World Institute on Disability

The World Institute on Disability (WID) is a nonprofit research, public policy, and advocacy center dedicated to promoting independence and full societal inclusion of people with disabilities.

WID’s Access to Assets Program

Access to Assets (ATA) bridges the asset building and disability communities to improve the economic status of individuals with disabilities.

Toll-Free Information Hotline:

1-866-723-1201

Access to Assets Program Services

•Training and technical assistance to improve access to poverty reduction programs nationwide.

•Information and referral to individuals with disabilities seeking services.

•Federal and state policy analysis to improve inclusion in poverty reduction programs.

Disability & Poverty

• One-third (34%) of adults with disabilities live in households with total income of $15,000 or less compared to only 12% of those without disabilities.

• 10% of people with disabilities own homes compared to 71% of those without disabilities.

• 25% of people with disabilities own computers compared to 66% of U.S. adults without disabilities.

• 58 percent of people with disabilities are asset poor (do not have enough resources to live at the federal poverty level for three months)

• 54 percent of people with disabilities have no savings accounts, and 69 percent no checking accounts.

Sources: 2004 N.O.D./Harris Poll and 2000 U.S. Population Census

IDAs & Public Benefits: The Rules

Federally Funded

AFIA or TANF• Earned Income• 200% of the Poverty

Level• Save for “Big 3”• Not affect asset limits

Non-Federally FundedState or Private

•More flexibility on income level, assets allowed & what counts as a contribution•Counts towards SSI Asset Limits

Barriers to IDA Inclusion...

• ‘Earned Income’ restriction

• Lack of Program & Physical Accessibility

• Limited Use of Funds

• Asset Tests for Public Benefits Programs

• Limited Program Availability

State or Federal…Asset Tests

STATE• Medicaid & Medicaid

Buy-In programs• TANF (Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families)

• Food Stamps (only eligibility)

FEDERAL• Supplemental Security

Income (SSI)• Food Stamps (not

receiving TANF funds)

• Housing Programs & SSDI have no asset restriction

Plan for Achieving Self-Support

• Purpose:Assist SSI recipients in obtaining items, services, or skills for employment needs

• Requirements:written planvocational goalreasonable time frame for meeting a vocational goalexplanation of the necessary expenses

• Advantages:Work and receive SSISave and Build Assets for Employment Goals

PASS

Officially, only way to have Non-Federally Funded IDAs not count towards asset limits of SSI

• Only employment-related goals (not homes)

• Challenges

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

• Eligibility:HUD Housing Choice Voucher RecipientsEarned Income

• Requirements:Financial Literacy Classes5 year FSS contractSeek and maintain employmentBecome independent of welfare

• Advantages:Money from voucher placed in escrow accountNo limitations on usage of money

Earned Income Tax Credit

No Children One Child Two + Children

SingleEarn less than $12,120Maximum Credit $412

Earn less than $32,001Maximum Credit $2,747

Earn less than$36,348Maximum Credit$4,536

Married

Earn less than $14,120Maximum Credit $412

Earn less than $34,001Maximum Credit $2,747

Earned less than $38,348Maximum Credit$4,536

Special Needs Trusts

A SNT makes it possible to appoint a trustee to maintain assets and retain or qualify for public assistance benefits.

3 Types:

• Family-Type Special Needs Trusts

• Court Ordered Special Needs Trust

• Pooled Special Needs Trust

Medicaid Buy-In Programs

• Authorized by Ticket To Work & Work Incentives Act (TTWWIA) of 1999

• As of June 2006, 33 states operate Buy-Ins- total enrollment over 76,000

• Allows individuals with disabilities to “buy-in” to the Medicaid system

• Operated by the State, so rules & eligibility vary

Work Incentives

• 1619 (b)-Maintain Medicaid eligibility after earnings exceed SSI allowable limits

• IRWEs-Documented expenses related to impairment & necessary for employment

• Ticket to Work-No Continuing Disability Review (CDR) & Employment Services (Individual Work Plan)

Peter

Peter

• CSP-NJ Consumer/Employee• Homeowner• S8 Homeownership Voucher, IDA, family

contribution"It's hard when you don't have access to things such

as homeownership, but it makes you feel good when you do and you can participate in society

without having to be like society, you can just be yourself."

Jacob

Jacob

• Cook Inlet Tribal Council- Anchorage, AK

• Received job training, substance abuse counseling, credit repair, subsidized 1st job, helped him qualify for SSDI

• Enrolled in CITC’s IDA program and saving towards homeownership

Ryan

• SSI-$623• SSDI- $407• Earnings from

microenterprise-$275• S8 Voucher- $511

Total “Income”: $1,816

• Rent- $669• Utilities/Cable- $205• Food- $215• Clothing- $35• Cleaning- $54• Transportation- $50• Fun- $100

Total Expenses: $1,328

Ryan’s IDA

• Income: $1,816- Expenses: $1,328= $488

• Enrolled in an AFIA IDA to buy a vehicle to expand his vending machine business

• Receives a 2:1 match

• Personal Contribution- $275 (total earned)

• Match- $550

• In 24 months, TOTAL SAVINGS: $12,600

Ryan’s PASS Plan

• In order to receive the maximum SSI amount and maintain his SSDI amount, Ryan writes a PASS plan

• His goal is to capitalize his business

• Saves $213 of SSDI ($488 - $275=$213)

• In 24 months, $5,112 saved in his PASS

Ryan

TOTAL SAVINGS IN 24 MONTHS:

$17,712

Next Steps

• Find existing IDA programs in your states, develop relationships & connect them to direct service providers (especially those that provide case management services)

• Use Mental Health Block Grant funds to support program goals- host meetings, educational & training opportunities to learn about asset building, advocate for inclusion, etc.

• Look into using Transformation grant funds to support existing programs & start new IDAs (Federally funded AFIA IDAs- match is restricted to non-federal sources)

• Policy change- state asset policy, IDA funding, public benefits program asset limit reforms

WID’s Access to Assets EQUITY NEWSLETTER

EQUITY disseminates education and advice about disability issues to the Asset Building Community while simultaneously offering information about Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and other asset building strategies to the Disability Community.

To subscribe email: equity@wid.org

EQUITY: Disability and Asset Building Communities

Working Together

Recent EQUITY topics:Youth with Disabilities

Making Tax Time Pay

Latinos with Disabilities

Entrepreneurs with Disabilities

Intersection Between Benefits Programs and Asset Building

WID Access to Assets PUBLICATIONS

Access to Assets regularly publishes information to educate the public about issues facing people with disabilities who live in poverty. Publications are available through the WID website:

http://www.wid.org

WID Access to Assets Program Contacts

• Kathy Martinez, Executive Director: kathy@wid.org, 510-251-4326

• Megan O’Neil, Access to Assets Project Manager: megan@wid.org,

510-251-4341

• Toll-Free Information Hotline: 1-866-723-1201