Benefits Planning

To help people make informed choices about employment and benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) established a program called Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach (BPAO). BPAO Projects provide all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities access to work incentives planning and assistance services. Benefits Specialists provide information and direct assistance around the benefit programs and work incentives and how they interface with employment, so that each beneficiary is better able to make an informed choice about work. The BPAO for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District is:

vaACCSES
7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110
Springfield, VA 22153-2836
Information Central: 571-339-1305
Toll Free outside of Northern Virginia Area: 1 -877-822-2777
Web Site: www.vaaccses.org

The Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy also provides information on employee benefits planning. Their toll free telephone number is 800-552-3962 (Voice/TTY) or e-mail address is general.vopa@vopa.virginia.gov.

WorkWORLD© Software. WorkWORLD© is a free, on-line benefits advisor/decision support software for personal computers that is designed to be used by people with disabilities, advocates, benefit counselors, and others. The software helps people find employment-based paths to higher net income through the best use of Federal and State work incentives and benefits. WorkWORLD© takes into account the complex interaction of earnings, benefit programs, and work incentives to provide individualized recommendations for safe options as well as alerts to possible problems. To download the free software, go to http://www.workworld.org/ or for additional information WorkWORLD@vcu.edu or by phone: (804) 828-2665.