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Jaden Gibson: Ever wonder if you'll lose your disability benefits by getting a job? The truth is—you won't.
John Burtrum with the Disability Network Northern Michigan says that is one of the biggest misconceptions about being on disability.
WCMU's Tina Sawyer recently spoke with Burtrum to clarify some of these myths surrounding disability. Burtrum began by explaining how the Ticket To Work program is helping people get back to work and the requirements needed to return to the workplace.
John Burtrum: So, if you are between the ages of 18 and 64 and receive a SSA benefit, now that could be either SSDI, which would be disability, or SSI, which would be Supplemental Security Income, you are eligible to participate in a Ticket to Work program absolutely free. So, what we would do as an employment network is we provide benefits counseling and could assign your ticket to us, which we are certified benefits counselors, to provide ongoing support as you return to work or maintain work and just basically understand how that all affects your benefits.
Tina Sawyer: I can imagine that's a daunting task for people. I look at paperwork and just get confused and it's a good thing to have the program there to help them through it, I'd imagine.
JB: Yes, absolutely. So we are trained and certified to deal with this. And sometimes there's a lot of myths and misconceptions.
TS: What would those be?
JB: "Hey, I can't go back to work... I'm on SSI... I'll lose this..." And what we do is kind of help demonstrate with benefits counseling. We get their custom report from Social Security and sit down with anybody, remotely or in person, and review those benefits and review how income can affect those and really show them the great work incentives that are available to them, to show them, hey, you can make more money, hey, you can keep your Medicare, you can keep your Medicaid. Some of these things that they're concerned of, and really just be the advocate for them.
TS: Yeah, so what is the biggest reason that you have encountered, John, for people wanting to return to work?
JB: You know, what it really is, is that the Social Security benefits just aren't enough to maintain, to get by. And a lot of times people are experiencing a new disability and they get benefits and they realize very soon that it's not enough to make ends meet. And then they start to kind of maybe explore like, well, hey, can I work? Am I allowed to work? And that's where the Ticket to Work program comes in.
TS: Do you also help put them into jobs with employers or do you match them with employment?
JB: Yes, that's another aspect of Ticket to Work and the services we provide. We have a lot of great job resources that we would help set them up with. Now that might be with job searching, resume development. career development centers, Michigan Works, things like that. We basically open up a goal with this person and try to support them with finding work.
TS: Are there any other barriers to getting a job that you've noticed, besides the paperwork?
JB: Well, sometimes there are some barriers in a workplace. So let's say if somebody is applying for a job and there are a few things that they could see as being a barrier, we can help support them with setting up something called reasonable accommodations. So setting that up with the employer to show, hey, if there can be some slight changes or accommodations that could be provided for this person to be successful at this job, we can work out some kind of plan with the employer.
TS: So how long does it take to graduate from the Ticket to Work program, estimated?
JB: I would say that it takes, you know, usually around like three, four, five years because you can work through your work incentive, meaning that it's a long process and these different phases, meaning that these are safety nets in place. So essentially someone can work off their benefits, like SSDI disability benefits, they can work off their benefits, become independent with their earned income. And then let's say if something were to happen, they lose their job, or they have to limit their job because of their medical conditions, or quit, there's place where they can get their benefits reinstated.
