eInsights - April 2011

Ticket to Work Program Helps the Disabled Community Find Work

In 2010, unemployment soared in the disability community. According to a quarterly study by Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) representation and Medicare plan selection services, unemployment figures in the disability community continued to outpace the rate for other workers. One program that works to help members of the disability community find employment opportunities is the Ticket to Work program offered through the Social Security Administration (SSA). This program may help individuals in our community who are interested in finding work.

Ticket to Work is a voluntary program that can help people access vocational rehabilitation, education, training, and placement services, as well as other services and supports to help them reach their employment goals.

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Background on the program
Created in the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, this program offers individuals (18-64 years of age), who are receiving cash benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) .Eligibility is based on disability or blindness and offers expanded choices for obtaining the services and supports to enter and maintain employment.

The program’s goal
The ultimate goal of Ticket to Work is to assist people receiving Social Security disability benefits in reducing their reliance on disability benefits. The Ticket program, as it is known, also seeks to promote increased self-sufficiency and greater independence for people receiving Social Security disability benefits through work.

How does it work?
Once SSDI and/or SSI eligibility is determined, individuals receive a paper Ticket in the mail accompanied by a letter from SSA explaining the Ticket to Work program. The SSA issues Tickets that can be used to obtain services and supports from approved service providers (called Employment Networks or ENs).

Employment Networks (ENs) are organizations and agencies, including State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies that entered into an agreement with the Social Security Administration to provide employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other types of support services to those eligible.

An individual can contact any EN in their area to see if the services and supports are right for them. The individual and the EN must agree to work together and develop a plan that describes employment goals and outlines the services and supports the EN will provide to help reach that goal.

An individual is free to talk with as many ENs as they choose without having to assign their Ticket. If an individual assigns their Ticket to an EN and later change their mind about working with that EN, they can un-assign the Ticket and take it to another EN.

If you need help in choosing an EN, visit www.yourtickettowork.com or call 866-968-7842 (voice) 866-833-2967 (TTY).

Will SSDI or SSI benefits be lost once an individual begins the program?
An individual will continue to receive benefits until they begin earning wages or self-employment income above the applicable earnings limit for SSI or SSDI program. The Social Security Administration cannot perform a medical "Continuing Disability Review" to determine whether an individual continues to have a disability while participating in the Ticket Program and progressing towards their employment goal; therefore, only an individual's earnings can affect their benefit eligibility.

How much an individual can earn before it will affect the amount of their monthly benefit will vary for each individual. This is due in part to the fact that a person can subtract certain amounts from their gross earnings by taking advantage of SSA Work Incentives. For more information on SSA Work Incentives, check out the SSA Red Book at: www.ssa.gov/redbook.

Information obtained from the Ticket to Work Web site

Related Employment Resources
www.AskEARN.org or 855-ASK-EARN (275-3276)
http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/
http://www.myemploymentoptions.com/