Career Connection Series: Ready to Choose Work? You May Already Have a Ticket

By Dan O’Brien, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration, March 18, 2011

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What is Ticket to Work?

Social Security’s Ticket to Work is a voluntary program that helps people with disabilities who want to work by providing them with free support services. If you are between the ages of 18 and 64 and are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you already qualify.

While you explore your work options or go back to school, the Ticket Program and special rules, called Work Incentives, help you stay in control of your healthcare and cash benefits. For example, cash benefits don’t stop until you earn a certain amount of money (this is called Substantial Gainful Activity or SGA). The goal is that one day you can be financially independent.

Learn how the Ticket to Work Program and Work Incentives might be right for you:

• I am ready to make money!
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives can help you improve your earning potential.
  
  
• I am in need of personal fulfillment, and working will really boost my self-esteem.
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives can provide the assurance and stability you need to feel confident while you pursue employment.
  
  
• I am discouraged. What if no one wants to hire me?
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives can help you build confidence and a sense of control while you research your work options.
  
  
• I am afraid that I will lose my benefits and I won’t be able to get them back.
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives can give you peace of mind while you prepare for work. As long as you are making progress in the program, you won’t lose your benefits until you are able to earn at the SGA amount.
  
  
• I am afraid I won’t be able to get back on benefits if my job doesn’t work out.
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives can put you on the fast track back to receiving benefits if your job does not work out because of your disability.
  
  
• I am overwhelmed. Who can help me get started and stay with me through the entire process?
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives can connect you with the people, resources and services you need to develop a work plan.

How does the Ticket Program work?

If you receive benefits, you already received a Ticket in the mail. You can select any approved service provider, called an Employment Network (EN), to help you. Once you choose an EN, together you develop an individualized plan that spells out how the EN will help you meet your employment goals. Or you can work with the local State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency. 

What services will I need to help me find a job?

ENs can offer you a variety of free job-related services. You may need to shop around before finding the right one for you, so talk to as many providers as you want before making your decision. You also have the option to change ENs at any time. To find a service provider near you, call the Ticket to Work Call Center toll-free at 866-968-7842 (TDD: 866-833-2967).

What are Work Incentives?

Work Incentives are special rules that make it easier for you to explore work while still receiving healthcare and cash benefits. For example:

• Trial Work Period (TWP) is available if you receive SSDI; it allows you to try work for nine months while continuing to receive your full benefits, no matter how much money you earn through your job.
• Continuation of Medicare Coverage lets you keep your medical insurance for at least eight and a half years after a TWP – even after your cash benefits have stopped.
• Expedited Reinstatement will help you get back on benefits without having to file a new application if you become unable to work because of your disability or a related medical condition.

To learn more about how going to work will affect your benefits, meet with experts in your area at a Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE). Register for a free WISE at http://www.chooseworkttw.net/ (click on the WISE button, located on the right-hand side of the page). A WISE offers you and your family an informal and accessible setting to learn about Ticket to Work and Work Incentives.

Who can help me?

There are several places to get your questions answered.  You can:

1. Visit http://www.chooseworkttw.net/ to get information, view videos and hear stories from other people who have participated in Ticket to Work and used Work Incentives.
2. Call 866-968-7842 (TDD: 866-833-2967) to talk with a call center representative.
3. Register for a free WISE at http://www.chooseworkttw.net/.
4. Make an appointment to meet with a staff member at a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project. WIPA staff are trained to answer questions about how work would affect your benefits, discuss your individual employment goals and help you find the right resources or services. Find your local WIPA or State VR agency by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/work and clicking on the Service Provider Directory, located on the left-hand side of the page.

Dan O’Brien has worked in the supported employment and rehabilitation field for 25 years. He managed a large Employment Program at a mental health center and worked in the VR system – first overseeing Community Rehabilitation and Supported Employment contracts and then as the Oklahoma VR Program Manager for Ticket to Work, as well as all employment and job placement service contracts. Dan has worked for the Social Security Administration since July 2005 and currently serves as the Acting Associate Commissioner for the Office of Employment Support Programs.

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