Work Incentives Planning (WIP) is a free, individualized service that helps SSDI and SSI recipients understand exactly how returning to work will affect their benefits — before they accept a job offer, increase their hours, or make any employment decision. It is the starting point for every client OneBridge Center works with through the Ticket to Work program, and it is the step that separates an informed return to work from a costly, avoidable mistake.
What Is Work Incentives Planning?
Work Incentives Planning is an in-depth, personalised review of your specific benefits situation. A certified specialist — known formally as a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) — looks at every benefit you currently receive and models how each one will change at different income levels once you begin working. The goal is to replace fear and uncertainty with a clear, accurate picture of your financial position.
The review covers:
- Your SSDI or SSI cash payments — how they are affected by your earnings at each stage of employment
- Your Medicare or Medicaid coverage — when it continues, when it may change, and what protections apply
- Housing assistance — how earned income may affect any housing benefit you receive
- SNAP, childcare assistance, or other public benefits — any program that uses income in its calculation
- Which work incentives apply to your situation and how much they could save you
- When and how to report your earnings to SSA to avoid overpayments
Why WIP Happens Before Anything Else
The SSA rules governing how work affects SSDI and SSI are complex, different for each program, and frequently misunderstood. Many beneficiaries avoid work entirely because they assume starting a job means losing their benefits immediately. Others begin working without understanding the rules and end up with an overpayment — money SSA says they were paid in error that must be repaid, sometimes stretching back months.
Work Incentives Planning exists to prevent both outcomes. By mapping your specific numbers before you make any decisions, a WIP session gives you the confidence to move forward — or the clarity to know what needs to change first. It is also the foundation of your Individual Work Plan, the agreement that officially assigns your Ticket to Work to OneBridge Center and activates CDR protection.
What Is a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY)?
One of the first tools your WIP specialist uses is a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) — a document SSA provides that summarises your current benefits, payment amounts, work history, and Medicare or Medicaid status. With your consent, SSA can share the BPQY directly with your certified benefits counselor. This document ensures your WIP session is based on accurate, current SSA data rather than estimates, and it allows your specialist to identify work incentives and protections you might not know you have.
Which Work Incentives Might Apply to You?
The phrase “work incentives” refers to specific SSA provisions that reduce the financial impact of working on your benefits. They are not bonuses — they are rules built into the system that can make a meaningful difference to your take-home income. Your WIP specialist identifies which of the following apply to your situation:
For SSDI recipients
- Trial Work Period: Up to 9 months of work at any earnings level without any effect on your SSDI payment. A month counts toward your Trial Work Period in 2026 when earnings exceed $1,210.
- Extended Period of Eligibility: 36 months after your Trial Work Period during which your SSDI resumes in any month your earnings fall below the SGA threshold of $1,690 per month in 2026.
- Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE): Disability-related costs you pay out of pocket to work — such as specialized transportation, medications, or adaptive equipment — that can be deducted from your gross earnings before the SGA comparison is made.
- Expedited Reinstatement: If your benefits stop due to work and you find you cannot continue, you can request them back within 5 years without filing a new claim.
- Continued Medicare: Medicare continues for at least 93 months after your Trial Work Period ends, even if your SSDI cash payments stop due to earnings.
For SSI recipients
- Earned income exclusions: The first $65 of earned income per month is excluded, and half of everything above that is excluded. Your SSI payment reduces gradually — it does not stop all at once.
- Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE): If you are under 22 and regularly attending school, up to $2,410 per month (and no more than $9,730 per year) of earned income may be excluded entirely in 2026.
- Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE): Available to SSI recipients as well — costs related to your disability that allow you to work can be deducted from your countable income.
- Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS): A formal plan that allows you to set aside income or resources for a specific work goal — such as education, training, or equipment — without those funds counting against your SSI.
- 1619(b) Medicaid protection: SSI recipients whose SSI payment reaches zero due to earnings may still retain Medicaid eligibility under Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act, as long as their income stays below their state’s threshold.
WIP Is Also Available Under OOD
Work Incentives Planning and Benefits Counseling is not exclusive to the Ticket to Work program. OneBridge Center can also provide WIP services to clients receiving support through Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), creating a dual pathway for those already engaged with vocational rehabilitation. If you are currently working with OOD and have questions about how your benefits interact with employment, contact OneBridge to discuss whether a WIP session makes sense for your situation.
The Difference Between WIP and General Advice
WIP is not general information about SSA rules — it is an analysis of your specific situation. A certified specialist reviews your actual benefit amounts, your current work history with SSA, and your individual circumstances to produce a personalised transition plan. General online guides, including this one, explain how the rules work in principle. Only a WIP session can tell you what those rules mean for you specifically, and what your take-home income will look like at different earnings levels before you commit to anything.
Who Provides Work Incentives Planning?
SSA funds 74 Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) agencies across the country, staffed by certified Community Work Incentives Coordinators. Employment Networks like OneBridge Center also provide WIP services directly to Ticket to Work participants through their own certified specialists.
At OneBridge Center, Work Incentives Planning is provided by Judy Skoczen, our Community Employment Specialist. Judy holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.), a Transition to Work endorsement (TTW), and is a Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP). She is also completing her Work Incentive Practitioner Certification (WIP-C) through Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute — one of the most rigorous credentials in the field. A contracted WIP provider is also in place to ensure no gap in service during the certification process.
OneBridge provides Ticket to Work services throughout Ohio and across the United States through the American Dream Employment Network. Visit our Ticket to Work services page for more detail on how the full program works, or read our related posts:
- What Is the Ticket to Work Program and How Does It Work?
- Can I Work While on SSDI? 2026 Rules Explained
- What Is Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) in 2026?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Work Incentives Planning?
Work Incentives Planning is a free, individualised review of how returning to work will affect your specific SSDI or SSI benefits, Medicare or Medicaid, and other public support you receive. A certified specialist uses your actual SSA records to model your financial position at different income levels before you make any employment decisions.
Is Work Incentives Planning the same as Benefits Counseling?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Benefits Counseling refers to the broader process of understanding how disability benefits interact with earned income. Work Incentives Planning typically refers to the structured, personalised session that results in a written transition plan tailored to your situation. Both are provided by OneBridge as part of the Ticket to Work program.
When should I get a Work Incentives Planning session?
Before accepting any job offer, increasing your hours, or making any change that would affect your earnings. WIP is most valuable before you act, not after — because some decisions affect benefits in ways that cannot be reversed once they are set in motion.
Does Work Incentives Planning cost anything?
No. WIP is completely free to SSDI and SSI recipients as part of the Ticket to Work program. SSA pays Employment Networks based on employment milestones achieved, so there is never a cost to participants at any stage.
Can I get Work Incentives Planning if I am already working?
Yes. WIP is available to people who are already working as well as those considering a return to employment. If you are already working and receiving SSDI or SSI and want to understand exactly how your current earnings affect your benefits, a WIP session can clarify your position and identify any work incentives you may not be using.
Get Started
If you want to understand exactly how work would affect your benefits before making any decisions, contact OneBridge Center at (330) 267-7556 or visit our contact page. There is no cost and no obligation — just a clear, personalised answer to your specific situation.