What is the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD)?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is contracting with Mathematica Policy Research and Abt Associates to conduct a new study called POD for beneficiaries who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). POD uses new rules to adjust your benefits for earnings and impairment related work expenses (IRWEs), potentially allowing you to keep more of your benefits. POD also uses simpler rules for reporting earnings to SSA. SSA randomly assigned SSDI beneficiaries who volunteered for POD into one of three groups. Beneficiaries assigned to the two new POD rules groups are eligible for the POD benefit adjustment and the simpler rules for reporting earnings. Beneficiaries assigned to the SSA current rules group follow SSA’s current rules just like they did before agreeing to participate in POD.
Is my state and county participating?
Check the map and lists below to see which states and counties are participating in POD.
| State | Counties |
|---|---|
| Alabama | All counties |
| California | Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego |
| Connecticut | All counties |
| Maryland | Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s |
| Michigan | Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Ionia, Kent, Lapeer, Shiawassee |
| Nebraska | Adams, Buffalo, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, Sarpy |
| Texas | Bell, Bexar, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Harris, Hays, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson |
| Vermont | All counties |
How does it work?
The new POD rules allow you to keep some of your benefits when your earnings are high enough that you would otherwise lose your benefits under current SSA rules. If you discover that current SSA rules are better for you, you can switch back at any time.
See Understanding the new POD rules and How earnings from work affect benefits or call your POD counselor to learn more about how the new POD rules could affect your benefits.
See examples of how POD may affect benefits
Lucy earns less than $1,170/month. Explore Lucy’s scenario.
Joe earns more than $1,170/month. Explore Joe’s scenario.
Maria has impairment-related work expenses. Explore Maria’s scenario.
Rabiah receives both SSI and SSDI benefits. Explore Rabiah’s scenario.
Andre is self-employed. Explore Andre’s scenario.
Steve is blind. Explore Steve’s scenario