Other Asset-Building Programs

Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)

Social Security’s Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program lets you save money without lowering your income. Usually, if you get SSI monthly cash benefits, your SSI benefits go down when you get income from other sources, like a job or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

If you are in this situation, you probably have to spend a lot of your monthly income on basic expenses like food and housing. This can make it hard to save for things like job training or school.

The PASS program helps make saving easier. It lets you save money for a work-related goal that will help you achieve self-sufficiency. It is easy to use because it protects your income while you save.

You can use a PASS to:

• Help pay for the cost of school or training
• Start a business
• Pay for equipment, support services, and other expenses related to your goal

One of the things that make PASS unique is that it is completely consumer-driven. The PASS plan is about your work goal, what you want to achieve, and what you need to get there.

After you write your PASS, you ask Social Security to approve it. Your plan has to have a realistic goal given your abilities, experience, and educational background.

Income Sources for Funding a PASS

Once you have an approved PASS plan, you will put money into your PASS account to pay for each step along the way to reaching your goal.

You cannot put any money you get from SSI in your PASS account. You must use money from some other source such as income from a job, or money from a spouse or parent.

Applying to the PASS Program

There is a detailed description of how to set up a PASS in the DB101 PASS section. You have to fill out Social Security’s PASS application form. On the application you will describe your goals for work and how you plan to achieve them.

This description should be detailed enough to convince Social Security that:

• You have a clear plan
• The plan is something you can realistically do, and
• If you completed the plan your need for SSI or SSDI would be lowered or eliminated.

Application Assistance

Creating your plan and filling out a PASS application can seem intimidating, but you can get help with every step of the process by talking with a PASS Cadre. A PASS Cadre is a professional who knows about the program and is available to help you take advantage of it. To find a PASS Cadre, click here.

Using a PASS

After your plan is approved, Social Security will send you detailed instructions about how to use your PASS. The instructions are mostly about keeping pass funds and expenses separate from your other money, and keeping good records. You have to follow the rules carefully. To learn more, see DB101's PASS section.

If a medical situation or some other issue comes up that impacts your ability to continue your PASS, talk to your PASS Cadre about your options. In many cases, you will be allowed to put your PASS plan on hold for up to 12 months without having to reapply.

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program helps people with low income have affordable housing. It is funded by the federal government and run by local public housing authorities (PHAs).

A family that gets Section 8 benefits pays 30% of the family income for rent. The Section 8 program pays for the rest of the rent. After a family's income goes up, the amount the family has to contribute to rent also goes up, because 30% of their income is more than it used to be. When the family contributes more for rent, the Section 8 program contributes less. Note: Families that include a person with a disability who works may qualify for the Earned Income Disregard and not have to pay more rent (see below).

Section 8's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program helps families whose income goes up. When the family income goes up and the Section 8 program starts paying less for rent, the Section 8 program takes the money that it saves on rent and sets it aside for the family. The family can use these savings for purchases, such as the down payment on a home or a car.

Learn more about the FSSL. Find public housing authorities near you.