Plan to Achieve Self Support (PASS):

A Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) is a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) work incentive program that allows certain individuals with disabilities to set aside earned or unearned income or resources for a specified period of time to use toward a vocational work goal. Vocational work goals nay include college or vocational training, educational expenses, starting a business, purchasing work-related equipment, or other expenses approved by the Social Security Administration. Individuals must meet SSI financial rules to use the program. A detailed application is required. PASS can be a valuable tool for competitive employment and eventually becoming self-sufficient through work.

How it Helps You:

A PASS can be developed to cover the costs of:

• Obtaining an education,

• Receiving vocational training,

• Starting a business,

• Getting support services which may help you work.

Examples of things allowed in a PASS are: vocational evaluation, some transportation-related expenses, job-related equipment and uniforms, things needed to purchase a business, or other equipment or services to support work activities.

How it Works:

You need to obtain a special form (SSA 545) from your local Social Security Administration Office to develop a PASS, or you may download the form from the following web site: http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-545.pdf.

The basic requirements to develop a PASS are:

• you must be blind or disabled,

• you must have either earned income, unearned income (e.g., Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), private pension, monetary support, gifts from family or friends), or resources to set aside in the PASS,

• you must have an occupational goal and the individual must comply with the terms of the PASS set forth by the Social Security Administration,

• you must meet all eligibility requirements for SSI, with the exception of the income and/or resources test, and

• you may have only one approved PASS per work goal.

A PASS can be written for an initial period of 18 months. After this initial period, an 18-month extension for lengthy training and/or education may be granted, for a total of 36 months. The total duration of the PASS typically cannot exceed 48 months.

When developing a PASS, you will need to consider what items or services will qualify for a PASS. Keep these things in mind:

• Your PASS must be designed to meet your individual needs;

• Your PASS must be in writing (use Social Security’s form SSA-545);

• Your PASS must contain an occupational goal that you will achieve;

• You must specify how you will save the money you set aside;

• You must specify how you will spend or disburse the money you set aside in your PASS;

• You must have a clearly identified accounting of the funds you set aside in the PASS;

• Your PASS must increase the prospect for your eventual self-support through employment;

• Your PASS must be approved by SSA;

• You and SSA must review the PASS and your progress periodically and you must follow the PASS plan as agreed with SSA.

Several special rules and requirements apply to PASS Plans. An Indiana Works Benefits Counselor as well as a Work Incentive Liaison at the Social Security Office can provide information on how to meet these requirements, support you in writing the PASS and help you monitor your progress toward your work goal.

Once you have written the PASS, a representative in the Social Security Office will ensure it has been completed properly, or request additional information. When the PASS is completed, it will be sent to a regional PASS Specialist in the Social Security Administration who will review the PASS and make a final decision on the plan.

To find more information on Social Security’s PASS program, link to the following web site: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/pass.htm. 

Below is an illustration of how an individual set aside a portion of their unearned income and earnings under a PASS plan to obtain vocational training, and how they were able to increase their SSI to pay for food, clothing and shelter while using the PASS to obtain their vocational goal. This individual received a $300 SSDI check and gross earned income of $1,000 per month. Of this earned income and SSDI, they set aside $500 in their PASS Plan. The Social Security Administration used the Countable Income Formula when calculating their SSI check while they were using the PASS work incentive.