Ticket to Work

The United States Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is the centerpiece of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. This voluntary program is designed to help people who are receiving disability benefits from Social Security 'find good jobs, good careers, and better self-supporting futures.' To be eligible for the program people must be ages 18 through 64 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments under Title XVI of the Social Security Act. The Ticket program provides these beneficiaries more choices for receiving employment and other support services they need to reach their work goal.Conduct Outreach to BeneficiariesTicket Assignment Administration and SupportFacilitate Beneficiary Access to ENsEN Payment Administration and SupportEnsure Timely and Accurate CommunicationTicket Program Continuity and Operations for Beneficiaries, ENs, VRsConduct a National Survey to Measure Beneficiaries' Satisfaction with the Ticket to Work ProgramRecruiting service providers to become ENs The United States Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is the centerpiece of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. This voluntary program is designed to help people who are receiving disability benefits from Social Security 'find good jobs, good careers, and better self-supporting futures.' To be eligible for the program people must be ages 18 through 64 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments under Title XVI of the Social Security Act. The Ticket program provides these beneficiaries more choices for receiving employment and other support services they need to reach their work goal. Participants in this program may assign their Ticket to an Employment Network (EN) or receive services from the public Vocational Rehabilitation Agency in the State, in which they reside. Whichever provider they choose, beneficiaries will receive career counseling, job placement, and ongoing employment support services. Other services, such as transportation and workplace accommodation assistance may be available depending on the offerings of individual providers and the needs of beneficiaries. An EN works with each beneficiary to identify employment goals and write an Individual Work Plan (IWP) that both the beneficiary and EN agree upon. The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (the Act) sought to provide SSDI and SSI beneficiaries a range of new or improved work incentives and employment-related services to support their movement to financial independence through work. The Act's improved work incentives, including for example, the new Expedited Reinstatement provisions and improvements to the extended Medicare and Medicaid buy-in provisions, created a more secure financial and healthcare framework that encouraged more beneficiaries to work.