Looking at the Ceiling and an Uncertain Future: Armida Stokes’ Story

Published in 2013

Armida Stokes lay flat on her back beside a spilled pot of soup on the floor of the restaurant kitchen where she was Head Cook. She went down so quickly, that she didn’t remember slipping as she attempted to keep the heavy pot from tipping over. It was the second time the 35-year- old mother of four had injured her back. While staring at the ceiling, she said a silent prayer that she would be able to get up and walk away. But it was soon clear that Armida’s injuries would prevent her from walking out of the restaurant the same way she had walked in that morning. After the fall, Armida needed help to get up and move around. That awful day in the winter of 1991 marked the beginning of a long quest to regain her mobility, and manage the pain that stayed with her.

A Full Plate

“I couldn’t lift more than ten pounds, bend, stretch or sit for long periods of time.”

Armida consulted multiple doctors, went through extensive physical therapy and attempted to continue to work while managing her back pain. To help make ends meet, she also ran a day care service in her home. But the pain persisted. Heeding the advice of doctors, Armida was eventually forced to give up both jobs. “I couldn’t lift more than ten pounds, bend, stretch or sit for long periods of time,” she recalls.

In 1994, Armida began receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) while she continued treatment. The road to improved health would require years of physical therapy, medical care and rehabilitation. When she had to stop working, there was a sense of loss. Armida felt isolated as she struggled to raise her children. Then she faced another challenge. “My daughter became pregnant at 17 [and was unable to care for the baby],” she recalls. “I took my granddaughter in and raised her myself....” Armida had a full plate, but she found moral support from friends at church, her sister and her mother.

“Mom gave me a strong sense of faith,” she says. “Being part of my church offered the moral and spiritual support I needed, and I drew strength from my mother. She emigrated from Mexico and was a single parent, too... working hard to support six children in a country that was foreign to her. She taught us that you don’t give up during hard times. You keep on going and you believe in God... and that’s what I’ve done.”

Leap of Faith

“I knew I had to earn more income than I was getting because of my grandchild’s needs, but I was afraid of losing the benefits we relied on.”

A ray of light broke through this dark period the following year, when Armida got married. Life with her husband and “grandbaby” restored the cheerful chaos she had known many years earlier. It was a welcome adjustment, but the family struggled to pay bills. Armida knew she could not support her family while relying on SSDI, and decided to try going back to work... gingerly. She found employment as a cashier. The job did not require heavy lifting or sitting for long periods of time. While working part-time brought in very little money (below the level of earnings that Social Security considers to be “Substantial Gainful Activity” or SGA), it felt good to be out of the house and interacting with other people. Armida realized the important role that employment would have in restoring her confidence and providing social fulfillment.

But she also wondered whether she would be able to make the leap to permanent, full-time employment. Armida was uncertain about whether she could maintain a 40-hour work week that would allow her to regain the independence she enjoyed before having to rely on SSDI. She was concerned that her back and shoulder injuries could interfere with long-term career development, and did not want to jeopardize her Social Security disability benefits or Medicare coverage. While these benefits were not enough to live on, they were reliable, and Armida was not certain that her disability would allow her to maintain a full-time work load. She describes feeling stuck. “I knew I had to earn more income than I was getting because of my grandchild’s needs, but I was afraid of losing the benefits we relied on,” she says.

When Armida’s husband passed away in 2003, she decided to consult a qualified professional who could help her understand the impact that full-time employment would have on her disability benefits.

Work Incentives

Armida found help when she received information in the mail from Social Security about rules called Work Incentives. Work Incentives make it easier for recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to transition into the workforce. The letter also contained basic information about Social Security’s Ticket to Work program. Armida’s information packet included a paper “Ticket,” but Social Security no longer sends paper Tickets in the mail. You do not need a Ticket to be eligible for Ticket to Work and Work Incentives.

Armida wanted to learn more about the Ticket program and Work Incentives. She called the number provided for the Ticket to Work Help Line. The Help Line representative referred Armida to an approved service provider known as an “Employment Network” (EN). ENs across the country offer a range of support services that help Social Security disability beneficiaries prepare for, find, and maintain employment. Armida’s EN, The White River Agency on Aging, began by providing her with benefits counseling services. Benefits counselors are trained professionals who can help people learn about their Social Security benefits and the rules that affect them. A benefits counselor at White River explained to Armida how Work Incentives make it easier for adults with disabilities to work and receive benefits from Social Security during their transition into the workforce. While working, recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can keep their Medicare coverage (for more than seven years) or Medicaid coverage (when earnings fall below the “threshold amount” identified in each state). SSDI recipients like Armida can test their ability to work during a 9-month “Trial Work Period” (TWP), while receiving cash benefits. These beneficiaries receive all of their earnings from work, plus full SSDI benefits during the TWP. After the TWP ends, a 36-month “Extended Period of Eligibility” (EPE) begins. During the EPE, most people with a disabling impairment get cash benefits for months in which they earn less than $1,040 (Social Security’s definition of “Substantial Gainful Activity” amount in 2013). Armida was relieved when she learned that Social Security may be able to re-start her benefits again without a new application, if she has to stop work because of her disability within 5 years. This Work Incentive, called “Expedited Reinstatement” (EXR), was one of the most important to Armida, who was pulled between a strong desire to work and concern about what would happen if her disability interfered again and she had to stop working.

“What most compelled me to take that leap of faith was learning I could keep my Medicare,” she explains. “Expedited Reinstatement also helped me make the decision [to try working full-time]. If for reasons related to my disabilities I was no longer able to do the job, I could go back on disability benefits! This rule made the difference for me.”

Company on a Long Journey

Armida asked her counselor at White River to explain Social Security’s Ticket to Work program. There was some basic information about it in a letter she received from Social Security, but she wanted to learn more and determine whether it would be right for her. The benefits counselor told Armida that Ticket to Work offers free employment support services to adults (age 18 through 64) who receive Social Security disability benefits. State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and ENs deliver these services through the program. Armida decided to participate, and worked with the White River Agency on an Individual Work Plan (IWP) that would help her meet her employment goals.

“The staff [at my EN] was wonderful. They answered all my questions about benefits and work, provided career counseling, advocated for me, and helped me communicate with Social Security,” she says. “I felt really supported.”

It became clear to Armida that she would not have to face her future alone. Her EN is there when she has questions or needs help. She says it is like having company on a long trip.

Armida is bilingual. With this skill, support through the Ticket program and experience in customer service, she was well-equipped for the job she landed in 2010.

“I work as the Spanish Customer Relations Representative for a vitamin supplement company. I’m fluent in Spanish and I think this was a big plus in getting hired. I’m on the phone [all] day. We do business throughout the U.S,. New Zealand, all over Europe, in Japan, and soon in Mexico. It’s a great company and I love my job. I get to talk to different people from around the world every day. The [Spanish-speaking population in this] market is growing fast and it means a lot of promise for my job. Being able to keep this job, get up and get ready for work each morning has been uplifting and encouraging to me. It has raised my self-esteem back to where it was a long time ago.”

When Armida realized what she is capable of achieving, she took on a volunteer position that has exceeded her expectations in the fulfillment it brings. “I’m a tutor – a member of the AmeriCorps Ozark Foothills Literacy Project,” she explains. “I tutor Spanish-speaking people [who are] here in the U.S., trying to better themselves. They are eager to learn English to communicate with coworkers, their children’s teachers and doctors ... I love it very much. It has been rewarding to help people [improve their circumstances]. There is no better way to use my second language than that,” she says. “I had chances and got help from people ... and I know the importance of being given a fair shot.”

A Level Playing Field

Armida expresses gratitude for the way employment has improved her circumstances. Increased earnings from full-time work have replaced her SSDI payments, and she feels she is on a good trajectory.

“Now I’m able to care for my granddaughter and provide the things she needs... The paycheck has helped me have more choices... more than I had living off of a fixed income. We do a lot of things we couldn’t do before... and [I feel] more stable,” she says.

“I would definitely encourage people who feel they are ready for work that it is ok [to try]... With help from White River [and Work Incentives], I was able to keep my Medicare coverage. I felt supported, and it made a difference to know that I wouldn’t lose my disability benefits [during this important transition] to full-time work. Before, I didn’t know whether I could go back [to the workforce]. But Ticket to Work helped level the playing field for me!”

With the right support, Armida found her path to a better future. Find yours! To learn more, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 866-833-2967 (TTY).