termination. Carrie says to (20:15): He does have income from a consulting job he is doing right now. He has two masters degrees and wants to get his PhD. He wants to also use the PASS for tuition. It's very interesting. He also needs a car. Presenter says to (20:15): so he might be a candidate, ask PASS specialist about including past student loans...you never know. djuna m says to (20:18): would the person seeking the PhD, have to prove that he needs the degree to accomplish the vocational goal? If so, would ads from the local paper requesting PhD be sufficient? Presenter says to (20:18): he would have to show it, and he would have to show that his job goal is the entry level in this career field. Ads would be helpful. djuna m says to (20:20): so you can only use a pass for an entry-level job? Presenter says to (20:20): technically yes, but remember entry level does not mean unskilled, for instance entry level teachers need masters degrees. Carrie says to (20:21): since he is employed that may go against him however he is involved in a new business. I don't think that he needs the degree to accomplish the business goal but there are other expenses that he may need. He is mostly concerned about Medicaid Presenter says to (20:21): if there are other compelling reasons why he needs PASS and the related expenses he should market this well in the PASS app caden says to (20:22): Connie, I am thinking about the clients I had when I was a VR Counselor that were in the workshops. Transportation was a big issue with a lot of them. Could they do a PASS with the money they made in this facility? They are paid production rate only. Presenter says to (20:22): They would have to have a voc goal that would make them more self supporting than they currently are. Maybe an IRWE would help. Carrie says to (20:23): He is concerned about how he will pay for medical needs if he loses Medicaid due to his disability which is a closed head trauma and mental illness. Presenter says to (20:23): I sure understand his concern. however PASS may or may not be a good answer to his concern. Focus on the voc goal. caden says to (20:26): When they are in the workshop they are under an IPE with a specific vocational goal. They are only in the workshop for training and help with job- seeking and job-keeping skills. Presenter says to (20:26): So take their voc goals, plug into PASS, use current production wages, that reduce SSI, as source to pay expenses. (transportation, etc.) Terri C says to (20:29): Carrie, I learned of this just today. I'm not sure if you are part of a YTD project, however I heard of Individualized threshold. This is when a person is exceeding the states charted threshold to keep 1619b, you can request that SSA establish an indivi Carrie says to (20:34): Thanks Terri. I'm familiar with our state's threshold amount and he may have an individualized threshold amount that higher than the average. That's something I didn't think about. He could just stay in 1619 (b) for a long time because of earnings. Presenter says to (20:34): Thank you for your questions, if you have any more please post them in the webboard. We'll leave the chatroom open so that you can discuss among yourselves! WebBoard Discussion: Q: Please give an example of an IRWE that would also be applicable for a PASS ( preferably for an applicant with a mental disability). Q: Or the reverse of that question! What would be examples of one or two PASS type expenses that could be "turned in" to the Title II Claims Rep. for approval as an IRWE? A: (Connie Ferrell)How about a car that one purchases and related expenses to have someone else drive you to work? The car, operating expenses, and driver fee would be approvable in a PASS, but only the mileage rate and/or driver fee would be the IRWE (this presumes that the person is unable to drive due to the mental disability) Q: Possible PASS applicants sometimes receive SSDI benefits - as well as - whatever it's called, Family Benefits, or whatever those other additional benefits are called (based on their SSDI) for one or more of their children. If such an individual wishes a PASS, is willing to put his/her SSDI amount in a PASS Plan, how is the children's portions of the benefits handled by SSDI or SSI (when they then wish to apply for SSI based on PASS exclusion of the SSDI? A: (Connie Ferrell) The children's' auxiliary benefits wouldn't be affected at all. However, remember, the goal has to be one that would put the person off of SSDI cash benefit at the end of the PASS, and then the children's' checks would stop Q: A person, receiving SSI-only, no job, but one in the future. That person better have nailed down a pretty firm future paycheck amount, right, in order to calculate the personal funding for his/her PASS? A: (Connie Ferrell) right Q: My question was concerning a person I am working with that wants to write a PASS for a vehicle to be able to work and go to school. She has already purchased a used car and paid over $15,000. She needed the car because she was offered a job and had no transportation. Will this be a problem for her PASS? A: (Connie Ferrell)If she bought the vehicle rather recently and started work rather recently, she should ask that the PASS be retroactive to that time. The questions SSA will have are: 1. Is owning and operating her own vehicle the least expensive alternative? 2. If so Is the cost of the automobile reasonable? 3. I the vehicle purchase was before she began working towards this goal, why does she need vehicle payment included in the PASS (if she was already able to afford the payments). It doesn't hurt to get on the phone with the PASS expert and discuss it!