Ticket To Work
The Ticket to Work Program is a federal program that helps Social Security beneficiaries with a disability reach their employment goals. Designed forbeneficiaries aged 18 – 64 who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Ticket to Work offers a variety
of services to help you get a job. These services can include:
-Vocational rehabilitation
-Training
-Referrals
-Job coaching
-Job counseling
-Placement services
The services offered through the Ticket to Work Program help you to find and apply for jobs that already exist in the marketplace—it is not
linked to special jobs for Social Security beneficiaries.
The Ticket to Work Program is completely voluntary; there is no penalty if you decide not to participate.
It is important to know that Social Security will suspend medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) while you are using your Ticket.
Under normal circumstances, if Social Security does a medical CDR and decides that you are no longer disabled, you lose all your Social
Security benefits. However, if you are using your Ticket, Social Security won’t do a medical CDR.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) made major improvements to the Ticket to Work Program in 2008. Most adult SSI and SSDI beneficiaries
can now use the program. The program rules now give beneficiaries more choices in the organizations that can assist them with their employment goals.
Part of the adult definition of disability used by Social Security is that you be unable to work. Many disabled persons worry that if they try to get
a job, Social Security will decide they are able to work and will take away their benefits. One of the biggest advantages of the Ticket to Work Program
is that as long as you are in it, Social Security will not decide you aren’t disabled.
That’s because Social Security won’t make you do a medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) while you’re participating in the Ticket to Work Program.
If you are doing the Ticket to Work Program, Social Security will stop your medical disability reviews for as long as you are working towards your employment
goal. You can even get a job and start earning money and they still won’t review your disability status.
If you are temporarily unable to work toward the employment goals in your Ticket to Work Individual Work Plan because of health difficulties, or if you have an
approved IPE with the Rehabilitation Services Administration, you can contact the Ticket to Work Program and ask them to put your Ticket on hold by placing
it in inactive status.
When you are able to resume working or attending school, contact the Ticket to Work Program to reactivate your Ticket (switch it back to in-use status).
While your Ticket is in inactive status, you do not have to meet the timely progress requirements. Also, any months in which your Ticket is in inactive status
do not count toward the 12-month period for assessing your timely progress. When you reactivate your Ticket, you can start again where you left off in the
12-month period without penalty. In other words, you will not lose credit for previous work you did to accomplish your work goals.
The Ticket to Work Program is for people who have already been awarded Social Security disability benefits under the adult rules and are getting cash benefits.
Under the 2008 Ticket to Work Program rules, all adult beneficiaries aged 18 – 64 who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) cash benefits are eligible for the Ticket to Work Program. You can participate in the Ticket to Work Program immediately, if you meet these
qualifications. To check if you are eligible for the Ticket to Work Program, contact the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TDD).