Derek Shields >> All right. Now that the housekeeping is done, let's move on with the show. I'm Derek again. I'll be the moderator today, and I'm very pleased to be joined by Ray Cebula, our presenter for the Ticket to Work webinar.

Ray Cebula received his law degree from the University of New Hampshire's Franklin Pierce School of Law. He spent 23 years providing legal services to individuals with disabilities in their interactions with Social Security, and then became part of Cornell University's Work Incentive  Support Center. Then in 2005, Ray joined the staff of Cornell's K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability. That school is inside of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell. He now serves as the Program Director of YTIOnline. That is Cornell's Work Incentives Practitioner Credentialing Program. Ray is also recognized as a national expert in Ticket to Work, and we're sure lucky to have him with us today. Ray, thanks for being with us. Remember, everybody, we're going to have two Q&A sections. So please submit your questions, and I'll be back with Ray and all of you in a little bit.

Ray Cebula >> Thank you, Derek. It's good to be here. Okay, our webinar overview. We're going to discuss Social Security's Ticket to Work Program. And can that program help you answer questions like, what is that Ticket to Work Pogram? Can I work and keep my Social Security disability benefits? What do I need to know about wage reporting, and who can help me achieve my goals? All very good questions. Everybody needs to have answers for them. 

So what is the Ticket to Work Program? The Ticket to Work Program is part of the Ticket to Work Act. Right? There was this enormous piece of legislation that was passed by President Clinton in 1999. So it's been around a while. The Ticket to Work Program is a small part of that, and that's what we're looking at today. We're looking at how that Ticket to Work Program can help you on your journey to financial independence. 

We've got two different types of disability programs that Social Security administers. One is the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, or SSDI, sometimes called Title II. That's an insurance program. It is exactly what it says. As we work and pay FICA taxes, those FICA taxes are buying insurance. They're buying retirement benefits. You know, what happens is that as you're working, you're becoming insured. Once you become insured, you are insured if you continue to work. So that is a program that has individual payment amounts for everybody, because our work histories are all different, and has no resource level. It's insurance, so the amount of money you may have in the bank doesn't matter. Now we move over to the SSI program, which is completely different. Supplemental Security Income, called SSI. Sometimes somebody will call it Title XVI. SSI is a needs-based program. Social Security puts some pretty rigid restrictions on how much money you can earn, along with how many resources you can have. Both programs have Work Incentives. Both programs are amenable to the Ticket to Work Program. And we just need to make sure that you're aware of what type of benefit you need, so we can provide you with the correct information. 

So what is this program? The first bullet says it all. It is free and voluntary. That means you're not going to pay a cent to use your Ticket. And it also means that if you're not ready, or if you just don't want to, you don't have to use the program. We're here to tell you that it's a great program and maybe you should give it a shot. So we're a little bit biased in the favor of using this program to help you get to work. It offers career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive a Social Security disability benefit and want to work. Pretty easy requirements. How can the Ticket to Work Program help? The Ticket to Work Program connects you with free employment services to help you decide if work is right for you. Maybe you're not sure yet.
Talk to somebody about it, and we can see if you're on the right path, maybe give you a couple of steps you need to get ready to start using this program, or just enroll you. 

Prepare for work. What might you need to get a job now? Even if you have worked in the past and had a long-term job before you became disabled, do you want to go back to that job? Is there something you're going to need? Is it reasonable accommodations you might need? Is it some equipment you might need? Is it a part-time position rather than a full-time position? Do you need to upgrade a certificate? You know, if you have a certificate from the state, maybe you need to get up to par on that. Maybe if you were in computer work. These computers change every day, and it drives me crazy. You know? But when you're looking at doing computer programming, if you missed five or six years because you were receiving disability and not able to work, when you return, you may need some education, you know, to get up to speed with what's happening today. The Ticket to Work program can help you with that. We can find you paid work opportunities. 

You know, if you are going to become a computer programmer today, maybe in between semesters you want to get an internship. You know, we can do that, and if it's a paid internship, all the better. That way you can try things out and make sure we can hone in on how many hours a week you can work and what type of position you need before you make that commitment for a job. And help you succeed at work. The greatest part of the Ticket, I believe, is that we don't want to get you a job. We want to get you a job and then make sure you're successful at that job. So we're going to stick around. You know, do you need a job coach? Do you need, you know, some counseling? If the stress of going back to work is too much, we're going to make sure you have all of the support you need to be successful. And you can learn more in the Web links pod, what is Social Security's Ticket to Work Program and a self-guided tutorial.

The Ticket to Work Help Line is also a great place to start. You can get information without any commitment whatsoever. The Ticket to Work Program offers a toll-free Help Line to answer your questions and support you on your journey to financial independence. You can call that Ticket to Work Help Line Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. And the number is 1-866-968-7842. If you're using a TTY, it is 1-866-833-2967. No wrong door here. If you want to call them, you'll get information about local resources as well.

Can I work and keep my Social Security disability benefits? Short answer is yes. Now let's get into that a little deeper. You know, Work Incentives can certainly help you. There are a lot of really fabulous Work Incentives that are there to help support you transition to financial independence, transition to the workplace. Lots of great ones. Social Security has safety nets in place and we call them Work Incentives, that allow you to keep some or all of your benefits while you're trying to work. You know, Work Incentives are programs and rules that help beneficiaries enter, re-enter, or continue employment by protecting their eligibility for cash payments, and/or health care coverage, until they can replace Social Security Disability Insurance or SSI, Supplemental Security Income benefits, with earnings from employment or self-employment according to the Social Security standards. That's a lot. That's a lot of help that's waiting there for you. Whether you're looking for a job for the first time or returning to work after an injury or illness, Work Incentives can help you through the transition to work and towards financial independence.

And with good planning — I'm just going to toss this in here now. With good planning, we can make sure that you're on track to have more money than you receive in benefits, along with your health care for a very, very long time. 

What is the Trial Work Period? Now this is for those of you who are receiving Title II or SSDI, Social Security Disability Insurance. The Trial Work Period is the first Work Incentive that you're going to come to. You know, it's an old Work Incentive. It's been around a while, and again, the first one you're going to encounter when you begin working. If you receive SSDI, the Trial Work Period allows you to test your ability to work for at least nine months. Now those nine months do not have to be consecutive, but they have to fall within five years. So we're looking at a five-year period and we're seeing if you have nine months of trial work during that period. You know, during that Trial Work Period, you're going to receive your full cash benefits, no matter how much you earn. As long as you report your work activity and continue to meet Social Security's rules for disability. That's a great way to test your ability to work. When people come to me and they say they think they can work 20 hours. Well let's do this Trial Work Period, right? We'll test if you can work at 20 hours and find that's comfortable, maybe we can push up to 25. You know, if it's not comfortable, let's move back to 15. So that we can make sure you're going to succeed and continue to be a worker. 

How is the Trial Work Period calculated? How do you use a month? You don't have to file an application for this. It just happens because you're reporting your income. The Trial Work Period continues until you accumulate those nine service months that we talked about, not necessarily consecutive, within a moving five-year block. Social Security uses the amount you have earned in a month before subtracting taxes. So gross wages, to decide if a month counts towards your TWP. Yeah. In 2026, if you earn $1,210 or more, or work in self-employment 80 hours a month, you've considered to use a service month and one of those Trial Work Period months is gone. You now have eight left and we need to — we can catch them nine months in a row or spread them out over a five-year period. You've got to think about which is the best way to test your ability to work. 

How can you get more information? Take a look at the Trial Work Period fact sheet in the Web Links pod to learn more about the Trial Work Period and about other Work Incentives that's available when you complete your Trial Work Period. The next one is called the Extended Period of Eligibility and that is going to give you benefits, you know, if you do not engage in what we call Substantial Gainful Activity. If you do engage, we'll turn those benefits off every month depending on how you report. So reporting is very, very important. 

All right. What's a Plan to Achieve Self-Support? A Plan to Achieve Self-Support. I'm sorry, I'm having trouble today. A plan to receive — a Plan to Achieve Self-Support, a PASS, is a Work Incentive for SSI recipients. It's a written plan of action for pursuing a specific work-related goal. I want to become a teaching assistant. That's my goal. Now we put a plan together to get me there. And the PASS is going to describe the steps that you will take and the items and services that you'll need to reach your goal. So what might that be? I'm a teaching assistant. I'm going to need a laptop. Yeah, I'm going to need some appropriate clothing. I'm going to need education.

You know, I need at least a two-year degree. I need books. I need transportation. Yeah. And then maybe I need a car once I graduate in order to get me to and from work. We can put all of that into your plan so that you're ready to go on day one of your teaching goal. You know, when you have an approved PASS, Social Security does not count the money that you set aside to help you reach that work goal when determining your SSI payment amount. So that's pretty good. I mean, this is going to give you — you know, you need to have the money. As an SSI recipient, you cannot put SSI into the plan. But if you're working and you're earning $500 a month, you could put $200 of that into the PASS. And if that goes above the $2,000 resource limit, it won't count. So this is really, really a beneficial program. 

Who's eligible? If you receive SSI or can become eligible to receive SSI, you can qualify for a PASS. This year's SSI benefit is $994 if you live alone and meet your own expenses. What if my SSDI benefit is $1,000? I could put my $1,000 into the PASS plan. It's going to accumulate a lot, right? Real quickly. The resource won't count. But because I have no SSDI, I'm putting it all in the PASS. I'm going to get a full SSI check, provided I have — you know, meet all of the other qualifications of the SSI plan. So that's a way a Title II person could become eligible for a PASS plan. If you receive SSDI, you may become eligible if you have a work goal, you know, that will allow you to earn enough money so that you no longer qualify for SSDI. And we talked about that Substantial Gainful Activity level.

That is what you're going to have to guarantee Social Security. I will be engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity when the PASS plan is finished. Therefore, I won't be eligible. Therefore, my plan is valid. You need to meet all other qualifications for a PASS plan and set aside enough of your SSDI payment so that you qualify for SSI. Yeah. That, to me, looks like a really great plan to save a lot of money and finish my two-year education in two years. Right? I'm going to save that much money by becoming eligible for SSI. Now, as your SSDI gets higher, if you're looking at a $3,000, $4,000 monthly check, it's going to be harder to do. Right? Because there's so much money to set aside, and you're only going to get $994 for SSI. But we can talk to you about how that might work for you. 

What do I need to know about wage reporting? I've said report, report, report many times already. Now I'm going to say it again. Report, report, report. When you signed on the dotted line, when you applied for SSI or SSDI, you agreed to report any change that might impact your benefits. Clearly, getting a job and earning income is one of those things. So you need to make a first report of your job experience by filing information about who the employer is, how can they be reached, how much you're going to work, how much are you making. And what we're doing here is setting up a profile for you. Then you need to report every month. Wage reporting is an important step to help avoid overpayments, and it's just simply required. It's just what the law says you will do. If you receive SSDI or SSI, you or your representative must promptly report any work activity to Social Security. Now we're coming up to the end of the month. So at the end of March, you have 10 days if you're on SSDI to report your wages for March.

If you're on SSI, you have six days to report your wages in March. So there are different standards. You know, there are different ways to do it, all different kinds of ways. You know? And there are lots and lots. I think the younger people — I call anybody a younger person at this point. But you know, the fact of cell phones and the fact that we can get apps in the App Store free of charge to report our wages to Social Security is pretty amazing. So there are lots of ways to do it, and we can help set you up with the way you want to do it. 

Now, when do I need to report? You know, here is again, you or your representative must tell Social Security if any of the following changes happen. You start or stop. Right? If I start work and tell them I'm going to be making enough money to reduce my SSI to $100, I sure better tell them if I stop working or I'm going to continue to get the $100. I need that to go up. So start and stopping is very important to report. Your duties, your hours, or pay may have changed. You know, it's holiday time and Mr. Walmart says, can I have you for five hours more each week for December and January? That's changing a lot. That's 20 hours a month more work. And Social Security needs to know that to adjust your payments, so that you won't have those overpayments. You start paying for expenses that you need to work. You know, these are called Impairment-related Work Expenses, or Blind Work Expenses. And we just look at what it is that you pay for that's allowing you to work? You know, I have high blood pressure and I have to take high blood pressure medication. And I pay, let's say, a $20 copay every month for that medication. That $20 can be deducted from my gross wages to get down to countable wages. So you got to think about what we're doing. What kind of meds are we taking? Do we have equipment that we need? Or have it home, that we also need to use at work. Lots of stuff. 

All right, tips for wage reporting. Keep records of your payment information, so you can easily access them in the future. You know, if you get a pay stub, save that pay stub. You know, if you can download it — you know, I haven't had a pay stub in the 25 years I've worked for Cornell. You know, so right now if I want them, I can go online and get them. But if you can do that and you're on benefits, it might make sense to download your stub every week, or every month, or however you're paid. And we want your bank statements. Keep the bank statements. Most of those are online too and you can print those out or go to the bank and get a copy. But every month if you have that, we can see what money went into your account and when it went out. Because sometimes it looks like you're not eligible for a program when in fact you were because of what's happening. 

Okay. When mailing pay information, consider using certified mail to protect your private information. It's a good tip. Ticket to Work service providers can assist you in reporting your wages to Social Security. They cannot report for you. So if you're working with an Employment Network, they cannot report for you, but they can help you get it done. Whether that's using your cell phone, making an appointment with Social Security to drop them off, you know, or reporting online. Maybe you don't have internet service. Maybe you don't have a computer. We can go to the Employment Networks, but they can then allow you to use the computer to report your own wages. Okay. For the most up-to-date information on how to report wages, visit ssa.gov/FAQS/EN/^*questions/ka-01412. That's ka-014112.html.

Lots of ways to report. They're making it easier almost every day, and we can find the right fit to report your wages. Very, very important. All right, Derek, we're up to the first Q&A session.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thank you, Ray. Oops, we had a little bit of feedback. I think that's gone now. Thanks, Ray, for going through that important information. One note before I forget, that website address that Ray just read out, that was a little long. In case you were trying to jot that one down, it is in the Web Links pod. That's item number 11 called wage reporting. So if you're interested in that one, get into that Web Links pod and you can access that. All right, let's rewind it a bit. Ray got through a bunch of information. We've had a lot of good questions coming in as always. Let's go back to the start. We talked at the beginning about Social Security Disability Insurance and the SSI Supplemental. We've had questions, and we commonly do, about, you know, what program am I in? Because I have to be in one of those or both of those in order to be eligible. Can you walk folks through, again, Ray, just to be clear, how can they check on that?

Ray >> I'm sorry, Derek. I missed something there.

Derek >> How do individuals that are with us today check on which benefit they might be receiving or if they're receiving both? What are your suggestions?

Ray >> Thank you, Derek. You know, there are lots of ways to do that. It can be as easy as finding a notice that Social Security has sent to you. It'll say right across the top which benefit you're receiving. A great way to find out is to set up a my Social Security account. There's a link right on ssa.gov, the homepage for Social Security, to do that.

That's going to get you not only the type of benefit that you receive, it's going to let you find out how much those benefits are. Because as a benefits planner right now, if you told me, I think I have SSDI and it's about $900 a month, that's not good information for me. I need more detail. If you have a my Social Security account, we could just pass — put in your password, the page comes up and there's all of the information. Social Security is moving along with automation pretty quickly. And I was talking earlier this morning with somebody, and this is my prediction, that someday in the very near future, you're going to have to have a my Social Security account. If you go in to apply for benefits, they're going to set one up for you. There's so much information there, you know, and so much information we need. And as time goes on, so much more we can do from home that everybody should have that account. I've had one for years. You know, every year I get a notice saying, check it. We just post your wages to see if the wages are all right. I'm using it to plan for retirement. Tons of information. Everybody who has a Social Security benefit of any kind or, you know, I don't have that yet. When I get one, I'm going to have my account. Anybody who is working and trying to earn their way onto a Social Security benefit needs one of these accounts and the ENs can help get you hooked up. You know, the benefits planners can help you get hooked up. There's lots of folks out there and a growing number. I can't remember how many it was. I think it was 12 million people now have my Social Security accounts and we've got to get that up. Someday there are things that you need to do that can only be done on your Social Security account. At least that's my projection.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thanks for that, Ray. Yeah, and one other thing, you know, they forecast if you're using one of those my SSA accounts, you're getting your updates approximately three weeks faster than the mail and it's also more secure than the mail. So something to consider there. If you want to find that out, go to SSA.gov. The very first thing you're going to find is Go Digital with instructions about how to take those first steps. Then you can explore the benefits you're receiving and stay up to date like Ray's suggestion. 

All right, next question. I'm learning about the Ticket Program. You said it's voluntary. Is it required, which is a unique way of looking at it. Do I need to use the Ticket Program to find work or can I just go out and apply for jobs on my own?

Ray >> Oh, you're free to do that. You're free to go out and find your own job. That doesn't mean you don't report it to Social Security. Just because you've done it without any help, you know, that's absolutely fine. Make those reports. You can come in to the Ticket to Work Program for benefits planning. What will happen to your benefits once you start getting a paycheck? You can come into an Employment Network and talk about, you know, what kind of reasonable accommodations might I need, you know? And how do I ask my boss for an accommodation. And then, you know, State VR is part of this Ticket to Work too. If somebody tells you, you know, you can look for your own job, but right now it looks to me like your computer experience is 10 years old. You may want to go to school to get that up to date. So there are lots of reasons for using the Ticket to Work, and if you — however, if you want to, you're free to go get your job. You just have to remember that either way you become employed, you have to report.

Derek, did we lose you?

Derek >> Thanks, Ray. As your moderator, it helps — this is Derek, if I'm not on mute. I was thanking you for that answer. It does — Ray was speaking to the idea of you don't have to, but you might want to, and that's something to really consider. We have thousands of people that have used the Ticket to Work Program successfully, so it might be a good benefit to explore.

Let's dig into some of the benefits of the program that you were talking about. A lot of people maybe were working, receiving SSDI. But had to stop working because of an injury or a rise in their disabling condition. Can the Ticket Program help them pivot through training into a new career pathway?

Ray >> You know, Derek, I think that's not only a great question, but it's a great suggestion. Yeah, we can do that. You know, we can take you where you are and either get you back into that job if that's possible, modifying what you need to do. You know, for instance, if you lost your left arm and are now using a prosthetic, you may need training to use that prosthetic in a different way than was intended so you can do your job. You know? And if you want to do that, we're going to try to do that for you. If you choose a different type of job — or how about, Derek said career. How about move up a step? You know, I can't lift very much anymore. I can't do, you know, the bending. I'm not able to sit for a long period of time without getting up to stretch. You know, maybe a position in management. If I were working in the garden department at Lowe's and can't lift all that mulch and those marble chips, you know, maybe I could work in the office at Lowe's managing that department. You've got the skills, right? You've got the knowledge. We can turn that into a career by making it a different type of position using what you have, using the skills that you've gained. So I think that's great. And I actually like the word pivoting. I may use that.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thanks, Ray. It comes up in different forms, that question, but it gets to that idea of so many people looking at, well, what is next if it's new for me? And appreciate your answer there. This has come up a couple times, so if you're interested in receiving a recording, there is a recording of today's event.

A couple people have asked that question. We place that on the Choose Work website and also on the Choose Work YouTube channel. So if you're interested in this WISE recording or in others, please consider accessing those for replay. It takes us a couple weeks to get post-production done, but it will be there soon. Here's another question about the length of eligibility for somebody who has tried the Ticket Program before and didn't really have a successful work outcome. Can I try the Ticket Program again if I didn't do well before?

Ray >> That's a good question. That's a very good question and it depends very much on your circumstances. If you have used a Ticket and it didn't work out, the question is, are any payments to your provider, your Employment Network in this case, available? You know, Social Security is saying we will pay the Employment Network for providing you with free services as you're making progress. So if you stop making progress, how much of that Ticket value has been paid to Employment Networks? You might have some left and if that's going to be sufficient to get you where you need to be, you could finish using the Ticket that you have. You only get one Ticket per period of disability. And your period of disability begins when you put on benefits, until that changes. Until you're either no longer disabled, you know, or you work and lose your benefits because of work. And then that income goes away and you come into benefits via what we call Expedited Reinstatement. So it really is something that I need to talk with every one of you about separately, but it's possible.

Derek >> This is Derek again. So let's take that next one, the idea of starting and then stopping and restarting. During that Trial Work Period you were explaining, there's some concern by people like, you know, what happens if it's not right for me? How long does the Trial Work Period really last? And how long in total do I have to give the program a try? What happens if my disability rises up and I'm not able to work even though I want to try? Explain that a little bit. I've heard you talk about the length of time you can be connected. That'd be great to share that too.

Ray >> Yeah, that Trial Work Period is nine months. Again, either nine months in a row or nine months scattered throughout a five-year period. So if you used your first month in March, that starts your Trial Work Period. You now have eight months left. And during that Trial Work Period, everything that you've asked is just what the Trial Work Period is all about. If you start working and you have an exacerbation in your condition and have to stop, you tried. You know, maybe heal up a little bit more and in a couple of months we'll try again. But this time we're going to try again with some accommodations. No, you can't lift the marble chips anymore. You can't help somebody put them in their car. You know, you can't do that. So we're going to take that job duty away. Is it working now? You know, there are lots of things we can do until we make a good fit. And if you have an exacerbation and cannot go to work, you know, remember that Trial Work Period you used is going to be there for five years. So we're looking at eight left. After five years, if you haven't used it again, you get all nine of them. You know? So you can stay connected to that for a very long time. And you know, the whole notion of trial work, which turns into the Extended Period of Eligibility, can go on for a very, very long time.

Even after you're terminated from benefits because of work, Expedited Reinstatement watches you for five more years just in case an exacerbation happens and they can turn the benefits on again. You know? So these Work Incentives and the Ticket to Work Program can go on for a very, very long time.

Derek >> Thanks a lot, Ray. A bit of a follow-up there. Explain a variety of reasons that people may stop Trial Work Period. I mentioned one, like a condition or an illness might flare back up. Any other examples?

Ray >> Sure, what about the pandemic? You know, you have just been locked down, you know, for six weeks, right? That's what they said. And now it's two and a half years later. You know, you're still in your Trial Work Period because you used a couple of months. You used that one month at least that we're talking about. Now you can continue. You know, so we've got that going for us. 

What else could happen? You could get cut back on hours and you're not earning above that $1,200 figure that we gave you. You know, you're not using trial work months. You could continue to work and still figure out, is this the job for me? Am I going to be able to work this many hours? You know, and that could go on for a very long time. And anything else? A job, you just decide, I don't like this job. That pauses your Trial Work Period until you get another one and then it picks up again. So it does — no reason whatsoever, any or I should say any reason whatsoever, whether your income simply drops below the trial work level for that year, or you have to stop for any reason. And that includes, this isn't the job for me. We have to start over again.

Derek >> This is Derek. Great, thanks for that. Good examples and just shows the flexibility that people have, for whatever reasons out there, to use the Trial Work Period in manners that best befit them. I love how you say it though, like the idea is to try work and to put yourself to the best test you can during that time if possible. Because then you can know if you have that capability to really do it. Well, we've gotten through some questions. We'll come back after Ray's next segments for our second Q&A. So keep the questions in.

I actually have a question that kind of leads us in. It says, I have a certificate for the Ticket to Work Program, but I'm not exactly sure who I can present it to, to work with. And that leads nicely into our next segment, which is, who can help you achieve your work goals? So Ray, back to you for that and I'll be back in a little bit.

Ray >> Okay. Thank you, Derek. Who can help you achieve your work goals? I got to tell you that we're going to talk about a lot of doorways into the Ticket Program. None of them are the wrong way. If you were to call somebody and you needed some Ticket information, you'd be provided with that and you might be sent to the door that's better for you. Lots of ways in and none of them are wrong. So achieving your work goals with that Ticket to Work. As you think about returning to work and possibly changing jobs or careers, you may have questions and need supports. You know, that happens to all of us. You know, I mean, I didn't even think about Cornell being a career change, but it really was. It's a far thing from practicing law. You know? It just happened. It grew out of what I wanted. Connecting with a Ticket Program service provider can help you develop achievable goals and establish action steps to find and maintain employment in your new career. You know, again, we're not looking at a job. We want something that's going to be good for you and satisfy you for a long duration. So we want this to be a career as much as possible. The Ticket to Work service providers can help you identify the type of job or career you might enjoy and any transferable skills you may have. Remember we said that transferable skills we mentioned before. The skills that you had in your prior job, the skills you have gained in life, can be applicable to the new job you want after you've become disabled and want to return to work. We're going to look to see what you've got to bring forward and see if another job with similar skills exists for you.

The Ticket Program service providers, tons of them, you know, we have lots and lots of people out there waiting to help you. Through the Ticket Program, you'll have access to a variety of Ticket Program service providers, including Employment Networks. I'm going to talk about what that is. Call them ENs, you know, VR agencies, vocational rehabilitation. Those are the State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies. You may have one in your state, you may have two. There may be one dedicated to disabilities, one dedicated to blindness. Does it matter which one you call? No, you just may have to make a follow-up call if you call the one that doesn't serve you. Employment Networks, an EN is a private or public organization that has an agreement with Social Security to provide free employment services to people who are eligible for the Ticket. So if you've got a Ticket, you're in. Many state public workforce systems, such as the American Job Centers, they used to be called One-Stops, are workforce ENs. We just call them ENs and WFs, you know, and that's an easy way to get to know these programs. And you'll be understanding all the information that we throw around as alphabet soup. 

All right. How can working with an EN help you? Well, the services and supports are designed to help you on the path to financial independence through work, and they might include identifying your work goal. You know, I've had many clients who tell me they don't know what they want to do, they don't know what they can do. So I want to talk to them about those transferable skills to identify other jobs that use those skills. And when one clicks, that's the one we're going to decide that we want to go for. 

How about writing and reviewing your resume? That's a big deal. You know, I've had one job for a long time now. If I wanted another, I can assure you that I would need help writing and reviewing my resume. They look different. They almost serve a different purpose now. How about preparing for interviews? I haven't been on a job interview in years. So I may want some practice. You know, I may want some help developing questions to ask my prospective employer. Every job interview ends with a, do you have any questions for us? And if you know a little bit about the business, you do your research, you may find something that's attractive to you, you know, that you didn't know existed, and you have questions that you can ask. Showing both that you're interested and also not having to say, no, I guess not. You know? I failed on those. I failed at that all the time. So preparation help, having mock interviews, is a really valuable thing. 

How about requesting reasonable accommodations? You know, you are working. You were working. You were doing some heavy lifting. You can't do that anymore, but the job that you're looking at requires a bit of heavy lifting. Could we ask your employer for a reasonable accommodation? You don't have to ask at the interview, and your employer can't ask you if you need one at the interview. This happens after you've got an offer. I can do everything there, but I'm not going to be able to do that heavy lifting aspect. Is there a possibility that somebody else could do that? Probably. So we're going to ask the employer for that. 

Receiving benefits counseling. Now that we've got you set up with the type of job you want, and we're going to train you, we're going to, you know, get the interviews and the resumes all set up. Do you know what's going to happen to your benefits when you return to work? If you don't, you have to have a benefits plan. You don't want to wait for something to happen to your benefits. You want to know when it's going to happen, so it won't be a surprise, so that you're prepared for that to happen. Benefits counseling can do that for you. Many, many ENs nowadays have benefits planning in-house. So you've pretty much done one-stop shopping. Right? So that's a good thing, and I encourage everybody who is returning to work, whether you use an EN or not, get benefits counseling. You want to know before all of this stuff starts rolling. 

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies. Anytime you see a capital VR, we're usually referring to the state agencies. They provide a wide variety of services to help people with disabilities return to work, enter new lines of work, or enter work for the first time. A State VR agency may offer benefits counseling also, and may also help you with vocational rehabilitation. If you need rehabilitation services, that's where to go. And training and education. You know, if I have — I'm in need of getting more education, you know, because I'm going to take my skills and turn it into a management job, so I need that management bit. You know, VR can do that for you. If you need a four-year degree and don't have one, VR can do that for you. The Employment Networks really can't, because most of them are small shops. Some of them may be bigger, but they're still not funded in a way to pay for your four-year education. That's what State Vocational Rehabilitation is for. 

All right. How can working with state VR help? You know, we're usually looking at people with more significant service needs. They need a lot of — they need to learn to do even their basic life needs differently, right, because of their disability. So we're looking at more significant needs than most of us would need to return to work. In some states this includes intensive training, education, or rehabilitation. And that can take a long time, costs a lot of money. That's why we're looking to State VR. They may also provide career counseling and job placement assistance, as well as counseling about how your earnings are going to affect your social security disability benefits. So we're getting some of the same services. Some of them overlap, right? You can make a choice as to where you want to go for these services. 

How to find a service provider. This is one of the websites I'm on all the time. For a list of service providers, you can call that Help Line we talked about. That number again is 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 for TTY users. And that is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also search online at the Find Help page. You know, and you can get there from the Social Security work site. There's going to be a block or a link to get you to this site. And you can search by zip code. You know, I would really like to find somebody in Santa Fe. Okay. Let's put in a couple of zip codes. How about the services they offer? Are they offering a four-year educational opportunity? You know? If not, maybe that's not the EN for me. Who do they serve? What's the disability type? You know, if I have a mental impairment, I don't want somebody who only works with physical disabilities. I want a different EN who is used to working for people with my disability. Language is spoken. You know, here I am in New Mexico. If I want services in Spanish, I can get them. You know? So let's talk about, are you more comfortable getting services in your native language? Even a native Spanish speaker who is able to speak English sometimes wants it in Spanish because they're more comfortable that way.

And then the provider type. Are you looking for an EN? Then click EN and it's going to limit your search. How about a Workforce EN? Because you've had experience with those one-stop shops and they're good places. You can start writing your resume and start searching for jobs from the same computer that they set you up with. And then State VR. If you're not looking for every provider and know you want to work with an EN, check EN and you're just going to get the ENs. And like I said, I'm on it a lot, you know, because I'm constantly helping people try to find services in their area. And I can help somebody from Santa Fe, I can help somebody in Washington, DC find the right Employment Network. 

All right, so we have a Success Story. This is one of the best parts of these shows. I like it. We're going to meet Matt today. Matt received SSDI due to a hearing loss and other medical issues that interfered with consistent employment. “I always wanted and plan to work to be productive, build a career, and earn more money.” That statement says a lot. His VR counselor explained that Social Security's Ticket to Work Program could provide comprehensive employment services that are going to help him find stable employment. Matt's VR counselor connected him with the Community Integrated Services, CIS, which is a Pennsylvania-based Employment Network. 

So Matt worked with a job development team at CIS that included a career counselor, an American Sign Language interpreter, and a benefits counselor. All things he needed to help make himself successful. After helping Matt develop his resume and locate potential job leads and sitting through practice interview skills, Matt's career counselor advised him about reasonable accommodations and his legal rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. You see how many different pieces of Matt's world we're providing services for and bringing them all together to support his work effort. 

What did Matt do? Matt and his counselor identified the accommodations that were essential for him and he decided to disclose his disability and request those accommodations. You don't need to disclose your disability at interviews. You don't need to do that. Matt made a decision to do that. Matt did secure employment. On the job, Matt's primary means of communication is by keyboard. Using email is the best way for him to communicate with coworkers. Because Matt can read lips, one-on-one meetings are more productive than meetings with larger groups. In large meetings, he needs an interpreter to help him participate fully. 

Matt achieved financial independence. He was hired as a full-time human resources assistant by his Employment Network. You know, he got a job from the people who were trying to help him get a job. Matt's role at CIS has evolved and he has since taken on more responsibility and is managing employee benefits and unemployment claims. You know, Matt is on a career track. He's moving into management. What did he say about this? “I am in a supportive environment and position that works well for me. It feels good to be productive and now I can afford things I could not have before.” That's a great story. You know, that kind of success is what we want for all of you. And a little bit about how that Ticket can provide some of this assistance to get to where Matt is today. All right, Derek, we're back to Q&A.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thank you, Ray. I sure appreciate you going through the employment team members and giving examples of the different services and supports that are available for Ticket Program participants. We've had plenty of questions coming in. Thanks, everyone, for submitting them.

We appreciate that. A couple questions that got a little personal. So we're going to remove that but we'll just replace, you know, the disability with disabilities, sort of a specific one. But can I find a service provider that can help me with my specific disability? How does somebody go around doing that, Ray?

Ray >> That — excuse me, Derek. That Find Help page is the way. Excuse me.

Oh, that Find Help page is a good place to start. When you look at an EN, if I pull up ENs in New Mexico, there's going to be a long list. It's going to tell me who they are, where they are, what services they can provide, what disabilities they tend to serve. Can they serve me in Spanish? You're going to get all of that information. You know, and the other thing, this Ticket to Work could be used as a shopping gift card. You can go to the EN if you want to and talk with them. And yes, you hit all of my buttons. You know, so you can provide services to people with my disability. How many people like me have you gotten jobs for? And what kind of jobs have you gotten them? You can ask questions and basically interview them using what you think you need. You know, I see you provide services in Spanish. Is it via a trained interpreter or is it via the telephone interpreter? You know, that may make a difference. But they will provide you with services and types of disabilities in that Find Help page listing that they have. And so you can do that. Like I said, if I have a mental impairment, I don't want somebody who deals with physical impairments. They're different worlds, right? So you want somebody who works with your type of disability or as close to it as possible. And you can find that out by looking at the registry and seeing, oh, that person might be helpful. But then ask them questions.

Give them a phone call. You know, what have you done for other people in my situation? And how did it all work out? How long did it take? What kind of services did you bring to those people's effort? And every once in a while, you know, you might have an EN who's worked with enough people in your situation where they may say, look, this woman, Mary Smith, got services from us. She's doing wonderful. She's willing to talk to new people. So if you want to give her a call, you can give her a call. You know, asking questions and looking at that Find Help page are the two best ways to make sure you're going to the right service provider.

Derek >> This is Derek. Thanks for that guidance, Ray, especially the part about when you're talking to an EN, you know, they're interviewing you. Sounds like you should be interviewing them, too, to make sure it's a good match and that they have success with people with similar scenarios, including disability type. Ray mentions the Find Help tool. We've talked about it. We'll talk about it again. And I'm going to pause now to point out in the Web Links pod, you can find that at item number 12. And so if you want to open that up, you can look at that. 

Also, you know, Matt, our Success Story that Ray went through clearly at one point was where you're at and was considering using the program, went to the Find Help tool, probably called our beneficiary support Help Line, and made those first steps. If you are interested in exploring Matt's success story a little bit more, you can find that in the Web Links pod at number 13, too. 

All right, our next question gets into a series of them, and it's where everyone wants to head. And it's can the Employment Networks help me find a job? So we have that, and then there's a subset about remote work. So Ray, talk to us about the service providers and specifically job finding, job placement, and the idea of remote work versus local work.

Ray >> Okay, that's a very good question. The Employment Networks are there to help you find a position. So they are going to help you locate the industries that are available in your area that have jobs that you might want. They're going to know, because they're local people, a lot of them, where the jobs are, which companies are hiring now, and you're going to send your applications. These three places, after our discussion, are the places you want to first apply to. And then we'll wait to see, if you get the interview call, go through that other service. You know, and they are going to get you placed. Better than that, they are going to be there after you're placed to support you, to find information that you might need now that you're actually working that you didn't think about before. 

So again, they'll find you a job, and they'll support you so you're successful at that job. Remote work, it's a big thing, right? I mean, every once in a while, we find out that remote jobs are available. You know, my job became remote 25 years ago. I've been working at home for 25 years. I love it. It's wonderful. You know, I don't have water cooler discussions. I don't have people saying, let's run across the street to get a cup of coffee. I get work done. You know, it's a unique venture. You have to be disciplined, though. There are many jobs out there that you can do from your home. You know, you may have to invest. Sometimes the employers want you to buy the computers, you know, things like that. But that's what the PASS plan is all about, right? So if, in fact, you know, you want to be a medical billing person, you know, that's a big, big job. You know? And you're going to be working. You're going to be making good money. And you can do it at home. You know, you can do it at home. I teach from home. I do my research from home. I write from home. I'm drumming up business from home. So there are lots of things that can be done. 

Whether or not you can take a job that is on someone's site and turn that into something remote is up to you and the employer. They may just simply say, no, you need to be here. I can't work at Macy's in the clothing department if I'm not there. I can't do that remotely. So that's one example. But remote work is a unique thing. It is very prevalent. Hybrid jobs where you're doing remote work but going into the office once or twice a week are there. It really depends on the industry that you're looking at. If you're in a production type industry, you're not going to be able to do that at home. You need to do that on site. But don't let that stop you, please. Because many jobs are amenable to being remote. The Employment Networks are going to be in the know about who in your area or who outside your area are hiring remote people. 

You know, benefits planners. Let's take a look at that for a second. People who are going to help you determine what's going to happen when you start earning money to your benefits. Those benefits planners, many of them are remote. You know, in fact, I just posted a job to my benefits planners network that was based in Rhode Island. They didn't care where you were, you know, because you can do this all remotely. You know, so remote work is a possibility. And it's depending upon the industry, depending on whether the employer has ever done it before, and you know, are there ways that that employer can check in, you know, to make sure you're not doing the laundry. You know? Although I do the laundry when I take my breaks. But remote work is very important.

Derek >> Thanks, Ray. This is Derek speaking again. Just a note, some people, if they're thinking about job placement services, Employment Networks have an opportunity to select direct job placement or job placement assistance services when they become an EN, working with Social Security. So direct job placement, that employer may very well have — I'm sorry, that EN may have relationships with employers to help with that direct job placement. In that model, they could have that locally, they could have it regionally, but they might not have it nationally. So again, when you're out there, like Ray suggested, and you're meeting ENs, ask them those questions. If you're interested in remote work, what kind of direct job placement relationships do you have? Or do you just do job placement assistance services, which is preparing to meet those employers, you know, like Ray described. 

Something important to keep in mind, the Find Help tool, yet again, helps you with that. You can select your preferences in preparation, placement, or on the job services, or all of them if you want all three. 

All right, Ray, so next question about helping find work comes to self-employment, or those entrepreneurs that are with us that are interested in perhaps starting their own business. What recommendations do you have about approaching the Ticket Program and a service provider when considering a business startup? 

Ray >> Yeah, that's a really good question. Self-employment is becoming a bigger thing almost every day, and it's a great way to be in control, right? You want your own business. Yeah, there are benefits planners, there are ENs who would specialize in that. You know, certainly if you're looking at a local EN, you want to ask that question, do you have experience with people who want to start their own business? There's a lot to think about. You know, can you help me prepare a business plan? Can you help me with the tax parts of all of this business? You know, can you help me find money for startup? Yeah, it's a lot of stuff.

And we could talk about self-employment rules with Social Security for days, you know. There are so many rules and so much you can do. But it's a great way for a lot of people to do it. What about if maybe I'm on Etsy, or maybe I'm an artist of some sort, and you know, I do it at home. You know, I really can't leave home without a lot of work and a lot of preparation. So maybe I can promote my product on a site like Etsy. How do I use that, you know, to promote my work in a self-employment situation? Yeah? We have that barrier. It's a hobby, then it becomes self-employment, you know, depending on what's going on with the situation. But I think I would want to know right up front that my provider, that my EN, knows something about self-employment, has experiences. Can you point to a business in my area that you helped somebody start? And then go talk to the business person. 

Even, you know, what else was I going to say? It's gone. But you know, and then you can have self-employment as a seasonal thing. You can have self-employment as a year-round thing. It could be in your own, you know, brick and mortar building. You know, lots to think about. It's a different world than regular employment, because you are responsible for making your own living, right? I always tell people, I never wanted to be responsible for making my own living. You know, I like being paid by somebody else. I was not going to be a good self-employment person. If you want to do that, though, the opportunities are almost endless, aren't they? You know, you've got something you can sell. And if you can do that at home and call it a self-employment venture, that's great. If you can do it outside, you know, whether it's a push cart, you know, whether it is, you know, a seasonal gig on the street, whether or not it's a full-time job at one of the fancy shops here in Santa Fe. You know, you want your own fancy shop. I think self-employment is an opportunity that most VR agencies are now accepting and getting involved with. There are all kinds of programs out there to help. You know, all kinds. So if you are interested in self-employment, you've got to ask that EN that's going to help you, whether they can — whether they have experience. You're going to ask the benefits planner, do you have experience in self-employment situations? It's a different ballgame, you know, but it's infinitely doable.

Derek >> This is Derek again. Thanks, Ray, for that. Just as a follow-on, our videos from previous WISE webinars are available, as I mentioned earlier. If you're on YouTube, you can go to at Choose Work. That is the handle, and you could access the 2025 webinars. There's one entitled Working for Yourself with Ticket to Work. I encourage you to explore that and then do what Ray said. Always take Ray's advice. But when you reach out, find an Employment Network or a Vocational Rehabilitation agency and ask them, do they like working with the Ticket Program participants? That, choose self-employment. See what they say. They're out there. They're going to find ways to help. 

All right, Ray, speaking of ENs and VRs, last question for you. How do I decide if I should contact an EN or a VR? Like, what would be a factor for somebody to use their Ticket with one versus the other?

Ray >> You know, we mentioned being expensive. You know? I mean, if you need education, you know, if your disability is very involved and you need some physical rehabilitation, or mental rehabilitation before you're going to be able to work, you know. You need a lot of durable medical equipment, those big ticket items are going to be had at VR. If you're work-ready and you just need, you know, a reasonable accommodation, you know, a resume, some interviewing skills and some help locating jobs, an Employment Network is the perfect place for you. 

So it's based upon your needs and essentially— and I hate to say this, but how much it's going to cost to get to the services. Many ENs are just, you know, I could be your EN. Ray's job shop. I am not in a position to fund a two-year or a four-year degree for you. I can help you get loans, help you get scholarships. But the VR agency could pay for it all. So that's the difference. You've just got to figure out what you need. And you know, you know? You know what you need. And figure out if that's going to be very expensive or if it's an EN. And if it's a borderline situation and you're still not sure what to do, call an EN and call VR. 

You know, all of these people are there to help. And if that means saying, I'm sorry, I can't fund that kind of thing. I can help you get money to fund it, you know, but you might get loans, you know? Maybe if you call State VR, you know, they will be able to provide you with the physical rehabilitation you need, then get the four-year degree for the job that you want. And no one is going to turn you away by saying, we don't do that here. You know? We do, do that here in the Ticket to Work Program, we just have to find the right provider for you.

Derek >> Well, Ray, as always, we appreciated your time and sharing information about the Ticket to Work Program, along with some of the benefit counseling that could come with it, Work Incentives, and some details on the Trial Work Period and wage reporting. And most importantly, the employment team that's out there that you can select. Create an Individualized Work Plan and find a path to financial independence. So Ray, thanks again for everything.

Ray >> Thank you, Derek.

Derek >> All right, now we turn to wrap up. As Ray said before, you know, how do you get started with the Ticket to Work Program? There's no wrong first door. So first, we want to make sure that you're eligible, and like we said today, 18 through 64 years old and receiving SSDI or SSI due to a disability. Next, you can look through a couple options that we have on the screen here. You can use that Find Help tool and Choose Work to search for ENs or VRs. Those service providers providing employment supports and services through career counseling, resume help, and job placement and benefits guidance, as we discussed.

If you find that provider, then you can assign your Ticket to them, and then you're officially working together to pursue those employment goals. If you prefer, you can call us to get that list of providers at the Ticket to Work Help Line. That's 1-866-968-7842. Or for deaf or hard of hearing or individuals with speech disabilities, you can reach us through TTY at 1-866-833-2967. 

Again, the Find Help tool. Visit us on the website at choosework.ssa.gov or the Help Line. You choose what's best for you. We'll meet you there. 

Next, how to connect. We invite you to stay connected and informed about all things happening with the Ticket Program. A simple way of doing that is by subscribing to our Choose Work blog and signing up for email updates. To do that, you can visit choosework.ssa.gov/contact. That's also in the Web Links pod. You'll find subscription options there and other ways to stay engaged. The link is down there in the bottom right corner at Ticket to Work contact information. 

We also, if you prefer, have a text messaging option. We can get updates straight to your phone. As thousands of people do, you can opt in to receive text messages for our webinar announcements, other success stories like Matt's, and different tips that the program produces to support everyone on their employment journey. Text ticket to 1-571-489-5292. You'll get those updates right on your phone. Standard messaging rates may apply depending on your mobile plan, so just check on that. 

If you have questions or need support, you're always welcome to reach out at any time by emailing us at TicketToWork@ssa.gov. Whether you're getting started or looking for more detailed guidance along the way, the entire Ticket to Work team is here to support you on your journey. 

And finally, we would like to announce our WISE webinar for April. On April 22, Debunking the three Biggest Myths About Working and Disability Benefits. This WISE webinar will be from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. You can register online at the Choose Work website or contact the Ticket to Work Help Line to register today.

Thank you again for attending, What is Ticket to Work? Today's WISE webinar has now ended.