Shifting the cost of self-pay for SSI workers in supported employment

Two provisions of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program--the Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) and Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)--can have the implicit result of compensating SSI recipients for work expenses they incur. That is, PASS and IRWE can, in effect, shift all or some of a working SSI recipient's expenses from the recipient to the SSI program. This article describes how PASS and IRWE operate and demonstrates the shifting effect. The analysis focuses on expenses for supported employment.