Warner, Kaine, McClellan Press Social Security Administration on Abrupt Defunding of VCU Disability Benefits Support Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) raised concerns about the Social Security Administration's (SSA) abrupt decision to halt funding for the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program's National Training and Data Center (NTDC) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), threatening critical services that help Americans with disabilities navigate Social Security benefits while seeking employment.

The NTDC provides training, certification, and technical assistance to more than 900 benefits counselors serving individuals with disabilities across the country. On October 2, 2026, SSA abruptly declined to fund VCU's contract for another year and ordered the university to immediately halt work, disrupting essential training and support services for 74 WIPA projects nationwide.

In a letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, the lawmakers demanded an explanation for the decision and pressed the agency to clarify how it intends to restore these critical services and fulfill its statutory obligations.

The lawmakers wrote, "We write to inquire about the Social Security Administration's (SSA) decision to defund the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program's (WIPA) National Training and Data Center (NTDC). We are aware that on Friday, October 2, 2026, the SSA exercised its option not to extend its contract with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to administer the NTDC and ordered VCU to immediately halt all work providing Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs) nationwide with training, certification, technical assistance, and other resource support."

The WIPA program helps individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to severe, long-term medical conditions understand how employment may affect their benefits. Benefits counselors provide free, individualized guidance to help Americans with disabilities pursue employment opportunities without inadvertently jeopardizing the benefits they rely on.

The lawmakers continued, "CWICs at WIPA projects help bridge the information gap for beneficiaries by looking at their individual circumstances and advising them on how to maintain their benefits while working. To ensure the efficacy of the WIPA programs, the law also required SSA to establish a corps of work incentives specialists and provide training and technical assistance for those specialists. CWICs provide information and resources to help beneficiaries make informed decisions on returning to work."

Despite Congress appropriating $23 million for the WIPA program in Fiscal Year 2026, SSA's decision has left benefits counselors nationwide without access to necessary training resources, certification services, performance data, and institutional knowledge. These resources are critical to training new counselors and ensuring that both new and existing counselors provide accurate, reliable guidance to Americans with disabilities. The sudden loss of these services raises serious concerns about SSA's ability to meet its statutory obligations and ensure that beneficiaries continue receiving the support they need.

The lawmakers pressed SSA to explain the rationale and timing of its decision, identify what training and certification resources remain available to benefits counselors, address disruptions to required performance reporting, and clarify whether the agency intends to restore these services through VCU, bring them in-house, or award a new contract.

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Commissioner Bisignano,

We write to inquire about the Social Security Administration's (SSA) decision to defund the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program's (WIPA) National Training and Data Center (NTDC). We are aware that on Friday, October 2, 2026, the SSA exercised its option not to extend its contract with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to administer the NTDC and ordered VCU to immediately halt all work providing Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs) nationwide with training, certification, technical assistance, and other resource support.

Disabled beneficiaries who qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits are among the most vulnerable populations who suffer from severe, long-term medical conditions. To maintain compliance, beneficiaries must navigate a series of strict and complex requirements set out by the Social Security Act, including on earned income. For beneficiaries who need to earn extra income to support themselves or their families, incorrectly interpreting the rules can lead to a termination of benefits.

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 directed the Commissioner of Social Security to establish a program to provide information about work and benefits to people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because of a disability. Using that authority, SSA established 74 WIPA projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. WIPA projects and community organizations employ over 900 benefits counselors who provide free in-depth counseling to disabled beneficiaries on the effect of work on their SSDI or SSI benefits.

CWICs at WIPA projects help bridge the information gap for beneficiaries by looking at their individual circumstances and advising them on how to maintain their benefits while working. To ensure the efficacy of the WIPA programs, the law also required SSA to establish a corps of work incentives specialists and provide training and technical assistance for those specialists. CWICs provide information and resources to help beneficiaries make informed decisions on returning to work.

In Fiscal Year 2026 Congress appropriated $23 million to operate the WIPA program, 0.1 percent of SSA's annual administrative budget. However, despite clear Congressional intent in support of the WIPA program, SSA has decided to unilaterally disband a vital component of the program. Without the NTDC, WIPA projects nationwide have lost access to valuable training resources and performance data to train new CWICs and ensure both new and existing Coordinators provide accurate and relevant information to beneficiaries. WIPA projects are also losing access to an invaluable source of institutional knowledge.

After this abrupt decision, it is unclear how SSA intends to comply with the statutory requirements of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 and Congressional intent set out in the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

We request answers to the following questions by November 16, 2026:

1. Why was the decision made to defund NTDC? Please provide a full account of the facts that informed the decision to defund NTDC.
2. When was the final decision made to defund NTDC? When were NTDC staff and VCU staff informed of the decision?
3. What training resources, if any, do WIPA projects have access to following the closure of the NTDC?
4. WIPA projects are required to submit its quarterly performance data at the end of this month. The performance data WIPA projects submit to maintain grantee status was collected and tracked through the WIPA STAR system. Given the sudden cancellation of the WIPA STAR system, will the reporting deadline be extended?
5. To obtain/maintain certification, CWICs were required to receive training through VCU. How will CWICs now receive certification training? Will SSA waive certification requirements if CWICs are unable to access the training?
6. Will SSA bring the training and technical assistance previously performed by VCU in-house? If not, does SSA plan on issuing a recompete of the contract?

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