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

About Committees and Caucuses Our District Votes and Legislation Contact Email Me Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Request an Appearance Website Problem Share Your Story Media 2025 in Review 118th Congress in Review In the News Media Kit Newsletters Press Releases Issues Agriculture Armed Services Civil Rights Communications And Technology Congress Economy Education Energy/Environment Health Immigration National Security Repro VA-04 Veterans What Issues Matter To You? Services Art Competition Black History Month Essay Contest Casework Tips! Commendations and Greetings Congressional App Challenge Flags Grant Applicants Help With a Federal Agency Internships Service Academy Nominations Tours and Tickets Youth Advisory Council Veteran of the Year Resources Appropriations Requests Government Shutdown Resources & FAQs Know Your Breastfeeding Rights Know Your Federal Employee Rights Know your Immigration Rights Know Your Reproductive Rights Follow Follow Follow Follow Follow Follow McClellan, Warner, Kaine Press Social Security Administration on Abrupt Defunding of VCU Disability Benefits Support Program November 9, 2026 | Congress , Education , Health , Press Releases Washington D.C. – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) 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