The Basics

Social Security’s Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program is for people with disabilities who want to save money for a work-related goal that will help them become self-sufficient. You must apply for, or already be getting, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits to qualify for the PASS program.

Usually, if you get SSI benefits and have income from a job or from another benefits program, like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your SSI benefits amount will go down. Also, if you save up too much money in a bank account or build your assets in any other way, you could lose your SSI benefits if you go over SSI's resource limit ($2,000 if you’re single, $3,000 for couples). This can make it difficult to save for things like job training or school. But with a PASS, you can earn money and save it in a separate PASS account. This has two main advantages:

• You can save up resources without losing your SSI benefits.
• The income you put into your PASS won’t be counted as income by SSI, so it won't make your benefits amount go down.

The money that you save has to be used for a work-related goal you choose, such as:

• The cost of school or training
• Starting a business, or
• Paying for equipment, support services, and other expenses related to your work goal.

Note: If you already go to college or have a job, you can set up a PASS to help pay for your current work, school, or health expenses.

By setting up a PASS, you can keep your full SSI benefits to pay for basic living expenses, like food and rent, while you set aside money from other sources to achieve your work-related goals.