We all have beliefs and experiences with public benefits, and personal or implicit biases can bubble up as you support people to think about and pursue work.
It's important to be aware of your own fears and background, and how these factors could impact your decisions and actions. Take the self-assessment below to get insight into your own thoughts and views on benefits and work for people with disabilities.
Read the statements below and click the response that best describes you.
1) The topic of benefits comes up often when I talk with people I support about going to work.
That's great! One of the most common concerns people with disabilities have when it comes to considering work is the fear of what will happen to their benefits. Having the right information about work and benefits can make the difference in someone moving forward with their work goals or not. To learn more, start with level 1 training or watch this collection of benefits videos.
It's important for people you're supporting to know what will happen to their benefits when they go to work. Knowing the right questions to ask, having the right information and planning for changes in benefits can help prevent problems later on. To learn more, start with level 1 training or watch this collection of benefits videos.
2) I'm comfortable talking to the people I support about how work may impact their benefits.
That's great! Understanding what happens to your benefits when you go to work is an important step in moving forward with employment goals. If you want additional training, start with level 1 training. Contact the Hub if you have questions.
That's understandable. Benefit rules can be confusing, and it's important to have the right information. To learn more about work and benefits and how to talk with the people you support, start with level 1 training or watch this collection of benefits videos. You can also contact us if you have questions.
3) I know where to find information about benefits.
Great! There's a lot of information out there. One of the most comprehensive resources for information about benefits is Disability Benefits 101. If you need help or have questions, the Hub can help.
Let us help! There are many benefits administered by many different agencies. To get an introduction to the most common benefits for Minnesotans with disabilities, check out Disability Benefits 101. If you have questions or need more help, contact the Hub.
4) I know that every public benefit in Minnesota has work incentives that support work.
You're right! All public benefits in Minnesota support work. That's great news for the people you support! It means they can work and get the benefits they need. And if they work enough to go off benefits, they can get the benefits back quickly if they need them again. To learn more about work incentives, visit Disability Benefits 101.
It's true, all public benefits in Minnesota now support work with special rules called work incentives. That's great news for the people you support! It means they can work and get the benefits they need. And if they work enough to go off benefits, they can get the benefits back quickly if they need them again. To learn more about work incentives, visit Disability Benefits 101.
5) I'm comfortable explaining work incentives to help the people I support see how work and benefits can go together.
That's terrific! Disability Benefits 101 offers a tool that can help you figure out which specific work incentives will help the people you support. Join the benefits planning learning community to stay up to date on policies, get regular updates and connect with other professionals. For more detailed information and training on work incentives, take the level 2 training. If you face new situations or have questions, contact the Hub.
That's OK — we can help! Disability Benefits 101 offers a tool that can help you figure out which specific work incentives will help the people you support. Use this information to target your conversations to those specific work incentives. If you want more detailed information or training on work incentives, take the level 1 and level 2 trainings. Join the benefits planning learning community to learn from others, stay up to date on policies, get regular updates and connect with other professionals. As always, contact the Hub with questions or for extra support.
6) I can help people find the right information if they have concerns about what will happen to their benefits if they go to work.
That's great! There are a lot of resources out there to help. Get an introduction on work and benefits under Your Options. Then, go deeper with Disability Benefits 101. Use the benefits and work estimator to help people clearly see what may happen to their benefits when they work.
7) I know who to contact when a question about work and benefits is beyond my scope.
Fantastic! It's great to know where to go for help when you need it. Remember, the Hub has options counselors who can help with work and benefit situations. Contact us anytime you need help.
Check with your supervisor and coworkers to see if your agency has people who have been trained on work and benefits. In addition, the Hub has options counselors who can help with work and benefit situations. Contact us anytime you need help.
Congratulations! You’ve finished the self-assessment.
