Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 107 CMR - MASSACHUSETTS REHABILITATION COMMISSION › Title 107 CMR 6.00 - Vocational Rehabilitation Services › Section 6.03 - Participation in Cost of Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) The Federal regulations governing the
			 vocational rehabilitation program give the Commission the option to consider
			 the financial need of individuals with disabilities when determining who should
			 pay for the cost of rehabilitation services except for those individuals who
			 receive SSI or SSDI benefits. The Commission will measure the financial need of
			 individuals other than those individuals who receive SSI or SSDI benefits to
			 determine the extent of their participation in the cost of their services. In
			 this way, the Commission's resources can be targeted to individuals most in
			 need.
(2) An individual's financial
			 participation must be determined before the Commission can fund any service.
			 Financial participation must be determined at least once annually and whenever
			 there is a change in the financial status of the individual, a dependent of the
			 individual, and/or the person(s) claiming the individual as a
			 dependent.
(3) The individual is
			 responsible to inform the Commission of any changes in financial circumstances
			 and provide the appropriate documentation within 30 days of the date of such
			 changes. Failure to do so may result in termination of paid vocational
			 rehabilitation services.
(4)
			 Federal regulation prohibits requiring the financial participation of an
			 individual who is an SSDI/SSI recipient regardless of his or her family's
			 income or assets. However, the individual may be asked under certain
			 circumstances to contribute to the costs of his or her services but this
			 contribution can not be required. Individuals who receive SSDI or SSI benefits
			 must provide documentation, sign and date the Commission's financial
			 participation form. For those individuals who have verified SSDI and/or SSI
			 benefits, their mandated contribution to the cost of their vocational
			 rehabilitation services is zero.
(5) Financial participation is based on cash
			 assets and annual income. Cash assets and annual income include: checking
			 accounts; savings accounts; mutual funds; stocks and bonds; and the annual
			 taxable income of the individual, the individual's spouse, dependents of the
			 individual and the person(s) claiming or allowed to claim the individual as a
			 dependent, such as the individual's parents, stepparents or legal guardians as
			 documented by the most recent Internal Revenue tax forms. Cash assets do not
			 include pension funds or individual retirement accounts.
(6) A dependent is any individual who for
			 federal income tax purposes is claimed or allowed to be claimed as a dependent
			 of another.
(a) When the individual is 18
			 years of age or older and is not claimed or allowed to be claimed as a
			 dependent of another person, financial participation will be based on the
			 individual's income and assets alone.
(b) When the individual is married, financial
			 participation is based on the combined incomes and assets of the individual and
			 the spouse, regardless of age.
(c)
			 When the single individual is under 18 years of age, financial participation is
			 based on the combined incomes and assets of the parent(s) and the
			 individual.
(d) When the parent(s)
			 claim or are allowed to claim a single individual 18 years of age or older as a
			 dependent because the individual has received more than one half of his or her
			 support during the most recent calendar year from the parents; financial
			 participation is based on the combined income and assets of both the individual
			 and the parent(s).