§1320b–21 State Grants for Work Incentives Assistance to Disabled Beneficiaries

Summary

The Commissioner of Social Security may give money to each State’s protection and advocacy program (set up under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act) so the program can help disabled beneficiaries. The funds can pay for things like information and advice about vocational rehab and employment services, and for advocacy or other help a person needs to get, keep, or return to paid work. To get money, a protection and advocacy program must apply in the form and at the time the Commissioner requires. Each program must get at least a minimum amount, depending on where it is. For States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) the minimum is the greater of $100,000 or one-third of one percent of the total amount available for payments. For Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands the minimum is $50,000. If total appropriations for these payments go up from one year to the next, the Commissioner must raise those minimums by the same percentage. Programs must send one annual report to the Commissioner and the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel about services they provided. Payments come from amounts for the administration of subchapter II and subchapter XVI, and unused amounts can be used through the end of the succeeding fiscal year. Commissioner = Social Security Commissioner. Disabled beneficiary = someone receiving certain Social Security or related disability or supplemental payments. Protection and advocacy system = the program created under part C of title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The law authorized $7,000,000 for each fiscal year 2000 through 2011.