SSA and the BPAO Program began quickly, and have continued to grow dramatically over the past few years. Despite the limitations that were discussed, a number of clear themes have emerged from the present results, at this stage in the Program’s development.

Benefits planning and assistance is an employment program, providing support to SSA beneficiaries who want to work.
Approximately 85 percent of all individuals who contact a BPAO are either employed or actively seeking employment. Another 12 percent are attempting to get information about work incentives, the Ticket, and other programs that will help them decide whether to pursue employment. Only one percent of individuals contacting BPAOs are in the process of terminating employment or reducing their work hours. The BPAO initiative is not about helping people stay on benefits. Rather, its purpose is to empower individuals to take charge of their lives and enhance their economic self-sufficiency.

The BPAO Program serves a diverse array of people with disabilities.
This is evident from the broad spectrum of primary disabilities, both physical and mental, reported by beneficiaries in both the intensive benefit support group and the I & R/Problem Solving group.

There is presently little use of major benefits programs other than SSI and SSDI by beneficiaries.
This is particularly true for programs such as TANF, Veterans Benefits, Workers Compensation, and Unemployment Insurance, which are utilized by a very small proportion of beneficiaries. This was true both for those receiving intensive benefit support and for those receiving only I & R/Problem Solving.

A wide range of incentives are being presented to beneficiaries as possible options to pursue in the future.
While the exact frequency patterns of indicated incentives vary as a function of both level of service and benefit status, it is evident from the results that, overall, a variety of work incentives are being presented to and discussed with beneficiaries.

Thus, the overall data presented in this report suggest that the BPAO Initiative continues to fulfill its mission of increasing opportunities for a diverse population of beneficiaries, allowing them to receive the necessary information and support to enable them to attain their goals of employment, and perhaps to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency. It is anticipated that such positive trends will continue to become even more pronounced in the future as the Program continues to mature and flourish, which will undoubtedly have profound implications in the lives of the individuals it serves.