Ticket To Work Fact Sheet
Overview
The program is for persons with disabilities who receive Social Security
Disability benefits (SSI or SSDI), who have received a "Ticket" from the
Social Security Administration, and who want to attempt to work again. The
program has been gradually phased in across the US over 2002 and 2003. To
find out more about the program and determine if it's right for you, here's
some information on how it works:
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) contracts with service
providers (otherwise known as Employment Networks, or EN) that offer job
training, vocational rehabilitation, support and other types of
job-related services and help for people with disabilities. These
programs are usually set up to be one-stop centers, so people can get
training, help with finding a job and coaching all within the same
organization. To find out about employment networks near you, call your
local Social Security office or search the program's Employment Network
Directory.
- Medicaid and Medicare offer expanded medical insurance coverage to
people with disabilities who work. Medicare, a federal program, extends
hospital insurance coverage to eight years and six months after a person
starts to work, even if that individual no longer gets Social Security
benefits. Since states provide Medicaid coverage, benefits vary by state.
An employment network in your area can tell you the specific rules
pertaining to where you live.
- Should you go to work for a period of time and then cannot continue,
you can request that benefits be reinstated in an expedited manner as
long as it is within five years of the time your SSI/SSDI benefits
stopped.
- There are protection and advocacy systems in each state to help with
legal advice and services
- The SSA has reinforced the safety net connected with reapplying for benefits, although there may still be some gaps. Employment networks and other informed service providers can help you decide if using the Ticket to Work program is the right next step.
