In 2008, the Social Security Administration made major improvements to the Ticket to Work program. The new Ticket to Work rules have been in effect since July 21, 2008. In addition to the information on this page, you can find more information on the new Ticket to Work program at The Work Site on Social Security’s website.

The Ticket to Work program provides services to help Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities become employed. These services can include vocational rehabilitation, job training, job coaching, counseling, placement and referrals. For example, you might get help from a job counselor with finding jobs to apply for, advice on improving your resume, or instruction on how to successfully interview for a job. The Ticket to Work program can also help pay for training, education, and assistive technology (specialized equipment or computer devices that can help you work on a job).

In addition to providing employment services, a primary benefit of the Ticket to Work program is that Social Security will suspend medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) while you are enrolled, as long as you are making enough progress towards your employment goals.

Important: The New Ticket to Work program is not linked to specific jobs and does not guarantee that you will find a job. This program provides services to help you become employed.

Eligibility for the Program

Under the New Ticket to Work Program regulations, all adult beneficiaries aged 18 to 64 who receive SSI or SSDI cash benefits are eligible for the Ticket to Work program. You can participate in the Ticket to Work program immediately if you meet these qualifications—you don’t have to wait to receive an actual paper Ticket in the mail from Social Security.

To check if you are eligible for the Ticket to Work program, contact Maximus, the Ticket to Work Program administrator at 866-968-7842 (TDD: 866-833-2967).

How the Program works

By using the Ticket to Work program, you can access employment services provided by Ticket service providers called Employment Networks or by the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). ENs can be employment agencies, employers, schools, or other types of organizations. DOR is a California state agency that helps individuals with disabilities to become employed.

ENs can be employment agencies, employers, schools, or other types of organizations. DOR is a California state agency that helps individuals with disabilities to become employed.

If you want to work with an EN instead of DOR, you can work with any EN that you choose so long as they agree to work with you. You can change your EN at any time if you are not satisfied with the services they provide. It is also possible to receive services first from DOR, and then switch to an EN to provide support once you start working.

You and your EN will determine which services you need to reach your employment goals. Your EN will use these decisions to create an Individual Work Plan (IWP) for you. If you work with DOR, this document will be called an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The two types of plans are very similar documents and serve the same purpose – they map out the steps you’ll need to take to become employed.

As long as you are following your plan and meeting the deadlines in it (making "timely progress") Social Security will not subject you to a medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR).

This is a very important benefit of the Ticket to Work program because if Social Security conducts a CDR and determines that you are no longer disabled, you will lose your Social Security benefits. As long as your Ticket is active (that is, "in use"), you are exempt from these reviews.

Employment Networks (EN’s)

Who They Are

A variety of organizations can serve as Employment Networks, including:

• Employers
• Employment Agencies
• Chambers of Commerce
• Non-profit Organizations
• One-Stop Career Centers
• Schools and Other Educational Institutions
• Staffing and Placement Agencies
• Development Disabilities Agencies
• Mental Health Agencies
• Independent Living Centers

Choosing the EN that Is Right for You

Services vary from EN to EN. Be sure to contact the ENs in your area and the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) for a description of the services they provide. For a listing of the ENs in your area contact MAXIMUS or search on their webpage. A benefits planner may also be able to recommend ENs near you.

Ask the Employment Networks about languages spoken and the types of disabilities they have experience working with. Some ENs may be strong in certain areas (for example, job skill training) but not as strong in others (for example, job referrals or job placement). Some ENs may assign you a counselor or caseworker; others may not. If you are having trouble deciding which EN to work with, contact MAXIMUS, Protection and Advocacy, or a benefits planner.

You are free to talk with as many ENs as you like, and you don’t have to work with an EN simply because you have talked with them. And if you start working with an EN and are not satisfied with their services, you can change ENs. Another alternative: You can work with the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) instead.

Work Plans

The Roadmap to Employment

You and your EN will work together to develop an Individual Work Plan (IWP). Your IWP should contain the following information:

• Your employment goals (the type of work you want to do)
• All services your EN will provide and how they will be delivered to you
• What you can do if you are not satisfied with your EN or your plan
• How you can change your plan if you need to
• When your plan begins and ends

If you choose to work with DOR, you will have an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) instead of an IWP. Both serve the same purpose – they outline your employment goals and provide a plan of action for reaching these goals.

Timely Progress

You Must Stay On Track and On Time

If you participate in the Ticket program, you must make “timely progress” towards reaching your employment goals—that is, you must follow your work plan and meet deadlines specified by the program. As long as you follow your work plan, you will not be subject to a medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) by Social Security. The New Ticket to Work regulations changed the requirements for timely progress in 2008. If you were using your Ticket prior to July 21, 2008, contact Maximus at 866-968-7842 (TDD: 866-833-296) for information on the requirements that apply to you.

The Ticket program defines “timely progress” as either working and earning a certain amount for a certain number of months in a year, or completing education or training goals. For each 12-month period after you begin to use your Ticket there are different goals you must meet to show you are meeting timely progress requirements. For example, during your first 12 months in the Ticket to Work program, you must earn a minimum of $700 in at least three months out of the 12 months to make timely progress. There are two other ways to meet this requirement. One, you can also meet the first year’s timely progress requirements by completing 60% of a full-time course load in a college, trade school, or vocational training program. Two, you can earn a GED or high school diploma.

Reviewing Your Progress

At the end of each 12-month period that you are in the Ticket to Work program, Maximus will conduct a timely progress review. At these times, Maximus will check to see if you have met the timely progress requirements in the past 12 months. If Maximus determines that you are not making adequate progress, then your Ticket will become inactive (in other words, in “inactive status”) and Social Security can conduct a medical CDR. Switching to inactive status does not automatically trigger a medical CDR. Social Security decides when to conduct a medical CDR based on a number of factors. If you disagree with Maximus’s decision about your timely progress, you can request an SSA review of the decision within 30 days. While waiting for the SSA review, you will be exempt from CDRs.

The requirements for timely progress increase each year. In the second year you must either work six months with gross monthly earnings over $700 (complete 75% of a full-time course load in a college, trade school, or vocational training program. In the third year, you must work and earn more than $980 in at least nine months of the 12. You can also show timely progress in the third year by meeting certain education or training goals. To see the complete timely progress requirements for each year in the Ticket to Work program, click here.

“In Use” Tickets and Inactive Status

Putting Your Ticket On Hold

If you are temporarily unable to work toward the employment goals in your Ticket to Work work plan because of health difficulties, or if you have an approved IPE with the Department of Rehabilitation, you can write to Maximus and ask them to put your Ticket on hold by placing it in “inactive status”.

When you are able to resume working or attending school, write to Maximus to reactivate your Ticket (switch it back to “in use” status).

While your Ticket is in inactive status, you do not have to meet the timely progress requirements. Also, any months in which your Ticket is in inactive status do not count toward the 12-month period for assessing your timely progress. When you reactivate your Ticket, you can start again where you left off in the 12-month period without penalty. In other words, you will not lose credit for previous work you did to achieve your work goals.

Important: Social Security will not conduct medical CDRs only when your Ticket is active (in use); that is, when you are working on your employment goals with the assistance of your assigned EN (or with DOR). When you reactivate your Ticket, your protection from CDRs will resume.

Using a Different EN

If you decide you want to work with a different EN, you can send Maximus a letter asking them to un-assign your Ticket from your current EN. You will then have three months to assign your Ticket with a new EN or vocational rehabilitation agency. Your Ticket will stay in “in use” status during these three months. Your Ticket is considered to be assigned with the new EN when you sign your Individual Work Plan (IWP) with the new EN.

Other Employment Programs

Along with the Ticket to Work program, other programs and organizations help individuals with disabilities with their employment. Benefits planners from the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program can recommend employment programs and organizations in your area. Two examples of organizations that provide employment assistance are Goodwill Industries and the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). DOR helps individuals with disabilities find work, even if they do not qualify for disability benefits from Social Security.

The WIPA program helps Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities make informed choices about their paid work and the benefits they receive. Each WIPA program has staff called Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs) who provide benefits planning assistance to beneficiaries with disabilities. They also conduct outreach efforts to Social Security beneficiaries who might be eligible for their programs and make referrals to appropriate ENs. CWICs provide information on how health coverage such as Medicare and Medi-Cal will be affected by employment. To find a WIPA program near you, click here.

WIPA projects also hold Work Incentives Seminar Events (WISE) to provide SSDI and SSI beneficiaries with information about local Employment Networks and how to assign your Ticket to Work. These seminars will also give you the opportunity to learn more about other SSA work incentives and meet with representatives from your local Department of Rehabilitation and Employment Networks. To learn more about a WISE event near you, click here.

Becoming an Employment Network (EN)

There is no cost to become an Employment Network. CESSI provides consulting and technical assistance for organizations interested in becoming an EN. Contact CESSI at 1-877-743-8237 (voice/TTY), or visit their website. You’ll also find information on Social Security’s webpage for ENs, and in the EN Frequently Asked Questions.

SSA's Employment Network Contract Team (ENCT) can answer questions about the EN Request for Proposals, walk you through the EN contract award process, and help you complete your application. Call 1-866-584-5180 (voice), 1-866-584-5181 (TTY), or email encontracts@ssa.gov for assistance.

The Employment Network Capitalization Project offers information on how your organization can find money to start up an Employment Network. Use their Resource Directory to find out how to access funding from government grants, foundations, and private financial capital.