Ticket to Work

Ticket to Work service providers agree to help Social Security disability beneficiaries access employment supports and services. Service providers may offer career planning, benefits counseling, job placement, training or legal advocacy. The five types of service providers are:

1. State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies: VR agencies offer state services, such as intensive training, education, rehabilitation and other job supports for people with disabilities who want to work.
2. Employment Networks (ENs): ENs are public or private groups that sign an agreement with Social Security to provide free job support services to beneficiaries. ENs may offer career planning, job leads and job placement, and ongoing employment support.
3. Workforce ENs: Workforce ENs are part of a state's Public Workforce System. Workforce ENs may provide access to additional employment support services, including training programs and special programs for youth in transition and veterans.
4. Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA): WIPA projects offer free benefits counseling to Social Security disability beneficiaries to help them make informed choices about work. WIPA projects serve beneficiaries who: Are working
   • Have a job offer pending
   • Are actively interviewing for jobs
   • Had an interview in the past 30 days
   • Have a job interview scheduled in the next 2 weeks
   • Are veterans
   • Are ages 14–25, not necessarily actively pursuing work
5. Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS): PABSS organizations provide legal support, advocacy, and information to help beneficiaries resolve disability employment-related concerns. Services include:
   • Navigating organizations and services to support beneficiaries’ efforts to work and protect their rights, such as appealing decisions of a State VR agency or EN
   • Requesting reasonable accommodations in the workplace, college classes, training courses, and licensing programs
   • Assisting with other disability-based legal issues that are barriers to employment, such as transportation

Once the beneficiary and the service provider decide to work together, they will collaboratively develop a work plan to help the beneficiary reach their work goals and, eventually, a financially independent future.

The work plan, also referred to as an Individual Work Plan, Individual Employment Plan, or Individual Plan for Employment, outlines both the beneficiary's specific employment goal and the free services and supports from their Ticket program service provider. The beneficiary and service provider work together until the beneficiary reaches the goal in their work plan.

Many Employment Networks (EN) also offer ongoing support services after the beneficiary gets a job. Ongoing services often help the beneficiary keep their job, advance in the position, or get a more desirable job.

Timely progress is taking the agreed-upon steps toward employment within Social Security's timeframes. Examples of action steps are:

• Receiving the education and training necessary to succeed at work
• Becoming and staying employed
• Reducing dependence on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments
• Achieving earnings high enough to cause benefit payments to cease

A Continuing Disability Review (CDR) is a routine process Social Security uses to make sure a beneficiary's disability still meets Social Security disability benefits rules. Medical CDRs check the beneficiary's medical condition to see whether they still have a disability and confirm that they are still eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to a disability.

If a beneficiary participating in the Ticket program assigned their Ticket to an approved EN or State VR agency and is meeting the Timely Progress Review (TPR) requirements before Social Security scheduled a medical CDR, Social Security will not initiate scheduling a medical CDR.

There is one exception: If the beneficiary has ever failed their TPR and has not made enough progress to re-enter into protections from CDRs, Social Security will schedule a CDR even if they are participating in the Ticket program.

Additionally, if a beneficiary receives a notice that Social Security has scheduled a medical CDR before assigning their Ticket to a service provider, Social Security will continue with their scheduled medical review.

Social Security Work Incentives encourage beneficiaries to attempt work. Work Incentives help beneficiaries stay in control of their finances and healthcare benefits while they re-enter the workforce or go to work for the first time.[2] Some Work Incentives help beneficiaries keep their health care coverage while working and others may also allow their cash payments to continue. Available Work Incentives vary for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries. Social Security's Red Book provides more information on the Work Incentives and keeping Medicare and Medicaid. Ticket to Work service providers also provide help with understanding available Work Incentives.

The Ticket program hosts monthly Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE) webinars[3] to provide Social Security disability beneficiaries with information to help them make decisions about working. Various Ticket program service providers discuss their services and supports on the webinars, as well as the benefits of working and factors to consider when contemplating employment. Some of the webinars address a range of disabilities, while others target specific disability types or age groups. The webinars offer beneficiaries employment resources and access to information 24 hours a day via an online archive.