Ticket to Work (SSA)

About This Program

Ticket to Work is SSA's primary employment support program for people receiving Social Security disability benefits who want to return to work. The program provides a "ticket" — an authorization that can be assigned to an approved Employment Network (EN) or state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency. These providers offer career counseling, job placement assistance, vocational training, and ongoing employment support services, all at no cost to the beneficiary. The most important feature of Ticket to Work is benefits protection. During the program, SSA will not conduct Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) — the periodic reviews that can result in loss of benefits — as long as the beneficiary is making timely progress toward their employment goal. This protection removes one of the biggest fears people with disabilities have about working: that trying to work and failing will result in losing benefits before they have found stable employment. The trial work period allows SSDI beneficiaries to test their ability to work for up to nine months without affecting their benefits, regardless of earnings. After the trial work period, an extended period of eligibility provides additional time. If work attempts are unsuccessful due to the disability, benefits can be reinstated without a new application through Expedited Reinstatement. Ticket to Work is voluntary. To participate, call 1-866-968-7842 or visit choosework.ssa.gov. Beneficiaries ages 18 through 64 who receive SSDI or SSI are eligible. Employment Networks include a wide variety of providers — reviewing their specialty areas and geographic coverage is important in choosing the right one.

Eligibility Requirements

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