Intro 0:12 [musical interlude] Joe Murphy 0:17 Welcome to Networks for Training and Development's Employment for All podcast. I am your host, Joe Murphy. This podcast is dedicated to real work and real pay for all citizens. Welcome back. This is episode four of our conversation about Benefits with Suzanne Erb from Networks for Training and Development and Martine DeLorenzo from Disability Rights PA. If you miss this or any other of our podcasts, please feel free to go back and check them out. Suzanne Erb 0:49 Hi, I'm Suzanne, Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 0:51 and I'm Martine Suzanne Erb 0:53 and we'd like to talk to you today about IRWEs. Martine, what are IRWEs? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 1:02 So IRWEs are a work incentive. IRWE is an acronym for Impairment Related Work Expenses. Social Security deducts the cost of certain impairment related items and services that you need to work from your gross earnings when they decide if your work is substantial gainful activity. It doesn't matter if you also use these items and services for non-work activities. And both SSI and SSDI recipients are eligible to apply for IRWE. Suzanne Erb 1:34 Why are they important? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 1:37 Well, beneficiaries are often so afraid of losing benefits that they're afraid to begin work. IRWE can incentivize people who are thinking about entering the workforce. Once approved by Social Security, Social Security will exclude the IRWE from your earned income, thereby lowering your countable income. Suzanne Erb 1:58 Well, what? What can count as IRWEs? How do you know something that you might think you might be able to count is able to be used as an IRWE? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 2:09 Right, well, that's where your CWIC can come in handy. Items that enable you to work, such as the cost of special transportation needed because of your disability, the cost of a modification of your vehicle that you need to travel for work are examples. You must need the item or service because of a physical or mental impairment, something like attendant care services performed in a work setting, you have to pay for them, it is a service or an item you pay for out of pocket, it's not reimbursed by another source such as your insurance. It can mean co-pays or coinsurance for medication and doctor appointments. It could be expenses for a guide dog, or a service animal. Social Security makes the final decision about what is an IRWE. But we can help you understand what it is. Suzanne Erb 3:09 And how about something like like a Braille display. Can I use that? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 3:16 Yes, that could be considered an IRWE. Yep. Suzanne Erb 3:20 And what if, what if I, you know, fix something that cost us a lot of money up front? Can I like itemize it and break it down by monthly installments? Or do I have to count it all as one? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 3:35 So, at Social Security, uh, they're very interesting. What, if you can pay for that thing as with an installment plan over several months, it's usually better to do that. Because then they will deduct that amount that you're paying on the installment plan, right? From the month where you're, you know, paying for it. Other than that, they will take it out at the month that you pay for it. Suzanne Erb 4:04 Okay. Uh, what cannot count as IRWEs? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 4:10 So the cost of your vehicle will not count as an IRWE. The costs of a modification if it's not related to your disability, like getting some pinstriping or some fancy wheel covers or something. Attendant care services that you use on non workdays, maybe you have someone drive you to a supermarket, that's not an IRWE. Diagnostic procedures not related to your disability. The cost of medical marijuana because it is a federal violation, even if it's legal in your state, and expenses for pets. Right. So a guide dog is not a pet, it's a specific animal that was trained to help a person in a specific way. Pets are not not guide dogs and you can't use the expenses. But again, Social Security makes the final decision about this. Suzanne Erb 5:09 So how am I supposed to keep track of my IRWEs? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 5:15 Well, your CWIC can help you find the best way to keep track of them and it might be different for each person. The most simple answer is you have to save the receipts for any expense that you might be considering as an IRWE. Keep them in a safe and organized place. Suzanne Erb 5:33 Well that's kind of hard, but I guess I'll have to do it. Okay. When and how do I need to report these IRWEs to Social Security? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 5:47 Your CWIC can help you draft a letter or give you a form letter to use to request an IRWE. Once approved by Social Security, you'll be expected to provide these receipts and evidence to Social Security once a month. It is best to provide the information to Social Security when reporting your income. I find it best to be very detailed when reporting to Social Security. It may feel like you're doing your work for them, but this way, you're making it easier for them. If you give them what they need in the simplest, clearest format, there are less questions on their part and it eliminates delays due to back and forth communication. In the end is your benefit. And you are responsible for reporting income, IRWE, and any changes as soon as possible. If you have all your ducks in a row, you know what's going on at all times. They have countless people to help keep track of and this is your benefit. So you'll be the one affected if something goes wrong. So making it easier for them makes it easier for you. If you're struggling with saving your receipts, talk to your CWIC about it. Your CWIC is there to help you and we're very flexible in the work that we do. And people that are needier, we definitely help them. Suzanne Erb 7:11 Oh, that's great. Is there anything else I need to know? Martine DeLorenzo (Disability Rights Pennsylvania) 7:16 Well, the information I just spoke about can be found in Social Security's Red Book. It's on page 23. You can look at it online, you can request a copy be mailed to you from Social Security, it's free. Our WIPA project mails a copy in a packet to our referrals. If you want to connect with a CWIC in southeastern Pennsylvania, you can call Ticket to Work at 1-866-968-7842 or if you use a telecommunications device for the Deaf is 1-866-833-2967. Suzanne Erb 8:03 Wow, thank you so much. This has really been a big help for me. So we'll be talking about other topics that you guys might find interesting. So you can look forward to our next installment when we talk a little bit about SSD. Joe Murphy 8:28 Thank you for listening. We hope the information we provided was useful. If it was please subscribe to our podcast channel. You can find all information about networks for training development at our website www.networksfortraining.org Transcribed by https://otter.ai