SSA Ticket to Work Program

Quick Facts

• Core benefit: Free access to Employment Networks (ENs) and state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies that deliver career counseling, training, placement, and ongoing supports while you test work and earnings.
• Why it matters: Participants keep their disability cash benefits and health insurance during a trial work period and enjoy extended protections that minimize overpayments or sudden loss of coverage.
• Ideal candidates: SSDI or SSI beneficiaries who want to return to work, increase hours, or transition to new careers with confidence that their safety-net benefits will not vanish overnight.
• Commitment required: You must make “timely progress” toward self-support goals—completing training milestones, earning specified wages, or reducing reliance on benefits each evaluation period.
• Best first step: Use the Ticket to Work program finder to compare ENs and schedule a benefits planning session before signing any work plan.

Program Overview

Ticket to Work is Social Security’s flagship employment initiative for adults receiving disability benefits. Each eligible beneficiary receives a “ticket” that can be assigned to an EN—a nonprofit, for-profit, or public agency specializing in job services—or to a state VR office. In exchange for helping you achieve self-support, the EN receives outcome payments as you meet wage milestones, so their incentives align with your long-term employment success. Ticket holders retain SSDI/SSI and linked health coverage while trying work, then shift gradually to full wages as benefits taper.

The program blends flexibility with accountability. You choose the EN, craft an Individual Work Plan, and can switch providers if progress stalls. SSA, in turn, suspends the usual medical Continuing Disability Reviews while you make timely progress, which reduces paperwork stress and protects your eligibility during career transitions.

Eligibility and Timely Progress Benchmarks

Most SSDI/SSI beneficiaries aged 18–64 qualify automatically. Timely progress reviews happen annually after the first 12 months of assignment. Depending on where you are in your plan, you might need to:

1. Complete education or training credits (e.g., 60 semester credits toward a degree) or industry credentials.
2. Achieve monthly earnings above Trial Work Level amounts for a set number of months.
3. Reduce reliance on benefits by meeting Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) thresholds or suspending SSI payments due to wages.

Failure to meet benchmarks does not end your ticket, but SSA can reinstate medical reviews, so stay engaged with your EN to adjust goals.

Application and Enrollment Steps

1. Confirm eligibility: Call the Ticket to Work Help Line (1-866-968-7842) or log in to your mySSA account to verify ticket status.
2. Research providers: Use the Find Help tool to compare EN specialties—some focus on remote jobs, others on apprenticeships or specific disabilities.
3. Interview ENs: Ask about waitlists, success metrics, benefits counseling expertise, and employer partnerships. Pick a provider that understands your health condition and local labor market.
4. Sign an Individual Work Plan (IWP): Outline goals, services, timelines, and responsibilities. Ensure the plan includes benefits counseling so you understand how earnings affect SSDI/SSI and Medicare/Medicaid.
5. Document progress: Keep pay stubs, training certificates, and communication logs. Share updates proactively so the EN can report milestones and secure outcome payments.
6. Reassess regularly: If services lag, reassign your ticket to another provider or transition to VR for intensive training and post-employment follow-up.

Strategies to Maximize Success

• Start with benefits planning: A certified benefits counselor can calculate how the Trial Work Period, Extended Period of Eligibility, and SSI income exclusions apply to you, preventing overpayments.
• Leverage work incentives: Use IRWEs (Impairment-Related Work Expenses) and Blind Work Expenses to reduce countable income, extending benefit protections while you ramp up earnings.
• Stack supports: Coordinate with Medicaid Buy-In programs, workforce grants, or Pell-funded training to cover tuition, transportation, or assistive technology.
• Track deadlines: SSA mails annual progress review notices. Respond quickly and provide evidence of hours worked, wages earned, or coursework completed to maintain medical review protection.
• Plan for health coverage transitions: As earnings increase, explore employer plans, COBRA, or Marketplace subsidies to bridge any gaps once Medicare or Medicaid cost-sharing shifts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I participate if I previously tried Ticket to Work? Yes. If you unassigned your ticket, you can reassign it to a new EN when ready.

What if I need accommodations? ENs must help you request reasonable accommodations and can coach you on disclosure strategies and documentation.

How long can I stay in the program? There is no fixed time limit; you and your EN decide when you’ve achieved stable employment or need ongoing supports.

Insider Tips to Win SSA Ticket to Work

• Schedule periodic meetings with your EN even when things are going well—proactive communication ensures timely reporting and continued protections.
• Ask your EN to run mock interviews and negotiate accommodations before job offers are finalized.
• If wages drop temporarily, notify SSA immediately to prevent benefit suspension errors and maintain your Extended Period of Eligibility safety net.
• Build an emergency fund while benefits continue so you can absorb income fluctuations once SSDI/SSI payments phase out.
• Connect with peer mentors through the American Dream Employment Network or local Centers for Independent Living to learn real-world strategies for balancing health and work.