Several million disabled and blind Americans receive monthly Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Some receive both. Many also have help from Medicare or Medicaid in paying medical bills. The impact of these programs in meeting people’s needs is significant. However, many people with disabilities want to work. To help them, Social Security has a variety of work incentives, including the Ticket to Work Program.
Some of the work incentives include keeping your cash benefits and medical coverage while you transition to the work place. And, if you find that you cannot work, it is easy to start your payments again.
If you are an adult and receive Social Security disability or SSI disability benefits, you qualify for the Ticket to Work program. The information in this booklet will answer questions about the Ticket program. It also tells you where to go if you have other questions and how to get additional help through the Ticket program. If you have questions that are not answered here, you should call the Ticket Call Center, at 1-866-968-7842, toll-free (TTY 1-866-833-2967).
You can use the Ticket program to get the services and support you need to go to work or to earn more money. The goal is to help you earn enough money so that you can become financially independent.
The Ticket to Work program helps you obtain vocational rehabilitation, training, job referrals and other employment support services free of charge.
When you take part in the Ticket program, you can get help finding a job, vocational rehabilitation or other assistance. These services are provided by employment networks, which are private organizations or government agencies that have agreed to work with Social Security to provide employment services and other support to beneficiaries with disabilities and state vocational rehabilitation agencies.
How do I get started?
If you are interested in using the Ticket program to go to work or get vocational services, you should call the Ticket Call Center, at 1-866-968-7842, toll-free (TTY 1-866-833-2967). The Ticket Call Center’s staff can answer most of your questions about the Ticket program and can give you the names, addresses and telephone numbers of employment networks or the state vocational rehabilitation agency in your area. You also can get this information on the Internet at www.chooseworkttw.net by selecting Explore Resources.
What is an employment network?
Employment networks are organizations that can help you find and keep a job. Employment networks also provide other employment support services at no cost to you. The Ticket program gives you the opportunity to choose from a variety of employment networks.
An employment network may be a single organization that provides all of the services you need, or it can be a group of providers. The employment network you choose also may work with others who are not part of the employment network to provide the services you need.
Before you decide to use an employment network, you should carefully choose the one you think can best help you reach your employment goal. You are free to talk with as many employment networks as you want before choosing one. You can see a report card for each employment network at www.chooseworkttw.net by going to Explore Resources and selecting EN Report Card.
See the following sections for help in working with an employment network.
What happens when I contact an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency?
You can call or visit any employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency. You can expect staff members to ask certain questions about your disability, your work history and other subjects. This is necessary so they can decide if they can help you. You should feel free to ask them any questions about how they can help you find and keep the job that is best for you.
Can an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency contact me?
Yes, they may contact you to find out if you are interested in working with them. They will give you detailed information to help you decide if you are interested in employment support to go to work.
How will an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency know that I qualify?
We will keep a record of people who qualify for the program and are not working with employment networks. We will give this information to employment networks and state vocational rehabilitation agencies.
What if I do not want to be contacted?
If you do not want to be contacted, call the Ticket Call Center and ask them to remove your name from the list. Even if you are not on the list, you still can participate in the Ticket program.
Do I have to work with a particular employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency?
No, you and an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency must agree that you can work together. If you cannot agree, you can contact another employment network. Even after you have agreed to work with an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency and signed a plan, you can still change your mind and go to another network or state vocational rehabilitation agency.
What happens if an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency and I agree to work together?
First, the employment network will work with you to develop a plan that is right for you. The plan will state your goals for the type of work you want to do, and may include the amount of money you want to earn. The plan also will state exactly what services the employment network will provide to help you reach your goals. In addition, the plan will explain your rights under the program, including:
- Your right to go to another employment network if you are not satisfied with the services you receive; and
- Information on the availability of services and help in resolving disputes through the state protection and advocacy system. You can find more information about these services in “Where can I get more information or advice?”
If you and your state vocational rehabilitation agency agree to work together, and the state determines you are eligible, the state vocational rehabilitation agency will outline a plan to determine the services it will provide for you.
You or your representative (if you have one) and the employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency will have to sign the plan before you can start receiving services. The employment network or vocational rehabilitation agency should give you a copy of your plan in an accessible format. You can work with this organization to change your plan if your situation changes.
When you sign the plan with an employment network, you have agreed to receive employment support from that network. If you or the employment network decides that you cannot work together, one of you must let Social Security know. You cannot work with another network without signing a new plan with the new employment network.
If you sign a plan with a state vocational rehabilitation agency, you can later receive employment support from an employment network, but you must finish your plan with the state agency first.
Please remember, it is important that you promptly report any earnings to Social Security, as well as when you start or stop working. You also must report your earnings to your employment network.
What if I am unhappy with the employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency?
There are several steps you can take if you are having a problem with your employment network. We require all employment networks to have a process to deal with situations where clients are unhappy with them. If this process is not successful, you can call the Ticket Call Center staff and ask to resolve your problem informally. If they cannot resolve your problem informally, they will report your problem to us.
If you work with a state vocational rehabilitation agency, the state agency must give you a description of the services available through the client assistance program. It also must give you the opportunity to resolve your grievance through mediation or an impartial hearing.
You also can ask the protection and advocacy agency in your state to help you if you are unhappy with an employment network. You can ask your protection and advocacy state agency to help you at any stage of the grievance process.
How does participating in the Ticket program affect medical reviews of my disability?
We ordinarily review your medical condition from time to time to see if you are still disabled. If we find that you are no longer disabled, we may stop your benefits.
If you are participating in the Ticket program and making timely progress pursuing your return to work plan, we will not conduct a review of your medical condition. We will send you more information about these requirements after you finalize and sign a plan with an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency.
Do I have to take part in the program?
No, the Ticket program is voluntary. If you decide that you are not interested, or that you are not able to work, you do not have to take part. If you decide not to take part in the program, it will have no effect on your disability benefits. If you change your mind and decide to take part in the program, contact the Ticket Call Center.
Where can I get more information or advice?
Local State Protection and Advocacy Services can provide information and advice about the Ticket program. You should ask the Ticket Call Center’s staff to help you contact your local State agency if you have a disagreement with your employment network which you are unable to settle.
These state agencies can help you with any complaints you have about an employment network or other provider that is helping you. And they can help you with any problems you have with the employment plan you develop with the employment network.
The agencies also can give you information and advice about vocational rehabilitation and employment services, including helping you select an employment network. Additionally, these agencies can tell you how your work may affect your benefits.
In addition to the Ticket program, Social Security has other special rules called “work incentives” that help serve as a bridge between disability benefits and financial independence. These work incentives include:
- Cash benefits while you work;
- Medicare or Medicaid while you work; and
- Help with any extra work expenses you may have as
a result of your disability.
You can find more information about Social Security and SSI work incentives by contacting us and asking for Working While Disabled—How We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10095).
Our website is a valuable resource for information about all of Social Security’s programs. There are a number of things you can do online.
In addition to using our website, you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. We treat all calls confidentially. We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Generally, you’ll have a shorter wait time if you call during the week after Tuesday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. (You can use our automated response system to tell us a new address or request a replacement Medicare card.) If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.
