Navigating the Path to Employment with Confidence: The Pivotal Role of Work Incentive Liaisons in the Social Security Department

If you or a loved one receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you may have heard that you will lose these payments if you choose to join the workforce. We are here to tell you that this is a myth! The Department of Social Security offers programs called work incentives that allow you to work and still receive your SSDI or SSI payments. If this sounds like something you or a loved one would benefit from, you might be wondering, where do I even start?

Luckily, there are people whose job is to help you with work incentives. These Social Security workers are called work incentive liaisons (WIL), and they are here to help you navigate the world of work incentives, communicate with companies and organizations, and so much more. Here are some of the important things work incentive liaisons do in the Social Security Department to help individuals with disabilities—

Act as Your Liaison

One of the primary roles of work incentive liaisons (WILs) is to serve as the liaison for any outside organizations you may be working with with regards to your work incentive program, whether it be the company you want to work for, a rehabilitation center you attend, the offices for your specific disability, or any others. They know all the ins and outs of your work incentive program, and will liaise with these organizations to make sure it all fits together.

Provide a Wealth of Information

WILs are the experts in all things work incentives. They are specially trained to deal with the work incentive programs for those with SSDI or SSI, and therefore know everything there is to know on this subject. They can offer you a wealth of information regarding the different work incentive programs, how these coincide with your social security payments, how the course of these programs will go, and anything else you may need to know on this subject. This is a significant part of their role, so do not hesitate to reach out to your local WILs for information.

Work With the Area Work Incentives Coordinator (AWIC)

Making work incentives programs run smoothly is not a one-person job. That is why the WILs coordinate directly with the local Area Work Incentives Coordinator (AWIC), who are the primary coordinators of work incentives, public outreach, and service programs. WILs often work directly with these coordinators to help keep all of their information up to date, find the best resources, and overall make sure that the programs serve you the best they can.

Advises You

Another one of the most important roles of the WILs is to be your chief advisor on work incentives and SSDI/SSI. Depending on your disability and what kind of Social Security payments you receive, there are a number of different work incentive programs that can apply to you. Having the advice of a WIL can help you find the right program for you and your needs, and also make sure you are in contact with all relevant organizations. WILs are on your team, and here to make work incentive programs work for you!

Work incentive liaisons are a crucial part of navigating work incentives and managing your benefits. They can help you avoid any unnecessary steps to the process, and make sure that everything runs smoothly. They are very knowledgeable and are available to help via your local social security office. You will be alone in this process! To reach your local Missouri WILs, visit this link.

If you or a loved one are looking for more employment resources to help you join the workforce with confidence as an individual with a disability, Delta Center offers a comprehensive list of a variety of resources tailored specifically to your needs. Visit our resource page here for more information.