Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program

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In October 2006, the Social Security Administration (SSA) replaced the Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach Program with the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program. The Program was renamed because of an increased emphasis on work incentives, return to work supports and jobs for beneficiaries.

SSA, as authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, awarded 99 cooperative agreements to a variety of community organizations to serve as WIPA projects. These WIPA projects provide all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities (including transition-to-work aged youth) access to benefits planning and assistance services. Cooperative agreements were awarded throughout most States, The District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. A new request for applications has been released for WIPA services in those areas not yet covered. SSA has a contract with Imagine, Inc. to provide WIPA services in those areas until cooperative agreements can be authorized.

The goal of the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program is to better enable SSA`s beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Each WIPA Project has Community Work Incentive coordinators (CWICs) who will:

• Provide work incentives planning and assistance directly to SSA`s beneficiaries with disabilities to assist them in their employment efforts;
• Conduct outreach efforts in collaboration with SSA's Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach contractor to beneficiaries with disabilities (and their families), who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentives programs;
• Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities;
• Refer beneficiaries with disabilities to appropriate Employment Networks based on the beneficiary's expressed needs and types of impairments;
• Provide general information on the adequacy of health benefits coverage that may be offered by an employer of a beneficiary with a disability and the extent to which other health benefits coverage may be available to that beneficiary in coordination with Medicare and/or Medicaid; and
• Provide information on the availability of protection and advocacy services for beneficiaries with disabilities and how to access such services.