News and Press Releases

People With Disabilities Foundation Issues Public Comments on Revising the Unsuccessful Work Attempt (UWA) and Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) rules

People With Disabilities Foundation (PWDF) recently submitted public comments to the Social Security Administration (SSA) with recommendations for potential revisions to the UWA and EXR rules.  These comments were submitted in response to the SSA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Docket No. SSA-2014-0016.

The UWA is a Social Security disability work incentive that allows beneficiaries to try to work above substantial gainful activity (SGA) levels without losing their Social Security benefits during the attempt.  (For 2016, SGA for non-blind individuals is $1,130 per month.)  EXR is a work incentive that allows SSA disability beneficiaries who have had their benefits ceased within the past 60 months due to working to request that their benefits start again without having to complete a new application if they had to quit working because of their original disability.

PWDF strongly advocates for clarity, simplification, and reducing hardships on beneficiaries in regard to revising the UWA and EXR rules and restrictions.  Aspects of the current regulations may be confusing, difficult for some individuals to understand, and result in beneficiaries going without benefits because of delays in the SSA process. Improving communications and reducing or eliminating complications and delays in the process of obtaining or maintaining benefits will put beneficiaries at less risk of disruption in meeting the necessities of life and increased independence.

PWDF made comments and recommendations on these particular areas in regards to the UWA and EXR rules:

•             SSA’s Planned UWA Revisions

•             EXR Application Process and Appeal

•             Provisional Benefits Under EXR

•             Hardship Due to Inconsistency in Rules for Retroactivity
If you would like to read PWDF’s full commentary on revising the UWA and EXR rules, you can find our comments here.

Contact:

April Banerjee
Interim Executive Director/Program Manager for Public Awareness and Education
People With Disabilities Foundation
507 Polk St., Ste. 430
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel (415) 931-3070
Fax (415) 931-2828
abanerjee@pwdf.org
www.pwdf.org