CESP Benefits Counseling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person with a disability receiving SSI begins working and earns $900/month. Which SSI work incentive allows them to exclude the first $65 of earned income plus half of the remainder?
- Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)
- Earned Income Exclusion (Correct answer)
- Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)
- Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
Correct answer: Earned Income Exclusion
The SSI Earned Income Exclusion allows individuals to exclude the first $65 of earned income per month plus one-half of remaining earnings when calculating countable income.
Question 2: Under Medicare, what is the Trial Work Period (TWP) and how many months does it consist of?
- A 12-month period where beneficiaries test their ability to work
- A 9-month period (within a 60-month window) where SSDI beneficiaries can work without losing benefits (Correct answer)
- A 24-month period of extended Medicare coverage after returning to work
- A 6-month probationary period before full benefits are restored
Correct answer: A 9-month period (within a 60-month window) where SSDI beneficiaries can work without losing benefits
The Trial Work Period consists of 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) within a rolling 60-month window during which SSDI beneficiaries can test their ability to work without losing benefits.
Question 3: Which Medicaid work incentive allows individuals with disabilities earning above normal income limits to 'buy in' to Medicaid coverage by paying a premium?
- Medicaid PASS
- Medicaid Buy-In (Employed Individuals with Disabilities) (Correct answer)
- Medicaid 1619(b)
- Medicaid Extended Benefits
Correct answer: Medicaid Buy-In (Employed Individuals with Disabilities)
Medicaid Buy-In programs, available in many states, allow working individuals with disabilities to pay a sliding-scale premium to maintain Medicaid coverage above the standard income limits.
Question 4: A CESP is helping someone set up a PASS plan. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)?
- To provide emergency cash assistance during job searches
- To allow SSI recipients to set aside income or resources for a vocational goal without affecting SSI eligibility (Correct answer)
- To supplement SSDI benefits during the Extended Period of Eligibility
- To fund transportation costs for medical appointments
Correct answer: To allow SSI recipients to set aside income or resources for a vocational goal without affecting SSI eligibility
A PASS allows SSI recipients to set aside money or resources toward a specific vocational goal (such as education, training, or starting a business) without those funds counting against SSI income or resource limits.
Question 5: What is the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) for SSDI beneficiaries after completing their Trial Work Period?
- 12 months
- 24 months
- 36 months (Correct answer)
- 60 months
Correct answer: 36 months
The Extended Period of Eligibility is a 36-month period following the Trial Work Period during which SSDI benefits can be reinstated in any month earnings fall below Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).
Question 6: When counseling someone about Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act, what key protection does it provide?
- It protects SSDI cash benefits even when earnings exceed SGA
- It allows SSI recipients to maintain Medicaid eligibility even when earned income eliminates their SSI cash payment (Correct answer)
- It extends Medicare coverage for 93 months after returning to work
- It suspends SSI overpayment collection during employment
Correct answer: It allows SSI recipients to maintain Medicaid eligibility even when earned income eliminates their SSI cash payment
Section 1619(b) allows individuals who lose their SSI cash payment due to earned income to retain Medicaid eligibility, provided they still need Medicaid and meet other criteria.
Question 7: A benefits counselor discovers that a client received SSI overpayments due to unreported wages. What is the FIRST recommended step?
- Advise the client to immediately repay the full overpayment
- Help the client request a waiver of overpayment or appeal the overpayment determination (Correct answer)
- Contact SSA to suspend the client's benefits
- Refer the client to a bankruptcy attorney
Correct answer: Help the client request a waiver of overpayment or appeal the overpayment determination
When an overpayment exists, the counselor should first help the client explore options including requesting a waiver (if repayment would cause financial hardship and the client was without fault) or appealing the determination.
CESP Benefits Counseling 2
A person with a disability receiving SSI begins working and earns $900/month.
Which SSI work incentive allows them to exclude the first $65 of earned income plus half of the remainder?