Social Security - Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program

 

To comply with the Ticket-to-Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) which was passed in December 1999, and reauthorized by the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, which requires the SSA to establish a community-based work incentives planning and assistance program. The purpose of the program is to support beneficiaries who want to return to work to make a successful and profitable transition to the workforce. Beneficiaries that continue to work improve their economic independence and financial security. WIPA projects help beneficiaries take advantage of our work incentives programs, which may delay or reduce the effect of work on monetary benefits and health insurance. Additionally, WIPA projects act as repositories for information about other work incentives, benefits counseling services, and other resources that may help beneficiaries succeed in their work attempts, or may assist beneficiaries to improve financial stability as they return to work.

Active 96.008 Social Security Administration B - Project Grants Not applicable. Social Security Act, Title 1, Section 1149, Public Law 106-170, Statute 1860,1887-1891
Section 1149 of the Social Security Act, as added by section 121 of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (TWWIIA), requires the Commissioner of Social Security (the Commissioner) to establish a community-based work incentives planning and assistance program for the purpose of disseminating accurate information to beneficiaries with disabilities on work incentives programs and issues related to such programs to assist them in their employment efforts. Applicants applying for cooperative agreement funds may include State or local governments (excluding any State administering the State Medicaid program), public or private organizations, or nonprofit or for-profit organizations (for-profit organizations may apply with the understanding that no cooperative agreement funds may be paid as profit to any awardee), as well as Native American tribal organizations that the Commissioner determines is qualified to provide work incentives planning and assistance to all SSDI and SSI beneficiaries with disabilities, within the targeted geographic area. These may include Centers for Independent Living established under Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, protection and advocacy organizations, Native American tribal entities, client assistance programs established in accordance with Section 112 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, State Developmental Disabilities Councils established in accordance with Section 124 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, and State agencies administering the State program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Act. The Commissioner may also award a cooperative agreement to a State or local Workforce Investment Board, a Department of Labor (DOL) One-Stop Career Center System established under the Workforce Improvement Act of 1998, or a State Vocational Rehabilitation agency. Cooperative agreements may not be awarded to any individual, the Social Security Administration Field Offices, any State agency administrating the State Medicaid program under Title XIX of the Act, any entity that the Commissioner determines would have a conflict of interest if the entity were to receive a cooperative agreement under the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program or any organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1968 that engages in lobbying (in accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1611). WIPA projects serve beneficiaries who are age 14 and older, and receive any of the following benefits based on their own disabilities: o Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits; o Childhood Disability Benefits; o Disabled Widow(er)s Benefits; o SSI based on blindness or disability; o Medicare under the Extended Period of Medicare Coverage (for former disability beneficiaries performing substantial work); o Medicaid under Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act (for SSI beneficiaries ineligible for payment due to work income); o A State supplementary SSI payment (even if the beneficiary is not due a Federal SSI payment); or o Medicare coverage based on disability and Medicare qualified government employment. Costs and administrative requirements for grantees will be determined in accordance with 2 CFR 200. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. The standard application forms furnished by SSA must be used for this program. When cooperative agreement opportunities are available, SSA publishes a notice in the Federal Register soliciting cooperative agreement applications. Application packages will be provided at www.grants.gov. If extenuating circumstances prevent you from submitting an application through www.grants.gov please contact the Grants Management Team at Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG), Social Security Administration, Attention: Dionne Mitchell, 1540 Robert. M. Ball Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore Maryland 21235. To be considered for a cooperative agreement award, all applicants must complete the prescribed application forms, through www.grants.gov unless the applicant has received prior approval from OAG to submit a paper application to the Grants Management Team. The application shall be executed by an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency or organization who will assume the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement. At least three independent reviewers prepare written assessments of each program relevant cooperative agreement application. Applications found irrelevant or unresponsive to program objectives are returned to the applicants. OAG provides a Notice of Cooperative Agreement Award as official notice for approved applications. The notice indicates award amount, the purpose of the award, award terms and conditions, the budget period, the anticipated project period, and the awardee's cost sharing requirement. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Generally, 3 to 6 months after the closing date established in the Federal Register announcement. There are no formal appeal procedures. If an application is not approved, the reasons will be stipulated in the denial notice. Cooperative agreements can be continued via formal continuation application, which is subject to approval. If an application is recommended for approval for 2 or more budget periods, the awardee must submit a formal request for funding continuation each year. Continuation applications are evaluated prior to a recommendation of additional funding. Not applicable. Cooperative agreements are awarded to organizations to: (1) Provide statewide work incentives planning and assistance, including information on the availability of protection and advocacy services, to all Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries with disabilities, and to conduct ongoing outreach to those beneficiaries with disabilities and to their families that are potentially eligible to participate in State or Federal work incentives programs. (2) Disseminate accurate information to beneficiaries with disabilities (including transition-to-work aged youth) about work incentives programs and issues related to such programs, to enable them to make informed choices about working and whether or when to assign their Ticket to Work, as well as how available work incentives can facilitate their transition into the workforce. Cooperative agreement funds may not be used for construction or major renovation of buildings. Not applicable. Not applicable. Awardees must maintain financial records, supporting documents, statistical records and all other records pertinent to an award for 3 years after the end of the project. In the event of an audit, records must be maintained until all questions are resolved. Statutory Formula: Title 1 Chapter Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 Part C Subpart Sec. 1149. [42 U.S.C. 1320b–20] Public Law 106-170 Sec. 1149. [42 U.S.C. 1320b–20] (a) Establishment.— (1) In General.—The Commissioner, in consultation with the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel established under section 101(f) of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999[139], shall establish a community-based work incentives planning and assistance program for the purpose of disseminating accurate information to disabled beneficiaries on work incentives programs and issues related to such programs. (2) Grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and outreach.—Under the program established under this section, the Commissioner shall— (A) establish a competitive program of grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to provide benefits planning and assistance, including information on the availability of protection and advocacy services, to disabled beneficiaries, including individuals participating in the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program established under section 1148, the program established under section 1619, and other programs that are designed to encourage disabled beneficiaries to work.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Funds are usually granted for a period of 12 months. Funds are obligated annually and generally for a five-year project period. Awardees receive notification from our online grants management system. None/Not specified. Dionne J. Mitchell
Social Security Administration
Office of Acquisition and Grants
1540 Robert M. Ball Building
6401 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21235 US
dionne.mitchell@ssa.gov
Phone: 4109659534 http://www.ssa.gov 28-8704-0-7-999 (Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements)) FY 22$20,000,000.00; FY 23 est $20,000,000.00; FY 24 est $20,000,000.00; FY 21$20,000,000.00; FY 18$19,583,013.00; FY 19 est $19,583,013.00; FY 20 est $19,583,013.00; FY 17$19,583,013.00; FY 16$19,583,013.00; - Range $145,250 to $300,000, average $270,270 Not applicable. Not applicable.