Social Security Ticket To Work

Making Timely Progress After You Assign Your Ticket

Your road to employment through the Ticket Program is a two-way street: You receive free assistance from your service provider to prepare for, find and keep a job, while you work your way towards financial independence. In return, you pledge to Social Security that you will take specific steps determined by the plan you developed with your service provider within specific timeframes set by Social Security to:

• Work at a specified earnings level or,
• Complete certain educational or training requirements.

When you participate in the Ticket Program, you are working with your EN or VR to reduce or eliminate your dependence on SSDI and/or SSI cash benefits.

Taking the agreed-upon steps toward employment within Social Security’s timeframes is called making “timely progress” towards:

• Receiving the education and training you need to succeed at work and your long-term career
• Becoming and staying employed
• Reducing your dependence on SSDI or SSI payments
• Earning your way off cash benefits, if possible

For you, the return for making “timely progress” is that you succeed in achieving a more financially independent life.

Learn On Your Own With Ticket To Work Tutorials

Learn more about the Ticket to Work Program through these self-paced Ticket to Work Tutorials. Whether you are just considering working, ready to find a service provider to help you, are looking for a job, or already working and want to keep on the road to financial independence, these four interactive learning modules will equip you with the knowledge you need to achieve your work goals.

Aden Is An Approved Employment Network Under Social Securitys Ticket To Work Program

The American Dream Employment Network , an administrative EN, is a consortium of service providers and employers working together to create a path for individuals with disabilities, who are currently receiving Social Security disability benefits, and want to return to, or begin working for the first time. ADEN is focused on building a network of Employer Partners who are interested in diversifying their workforce by hiring qualified ADEN participants. ADEN can serve as the preferred resource to federal contractors and employers looking for potential job candidates who will be provided with ongoing employment support.

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Why Is It So Hard To Find Jobs For Disabled Workers

Disability Insurance is providing a much-needed safety net for 9 million Americans, but basic flaws in the program’s structure mean that many never work again.

Its the greatest professional disappointment of my career, Bruce Growick told me recently without a trace of doubt in his voice. The former president of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals was referring to the Ticket to Work program, a 1999 outgrowth of Social Security Disability Insurance that was intended to funnel the nations growing ranks of injured workers back into the workforce. In the 90s, Growick testified before the committees that would draft Ticket to Work and met with lawmakers to help shape it. Years before he became skeptical of its effectiveness, he was optimistic about what it might do for disabled individuals.

Having a job is so much better than being paid to stay at home, he says. In his testimony, Growick said, The role of government should be to assist and encourage persons with disabilities towards employment.

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Growick was there when Ticket to Work was signed in 1999 one bright December morning in front of the FDR memorial in Washingtona location chosen because its honoree represents the triumphs people with disabilities can achieve.

Percentage of Adults Aged 25-64 Receiving SSDI

They might say, ‘They havent worked in the past few years, so whats going on?’ Maestas said.

Why Participate In The Ticket To Work Program

Individuals who participate in Vocational Rehabilitation and enroll in Ticket to Work receive a suspension from Social Security disability reviews while they are actively involved with Vocational Rehabilitation. This means that the Social Security Administration cannot initiate a continuing disability review to determine whether your medical condition has improved.

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Where Do I Start

If you decide to participate, getting started is easy! First, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 to verify your eligibility. Our customer service representatives will explain how the program works and answer your questions or address concerns you might have. They will also offer to send you a list of service providers, or if you prefer, you can use the Find Help tool to get a customized list of providers that are available to help you.

If you decide to participate, getting started is easy! First, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at or to verify your eligibility. Our customer service representatives will explain how the program works and answer your questions or address concerns you might have. They will also offer to send you a list of service providers, or if you prefer, you can use the Find Help tool to get a customized list of providers that are available to help you.

You can learn more about how to choose a service provider that’s right for you at Your Path to Work: Ready to Work.

If you’re looking for more information about working, earning more money and how working may affect your benefits, the in-depth counseling that a WIPA project provides may be a great place to start.

if you face any disability-related employment concerns along the way, a PABSS advocate can provide the legal support you need to help remove barriers and reinforce the protections provided to you.

Ssi And The Pass Program

If you get SSI benefits, then you can take part in a Plan for Achieving Self-Support . This is a plan to go back to work that you develop with the help of the SSA. While you are working under the PASS program, any money you earn is not counted toward the SSI income limits. Therefore, those earnings will not reduce your SSI benefits.

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Ticket To Work Program Definition

Monique M. Johnson is an experienced personal finance and healthcare researcher and writer based in Boston. Her work has been featured in Real Simple, Patch.com, and Today.com. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists as well as Journalism and Women Symposium . She is an executive assistant in the pharmaceutical industry.

Due to the pandemic and the Great Resignation, more people are working from home, providing people with disabilities more opportunities to stay in the workforce. In fact, employment opportunities for working individuals increased significantly during the pandemic. The number of employed workers with disabilities increased, from 35.1% in 2021 to 38% as of September 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor .

Laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act ensure that disabled employees have more access and equal opportunities. The Ticket to Work program supports and encourages disabled workers on the journey to financial independence and self-sufficiency without causing them to lose critical healthcare and other benefits before they’re firmly established in a work environment that can provide benefits. Learn more about this program, how it works, and when it got started.

What Is The Ticket To Work Program

Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program supports career development for Social Security disability beneficiaries ages 18 through 64 who want to work. The Ticket Program is free and voluntary. The Ticket Program helps people with disabilities progress toward financial independence.

The Ticket Program is a good fit for people who want to improve their earning potential and are committed to preparing for long-term success in the workforce. This program offers beneficiaries with disabilities access to meaningful employment with the assistance of Ticket to Work employment service providers called Employment Networks. If you are ready to go to work, there are people ready and waiting to help you!

The career development services and support you need are unique to you. The Ticket Program can connect you with the right mix of free employment support services and approved service providers that best fit your needs.

The Ticket Program and other Work Incentives allow you to keep your benefits while you explore employment, receive vocational rehabilitation services and gain work experience. Your cash benefits and Medicaid or Medicare often continue throughout your transition to work, and there are protections in place to help you return to benefits, if you are unable to continue working due to your disability.

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Ticket To Work And Work Incentive Improvement

The Ticket to Work Program is for individuals between the ages of 18-64 who are actively receiving a Social Security disability benefit: Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income . The Ticket to Work program makes it possible for individuals to test their ability to work without losing their benefits.

What Is The Goal Of The Ticket To Work Program

The ultimate goal of the program is to assist people receiving Social Security disability benefits in reducing their reliance on disability benefits. The program also seeks to promote increased self-sufficiency and greater independence for people receiving Social Security disability benefits through work.

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What We Do To Help You Win Ssdi And Ssi Benefits

You do not need to try to figure out your benefits by yourself. Cannon Disability can help you file your disability application. Also, we can help you appeal every SSA denial. For example, our attorneys and staff can:

• Send you the paperwork you need to become our client
• Help you file your application for SSD and SSI benefits
• Inform the SSA that they should automatically pay your benefits under the Compassionate Allowance Rules
• Request reconsideration if you receive an initial denial from Disability Determination Services
• Help you confirm your attendance at a Consultative Examination
• Request review of an unfavorable decision with the Appeals Council
• Request review of an Appeals Council denial in Federal Court

If you file your application for benefits online at Social Securitys website, then you have 6 months to complete the application. Once you submit your application online, the SSA sends you an application summary in the mail. You must sign the summary and mail it back. If you dont send it back, the SSA will not process your application.

How To Get Started

If you decide to participate, getting started is easy! First, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 / 1-866-833-2967 to verify your eligibility. Our customer service representatives will explain to you how the program works and answer any questions or address any concerns you might have. They will also offer to mail you a list of service providers, or if you prefer, you can use the Find Help tool to get a customized list of providers that are available to help you.

If you decide to participate, getting started is easy! First, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at or to verify your eligibility. Our customer service representatives will explain to you how the program works and answer any questions or address any concerns you might have. They will also offer to mail you a list of service providers, or if you prefer, you can use the Find Help tool to get a customized list of providers that are available to help you.

The next step is deciding what service provider is right for you. You may work with either an Employment Network or your state Vocational Rehabilitation agency, depending on your needs. The “Finding an EN and Assigning Your Ticket Worksheet” can help you keep track of the ENs you are interested in and provides important questions for you to ask. You may also receive services from your VR agency and then receive ongoing services from an Employment Network.

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Community Partners / Employment Networks

Vocational Rehabilitation has partnership arrangements with Employment Networks in order to facilitate seamless services for ongoing support once an individual transitions out of Vocational Rehabilitation. The goal is to help maintain the successful job placement and hopefully increase earnings over time. Employment Networks help our clients with:

• Access to work incentive planning
• Facilitation of wage reporting to the Social Security Administration
• Career planning
• Information and referral

Your Ssdi Benefits Will Convert To Retirement Benefits

You need to understand that your Social Security Disability benefits do convert to Social Security Retirement benefits once you reach your full retirement age. However, your monthly benefit will not change. You will continue to receive a monthly check. Also, you do not need to do anything in order to receive your benefits. The SSA will simply change your SSDI benefit into a retirement benefit once you reach full retirement age. When you reach that age, however, can vary depending on the year in which you were born.

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How To Keep Your Ssdi Benefits

If you are disabled and not working until you reach the age of 65, then you will be able to keep your Social Security Disability benefits until you reach retirement age. You do not need to take out early retirement benefits to have an income. When you reach full retirement age, your SSDI payments will change into Social Security Retirement payments. It is important, however, to understand that you need to take steps to ensure you are able to keep your SSDI benefits in effect for the duration of that period.

First, you need to continue to document your medical condition. This means keep seeing your doctor. A statement from your doctor about your health and your medical records are the evidence that the SSA will use to do a Continuing Disability Review. If you refuse to respond to a review, you may lose your SSDI benefits. Make sure you respond to SSAs notices and send them your medical records.

Additionally, if the SSA decides to send you to a Consultative Examination, make sure that you attend the appointment. Learn more information about your Consultative Exam here.

What You Need To Know About The Trial Work Period

The trial work period is one of the work incentives provided to SSDI recipients who participate in the Ticket to Work program. The trial work period allows a program participant to return to work without an immediate loss of their disability benefitsregardless of how

much they earned during the period. You might already know that earning more than $1,350 per month will typically put an end to your disability benefits. However, there is no limit during your trial work period.

This period of time lets you test your ability to return to work without worrying that your benefits will be stopped. The trial work period lasts for a period of nine months, although the months do not have to be consecutive. Whether or not a particular month counts as a trial month depends on how much you earn during the month or how many hours you work. If you earn more than $970 during a month or work more than 80 hours during a month of self-employment, it will be considered a trial month. After you have exhausted all nine months of your trial work period, you will enter the extended period of eligibility. During this period, it is much easier to have your benefits reinstated if you must stop working due to your disability.

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What Are The Benefits Of Participating In The Ticket To Work Program

• You can receive services and supports to help you get and keep a job. Such services might include, but are not limited to:
• Help finding a job,
• Benefits planning,
• Assistance with transportation expenses.
• You can continue receiving your disability benefits until your earning exceed the amount that Social Security considers to be substantial. How much you can earn before it will affect your monthly disability check depends on whether you are receiving SSI or SSDI.
• Social Security will not conduct a medical Continuing Disability Review while you are using your Ticket and progressing towards greater self-sufficiency. Social Security conducts periodic medical reviews to determine your continued eligibility for disability benefits.

Ssdi Benefits And The Trial Work Period

If youre getting SSDI benefits, then the SSA allows a nine month trail work period. You can make as much money as you want for nine months and your SSDI benefit will not end. However, those 9 months occur within a 5 year period. This means that your 9 months do not need to occur in a row to count.

After youve worked for nine months in a 5 year period, the SSA will look at the amount of your earnings in your tenth month of working. If the work you are doing earns you more money than the SGA amount, then you wont receive benefits for that month. Learn more about the trial work period here.

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What If Im Not Comfortable Giving You My Social Security Information

We completely understand your concern. Please call the SSA Ticket to Work helpline at 1-866-968-7842, where you will reach the Social Security program manager for the TTW program. You will find we are an approved Employment Network. Our DUNS Number, 139944404, will verify that we have a contract with the Social Security Administration. We are only listed in SSAs directory of ENs for some states we choose not to be listed in all states as it would overwhelm our ability to provide you with the best service. We will be listed lower down the ENs in your state are listed at the top, followed by those serving multiple states.