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Assisting people with disabilities overcome barriers to employment and obtain, maintain, or regain gainful employment and advance self-sufficiency.

What is PABSS? 

The Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) program is a free program that helps Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities in their efforts to secure, maintain, and advance employment. PABSS is funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and was created under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act of 1999. 

The purpose of this project is to protect the legal rights of Social Security beneficiaries in their efforts to return to work. 

What can PABSS do? 

• Provide free and confidential legal advocacy that beneficiaries with disabilities may need to remove barriers to employment or self-employment. 
• Provide information and advice to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities, about obtaining vocational rehabilitation and employment services. 
• Provide advocacy or other services to assist a beneficiary with disabilities to address architectural, technology, transportation, and reasonable work accommodation barriers in their efforts to secure, maintain, and advance employment. 
• Provide guidance on the consideration of applicable work incentives, including referrals to the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) programs. 

What can PABSS help with? 

• Disability-related employment discrimination 
• Reasonable accommodations at work 
• Social Security work-related program decisions 
• Social Security work-related overpayments that are a barrier to obtaining, regaining, or maintaining employment 
• Access to healthcare 
• Work-related housing, transportation, and childcare barriers 
• Transition planning in schools for students aged 14 and older that are barriers to employment 
• Post-secondary education issues that are barriers to employment 
• Assistive technology 
• Vocational Rehabilitation assistance 
• Benefits counseling referrals 
• Employment self-advocacy tools 
• Wage and hour issues 
• Disability disclosure concerns 

Are you eligible for PABSS assistance? 

The PABSS program is for people age 14 to retirement age who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disability, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB), and/or Disabled Widow(er) Benefits (DWB), Extended Medicare. 

• Do you receive a Social Security benefit as a disabled individual? 
• Are you working or would like to return to work? 
• Are you worried about how working may impact your benefits? 
• Are you facing barriers at work and need advocacy or legal services? 

Contacting Disability Rights Florida 

On your initial call to us, an intake specialist will ask for some general information about you and a brief summary of your issue. Your information is then submitted for review. 

TOLL FREE: 800-342-0823 

TDD: 800-346-4127 

ONLINE: DisabilityRightsFlorida.org 

Disability Rights Florida was founded in 1977 as the designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system for individuals with disabilities in the State of Florida. The P&A system exists to ensure the safety, well-being, and success of people with disabilities. 

Additional Information

Social Security funded creation of this document under a grant. Although Social Security reviewed this document for accuracy, it does not constitute an official Social Security communication. This communication is printed, published, or produced and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense. 

Disability Rights Florida is a non-profit organization funded by a variety of sources. For a complete list of funders, go to www.DisabilityRightsFlorida.org/funders. The information provided herein does not constitute legal representation or advice. 

Disability Rights Florida 
2473 Care Drive, Suite 200 
Tallahassee, Florida 32308 

800-342-0823 | TTY: 800-346-4127 

www.DisabilityRightsFlorida.org