Benefits Planning and Work Incentives

How Will a job affect my benefits? What are Work Incentives?

One of the biggest concerns the individuals we serve have about starting to work is the effect a paycheck will have on their:

  • Financial Benefits

    • SSI

    • SSDI

    • SSB

    • SNAP food stamps

    • TANF

    • And more

  • Health Insurance Benefits

    • Medicaid

    • Medicare

    • And more

There are a lot of myths about benefits that have been mistakenly accepted as truth.

The reality is that these benefits systems are complex and every individual’s situation is unique. How your benefits are affected by employment depends on a variety of factors.

Did you know there are rules in place, called work incentives, to ensure that you do not automatically lose all of your benefits at once the minute you start working? These work incentives are meant to allow you to get comfortable with having a job, find out what kind of work you are interested in, and how many hours you feel able to work, without having to worry about losing your benefits.

Here is a list of just some of the available work incentives:

  • ABLE Savings Plan

  • Employed Persons with Disability Medicaid (EPD)

  • Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)

  • Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)

  • Trial Work Period and Extended Period of Eligibility

A benefits planner or work incentives counselor is a professional who is available as a free resource to help you figure out exactly what work incentives you qualify for based on your specific situation. They can help you navigate this system and even work with you before you start a new job so you know what to expect.

Contact your personal agent for more information about benefits and work incentives or for a referral to a planner/counselor.

Learn more about benefits and work incentives counseling in Oregon.

Learn more about employment