Building Your Assets and Wealth

Plans to Achieve Self-Support

Usually, if you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and have income from a job or from another benefits program, like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your SSI benefits amount will go down. Also, if you save up too much money in a bank account or build your assets in any other way, you could lose your SSI benefits if you go over SSI's resource limit ($2,000 if you’re single, $3,000 for couples).

Social Security’s Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program lets people who get SSI earn more money and save that money in a special type of account. There are two main benefits:

  • You can save up resources without losing your SSI benefits.
  • The income you put into your PASS won’t be counted as income by SSI, so it won't make your benefits amount go down.

The money that you save has to be used for a work-related goal you choose, such as:

  • The cost of school or training
  • Starting a business, or
  • Paying for equipment, support services, and other expenses related to your work goal.

Note: If you already go to college or have a job, you can set up a PASS to help pay for your current work, school, or health expenses.

PASS plans can help some people become eligible for SSI benefits

Most people who do a PASS already get SSI benefits. However, some people who don't get SSI can also do a PASS, if the PASS plan will help them qualify for SSI.

Here are a couple of examples of how this could work:

  • If you don’t qualify for SSI benefits because of your SSDI benefits, you might be able to put the money you get from SSDI into a PASS. Once you put the SSDI money into the PASS, it will no longer count as income for SSI and you could qualify for SSI benefits.
  • If you don't qualify for SSI benefits because of the resource limit, you may be able to move your savings into a PASS and become eligible.

Applying for a PASS

To set up a PASS, you must:

  • Get SSI benefits or become eligible for SSI benefits as a result of an approved PASS application.
  • Have a source of income other than SSI (for example, SSDI benefits or wages from a job) or have resources over $2,000 that you can use to fund your PASS.
  • Choose a work goal that will help you earn enough money to lower your SSI benefits or get off SSDI benefits altogether.
  • Write a plan that shows how saving a certain amount of money will let you reach your work goal. A Social Security PASS specialist can help you write your plan.
  • Be under age 65. If you are 65 or older, you may be able to set up a PASS if you were getting SSI benefits based on disability or blindness in the month before your 65th birthday.

On the PASS application form, you must describe your goals and how you plan to achieve them. This description should be detailed enough to convince Social Security that:

  • You have a clear plan
  • The plan is realistic, and
  • If you complete the plan, your need for SSI benefits will go down or you won't need SSDI at all.

If you do not yet have a clear goal or way to achieve it, try working on one with an organization like the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), Bureau of Blind Services (BBS), or an Employment Network (EN) through the Ticket to Work program.

Help with your application

A PASS specialist is an expert who can help you with every step of the PASS application process. To contact a PASS specialist, if you're in the Chicago Metro area call the Chicago office at 1-877-479-9633 ext. 16834; for Southern Illinois call the Indianapolis office at 1-866-931-7057 ext. 32554 ; or for Central and Northern Illinois, call the Sheboygan, Wisconsin office at 1-866-807-5995 ext. 26030.

Using a PASS

After Social Security approves your plan, they'll send you instructions about how to keep good records and make sure your PASS funds and expenses are separate from your other money. Follow these rules carefully.

If a medical situation or some other issue comes up that impacts your ability to continue your PASS, talk to your PASS specialist about your options. You may be allowed to put your PASS on hold for up to 12 months without having to re-apply.

What money can you put in your PASS?

Once you have an approved PASS plan, you will put money into your PASS account that you can later use to pay for expenses related to your work goal.

You cannot put any money you get from SSI into your PASS account. You can use money from:

  • A job
  • A spouse or parent
  • Your SSDI benefits, and
  • Most other sources.

Learn more