Ticket to Work Program

Ticket to Work is a federal program that helps adults with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job.

To qualify, you must:

• Be 18 to 64 years old
• Currently be getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits

Note: If you have a disability and don’t qualify for Ticket to Work because you don’t get SSI or SSDI, you may still qualify to get vocational rehabilitation services through Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) or the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP).

Ticket to Work, sometimes called the “Ticket program” for short, connects people to services like:

• Vocational rehabilitation
• Training
• Referrals
• Job coaching
• Job counseling
• Placement services

While you are in the Ticket program, Social Security will not do medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs), as long as you make timely progress in meeting your employment goals. That means you won’t lose eligibility for SSI or SSDI for medical reasons.

Signing Up

If you get SSI or SSDI and are 18-64 years old, you automatically qualify for the Ticket program. When you are ready to think about work and want to figure out how to get started, you can start the Ticket program by contacting a Ticket to Work Employment Network (EN) or by contacting Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) or the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP).

Employment Networks are organizations that can give you the various employment services that Ticket provides. They can be public or private agencies, and may offer slightly different services depending on their specialty or focus. Here are some examples of types of ENs:

• Community rehabilitation programs
• Developmental disability agencies
• Mental health agencies

Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) also offer Ticket to Work services that can help you figure out what work to do and how to get a job. But with MRS or BSBP, after you've found a job and worked successfully for 90 days, your file will be closed. Tip: If you do the Ticket program with MRS or BSBP, after you get a job, you can switch to getting Ticket services with an Employment Network. By switching to an EN, you can keep getting help with things like adapting to work life, or dealing with Social Security and other agencies.

You can only get Ticket to Work services from one agency at a time. That means you have to decide on getting your services from one EN (or from MRS or BSBP) – that’s called “assigning your ticket.”

Choosing an EN

You can use the Employment Network Directory to find Employment Networks in your area.

For more help choosing an EN:

• Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY)
• Email the Ticket to Work customer service office at support@choosework.ssa.gov
• Learn more about the different types of Ticket to Work service providers.

Once you’ve found an EN that interests you, contact it to see if the services and supports it offers are right for you. ENs offer different services based on their specialties. Talk to a few, so that you find one that's be a good match for you.

If you think you might want to assign your ticket to MRS or BSBP, learn more about the services offered by Michigan Rehabilitation Services or the Michigan Bureau of Services to Blind Persons.

Changing Employment Networks

You can change your Employment Network at any time. To change ENs, ask your Employment Network to have your ticket “unassigned.” For more detailed information:

• Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY)
• Email the Ticket to Work customer service office at support@choosework.ssa.gov

Individual Work Plans

When you and an Employment Network (or MRS or BSBP) have agreed to work together, you create an Individual Work Plan (IWP) that clearly shows the responsibilities you and your EN have in order to help you achieve your work goals.

Your plan should contain at least the following:

• Your employment goals (the type of work you want to do)
• All services your EN agrees to give you and how they will be delivered to you
• Your responsibilities to meet your work goals and continue to receive services
• 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

Timely Progress

After you and your EN sign the plan, you want to make “timely progress” towards reaching your employment goals, because as long as you do so, you will not be subject to a medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) by the Social Security Administration (SSA). That means you won’t lose your eligibility for SSI or SSDI for medical reasons.

To see if you are making timely progress, the Ticket to Work program will review your progress at the end of each 12-month period. If you have met specific requirements related to working a certain amount and making a certain amount of money or achieving educational goals, you don’t have to do a medical CDR.

Get more information from Social Security about timely progress.