Benefit Counseling:
Benefits counseling is a service that helps individuals with disabilities and their families understand how Employment and other life decisions will impact Social Security and Medicaid benefits.
SES, Inc. provides Benefits Counseling services to customers Social Security referred to us by the Work Incentive Network (WIN), Lane County, Brokerages, or Vocational Rehabilitation. The benefit Counseling process begins with a meeting to get an understanding of your current circumstances. The Benefit Counselor then request verification of your benefits from Social Security Administration; identifying any benefit issues that need to be resolved; and recommended applicable work incentives to protect benefits long term. Finally, a personalized report is prepared.
SES, Inc. will help you understand the impact of working on benefits, answer questions and help you build a plan to manage and protect benefits while you work!
If you are interested in receiving Benefits Counseling Services, please contact your Service Coordinator/ Personal Agent.
Representative Payee Skills Training:
A representative payee is a person or an organization that Social Security appoint to receive the Social Security or SSI benefits on behalf of anyone who is needing assistance with managing his/her Social Security benefits.
The Service Coordinator/ Personal Agent will refer customers to SES if they are requesting Representative Payee services. When SES and the customer agree that they are a good fit for one another, Social Security is contacted to request SES be assigned as the customer’s Representative Payee.
Once SES becomes the Representative Payee the customers meet with the SES staff in order to develop a financial plan and a budget based on the customers bills, needs and goals for the upcoming year. Meetings will be held weekly, bi-weekly, or on a monthly depending on the customer preferences and needs.
Each meeting will be focused on learning financial skills to manage their money with assistance.
- Learning to balance a checkbook
- Writing checks
- Making and sticking to a budget
- Use a calculator
- Reconciling/accessing online accounts ensuring all bills are paid on time
- Problem Solving debt or financial issues that arise
- Informed choice regarding financial decisions
Non-Representative Payee Services:
SES provides financial skills training services to customers who are their own Rep Payee, but benefit from a little extra assistance to maintain or improve financial well being and/or achieve larger goals such as buying a house or going on a trip. Service Coordinators and Personal Agents are responsible for referring customers for this service.
Once SES and the customer have agreed to work with one another the desired skills and goals will be discussed and a plan is created. This plan will include the steps the customer will need to achieve in order to reach their financial goals. Financial goals could include but are not limited to:
- Learn financial management skills
- Purchasing larger items
- Budgeting for a trip
- Enrolling in benefit plans
- Debt management and reduction
- Problem Solving debt or financial issues that arise
- Informed choice regarding financial decisions