WISE Ticket to Work Webinar
Debunking the Three Biggest Myths About Disability Benefits and Work
November 18, 2020

Speakers: Sarah Hyland (Moderator), Ray Cebula (Presenter)

SARAH>> Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Ticket to Work webinar, Debunking the Three Biggest Myths About Disability Benefits and Work. My name is Sarah Hyland, and I’m a member of the Ticket to Work team. I will be your moderator for today’s webinar.

We are so glad you are able to take the time to spend with us today and learn about Social Security’s Ticket to Work program and how it can help you as you start on the path to financial independence through work. 

Each of us has our own path to follow, and we hope you find some information today that will assist you in moving forward on your path to employment and financial independence.

Let’s get started by going over some of the functions of webinar platform so that you can interact and get the most information out of today.

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On the Adobe Connect platform, you will notice that on your screen there are four different boxes. These boxes are called pods. We have the presentation pod where the slides appear. Below that is the closed captioning pod. In the top right-hand corner, you will see the Q&A pod. And below the Q&A pod is the web links pod. We will talk about these pods in more detail in just a few moments.

If you need assistance navigating Adobe Connect, an Accessibility User Guide with a list of controls is available at http://bit.ly/adobe-accessibility. This link is also available in the web links pod at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen and is titled Adobe Accessibility User Guide. 

Real-time captioning is available and is displayed in the Captioning pod, which is the box that appears below the slide that is on your screen right now. The captioning link can also be found in the web links pod under the title Closed Captioning.

If you are fluent in ASL and would like support for today’s webinar, follow the link below that provides instructions to connect with an interpreter through the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Video Relay Service. That’s VRS, excuse me. The ASL User Guide can also be found in the web links pod under the title ASL User Guide.

We are here today to answer any questions you may have on the Ticket to Work program. Please send your questions to us at any time throughout the webinar by typing them into the Q&A pod. We will direct the questions to our speaker during the Q&A portions of our webinar. We will be addressing questions at three different points throughout today’s presentation. So go ahead and send in those questions, and we will do our best to get to as many of them as possible. If you are listening by phone and are not logged in to the webinar, you may ask questions by sending an email to Ticket to Work. The email address is webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. 

Another resource available that we think you will find extremely helpful in connecting to the different resources mentioned today is the web links pod which you will find at the bottom right-hand side of your screen. This pod lists all of the links to the resources presented during today’s webinar. To access any of these resources, you will simply highlight the topic that you are interested in and would like to connect to, and then select the Browse To button at the bottom of the pod. And then you will be taken to the website requested. If you are listening by phone and not logged in to the webinar or don’t have access to the web links pod, you can email the Ticket to Work email address, webinars@choosework.ssa.gov, or reference the confirmation email that you received for today’s webinar for a list of available resources. Also please note that SSA cannot guarantee and is not responsible for the accessibility of external websites. 

Today’s webinar is recorded, and a copy of it will be available within two weeks on the Choose Work website, which can be accessed at http://bit.ly/wise_ondemand. This link, as well as many others shared today, can be found in the web links pod and is titled Wise Webinar Archives. 

We hope everyone has a great experience on today’s webinar. However, if you run into any technical difficulties, please use the Q&A pod to send us a message or you can send us an email at the Ticket to Work email address, which is webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. 

As I mentioned earlier, my name is Sarah Hyland, and I am a member of the Ticket to Work team. I am excited to be here with you today as your moderator. We are also delighted to have Ray Cebula with us today to share his knowledge of the Ticket to Work program. 

Ray 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. He became part of Cornell University’s Work Incentive Support Center in 2000. And in 2005, he joined the staff of Cornell’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability where he now serves as the Program Director of YTI Online, which is Cornell’s work incentive practitioner credentialing program. 

And we would like to once again thank you for being with us today. Today we are going to discuss how Social Security’s Ticket program can help you and answer your questions related to Social Security disability benefits, Social Security’s Ticket to Work program and other work incentives. We are going to debunk the three biggest myths about disability benefits and work. And then we will put it all together, that’s the Ticket. And we will also share additional resources.

And with that, it is my pleasure to introduce Ray Cebula to start us off with the Ticket to Work program and support on your journey to work and service providers. Thank you, Ray.

RAY>> Thank you, Sarah. It’s good to be with everybody this afternoon.

We’re going to talk about the three myths, as Sarah pointed out, that prevent people from going to work. And hopefully convince you that they are not true. They are exactly what they are, is myths. The one thing I have to start out with is that we will not be taking any questions concerning Covid-19. There is a website I’m going to read to you now. It’s https://www.ssa.gov/coronavirus/. And that will give you all of the updates as far as Social Security is concerned about Covid-19 and may refer you over to the IRS or other government websites to get whatever else you need.

So, we’re going to stick to just the facts today and get into the Ticket to Work program and supporting your journey to work. And I emphasize “your” because it is your journey, and we want it to be yours.

And we’ve got two benefits programs that Social Security administers for folks with disabilities. The first one is Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. And it is an insurance program, just what it says. When you work and pay FICA taxes, you are becoming insured for disability. The same way you’re becoming insured for retirement. And as you work, your insurance status will continue to increase your benefit.

The other program is SSI. Now, Supplemental Security Income is a low-income, needs-based poverty program that is provided to people who aren’t currently insured, maybe they had a past work history and it was too far in the past, or have never worked. It’s a very, very different program. It’s not an insurance program, it is a poverty program that provides limited money to folks who are aged, blind, or disabled, and very low income. Both programs share the same definition of disability. And both programs have great work incentives. Meaning that if you do go to work, you’re not going to lose your benefits immediately. There are lots and lots of great programs that we’re going to talk about to help you get from a position of dependence on benefits to financial independence and work.

Now, to start this journey, as I said, it’s your journey, and only you can decide if work is the right choice for you. We can help give you information. We can give you scenarios. We can give you a lot of stuff. But you’re the person that makes the decision as to whether or not work is the right choice for you.

Why use the Ticket to Work? Well, it gets you a lot of extra supports that are at no cost to you for lots of reasons. You know, it’s going to provide somebody with some – a discussion about what you do want to do when you go to work. What’s your capacity for the number of hours you might want to work? Helping you build a plan to take concrete steps to a worksite. You know, is it time to talk about reasonable accommodations? Lots of things like that. And it’s great to have that support behind you.

And, remember, it’s all free, and it’s all voluntary. So, even after you get involved with this, the choice of moving forward is always up to you. We just want you to make an informed choice about this. 

The Ticket to Work program, free. Voluntary. Those are the key words. Offers career development for people aged 18 through 64 who receive a disability benefit from Social Security and want to work. The only requirement, you know, the biggest one is wanting to work. And we’re going to show you throughout the course of this webinar that when you work, you will always end up with more money because your employment team has a goal of making sure that work pays for every individual that they support.

Now the Ticket to Work connects you to the free employment services. And you have a ticket. Most of them are in the mail. They’re mailed to you. But at this point, some of you may have (inaudible) virtual tickets. You don’t need the piece of paper. We just need to contact the Help Line, find out if you do have a ticket. And the Help Line link is in your web links pod.

But what are we going to first sit down? We’re going to sit down, talk about is this right for you? How do you make this decision? What’s going to happen to your benefits when you have earned income? What’s going to happen to your healthcare when you are working? And, what is the end result? Is it more money or less money? And, again, it’s generally, overwhelmingly, more money. And sometimes a significant amount more.

How to prepare for work. Do you need training? Do you need a two-year degree? A four-year degree? All of that is possible. Help finding a job. You know where are the jobs located? You know, what – how far away are they? Do you need transportation arrangements made?

And once you have a job, we’re not leaving you at the front door of that store, that office, and saying, go bye, go bye-bye, work. We are there to make you succeed. So there are ongoing job supports that can be provided to you. We want you to leave us when you are ready to work on your own. That’s the end of the game.

So who are these providers? Who are these people who are your employment team? There are lots of them. Lots of them. The Ticket to Work service providers include employment networks. Workforce ENs. State vocational rehabilitation agencies. Benefits planners through the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program. And legal services, through Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security. And we’ve got slides on each of these, so I’m going to do this the way I’m supposed to rather than just talk about them, like I did last time.

An Employment Network is a private or public organization that has an agreement with Social Security to provide you with free employment services. You know, to eligible people. And we said 18 to 64, or over 64. It should be 18 to 65. 

Many state public workforce systems such as the American Job Centers are workforce employment networks. We used to call them One Stop Centers. You may still call them that. These folks are focused on employment for people with disabilities. And then you can figure out who serves your area by using the Find Help tool in the web links pod. And it’s going to give you a lot of information about who these ENs are. Who they serve. You know, what types of jobs they’ve given to people or they’ve found for people in the past. And you’re going to basically shop. You’re going to visit a couple. You’re going to phone call and have discussions with people. And when you find someone that you want to work with, sit down, have another discussion, and put a plan together. In either case, a Workforce EN or a private EN, you are going to build a plan together to get you from benefits into the workforce and dependent upon yourself. Which otherwise means you’re independent. These are great agencies. Social Security has done a wonderful job of making sure the ENs are doing their job and doing it very, very well.

So what can they help you with? You know, identifying your work goals. Did your disability prevent you from doing your past work or can we help re-teach you how to do that job differently? How many hours a week do you want to work? Do you want just a job or are you looking for this job to turn into a career? Self-employment is sometimes an option.

How about a resume? Everybody needs to have a resume who’s looking for a job. But you might have been on disability benefits for the last four years. How do you explain what happened during that time? The Employment Networks can talk to you and find out what you’ve been doing. Maybe you’ve been taking care of your grandkids. Or taking care of your sister’s kids, you know, while you were disabled but your sister was working. So, we do have something to put down, right? Child care. You’ve provided child care. And after four years, probably have a whole lot of skill at that. 

Preparing for interviews. You know, you do need practice to have an interview. Having gone cold into some myself, I know I made some horrible mistakes. It’s very important that you have questions to ask the employer. That’s what the Employment Network can help you build, can help you build that script that, you know, it’s the list of questions you’re going to ask. You know, when they say, do you have any questions for us? 

Reasonable accommodations. You know, reasonable accommodations opens up many things. You know, you do not have to disclose a disability during an interview. You know, you don’t have to request a reasonable accommodation until after you’ve been offered a job. You may not think you need one now but find out three months in that you do. What’s the best way to approach your employer about it? What is the accommodation that you need? The Employment Network can help you determine what those things are, and how much they cost so you’re fully prepared to have that discussion. 

And benefits counseling. Benefits counseling, you know, my opinion, it’s one of the most important things that you can have done. To let you know what’s going to happen. When I get my first paycheck, what does that mean? You know, you take on responsibilities in reporting to Social Security. You know your benefits are going to be affected, but wouldn’t it be better to know how? Wouldn’t it be better to know ahead of time when your benefits are going to drop? Or when you might hit zero dollars in benefits? But, know how much your earnings have increased your monthly income. It’s a plan, again, put together that lets you know what safety nets are available and how much better off you are going to be.

State VR agencies. They’re the big agencies. If you think of shopping mall, that’s Macy’s hanging out on the end. Big store. They can provide you with a variety of services. To return to work. To enter a new line of work. Or to enter the work for the first – workforce for the first time. And many of our SSI folks are doing that. It’s the first time they are looking for a job.

They also can also benefits planning. Many have agreements with Social Security and have built their internal capacity to do this as well. And it’s always good to know when you’re putting your vocational plan together, just like you do with your EN, when benefits are going to be affected. So that it doesn’t surprise you. You should be aware of what should happen when.

So, VR is going to take care of folks who need a lot of vocational rehabilitation. The EN community tends to be smaller, you know, and this is a state-funded and federally-funded agency that is likely to be able to provide you with a two-year degree or a four-year degree. Along with some durable medical equipment and training to rehabilitate you.

Make sure that your state has an agency. They may have an agency for people with physical and mental disabilities and a separate one for folks who are blind or visually impaired. Not all states do, but an awful lot of them have separate agencies. So you wouldn’t be going, necessarily, to the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission if you were blind. You would be going to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Make sure you contact the right ones. They’re all listed in that Find Help tool. 

What is Partnership Plus? This is, you know, I used to call it the greatest thing since sliced bread. And it’s, you know, it’s been around for a while. It’s been used wonderfully by lots of cities. Now what this allows you to do is go to the state agency and get the rehabilitation services you need. Get the education that you need. And when you are finished, you can take your Ticket to Work and move it to an employment network who can then help you determine what your capacity to work is going to be. How have the last three months of work been for you? If you think you can do more. Should we be doing less? And provides you with ongoing job supports to keep you at that job that VR found for you.

For the next six, seven months, you know, that Ticket still has value after VR is finished with it, and you can then assign it to an employment network. And that’s the best of both worlds. Because the employment networks are great for providing ongoing work supports that are necessary. 

And there’s the choosework.ssa.gov/library/partnership-plus. It’s going to be in your – I keep forgetting what this thing’s called – the web links pod as well. 

But check that out. It’s a really, really beneficial program.

Now, work incentive planning and assistance projects. These are the benefits planners. They’re called CWICs, Community Work Incentive Coordinators, who provide free services, free benefits-counseling services. Now, you know, and we know, that most people don’t just have SSI. Or SSDI. They have health benefits. There may be food stamp benefits. There may be public housing. You know, the benefits planner is going to look at all of those benefits and put a plan together so that if you’re in subsidized housing, you will know when your earnings is going to cause your rent to go up. That’s a good thing to know a year ahead of time so that you can prepare for that. 

But that benefits planner, again, is also going to make sure that you have sufficient money to do that. You know, we’re trying to make up for things through your work effort as well as making you better off and able to do what you want to in your community.

They are also in the business of dispelling these myths that we’re going to talk about. You know, they’re going to help you decide if the services of the Ticket program are going to be right for you. You don’t have to use your Ticket to get a job. You know, people – many people find jobs on their own and then come to a benefits planner and say, how is this income going to affect my benefits? So you don’t – you can use all of these people as part of your employment team or some of them. But this benefits planner, you know, is not just there to do a one-time job and say, okay, if you do X job and earn $2,000.00 a month, this is what’s going to happen for the next five or six years. 

You know, life happens. You know, that’s a big part of what happens when you’re planning that far out. So, you might need to come back and say, look, it’s November. Mr. Walmart offered me five hours extra until inventory is done in January. What’s going to happen if I say yes? That’s benefits planner will be there to answer those questions. And if in January Mr. Walmart says, that when really well, how about working full time? We go back and figure out what that is going to do to your benefits and healthcare situation.

So, this is a critical part of that return to work. Giving you the power of knowing what’s going to happen. And what the end result is every month.

So, who do these folks serve? The Ticket to Work Help Line will refer you, or you can use that help finder tool on the website. They’ll get you to the project that’s supposed to take care of your geographical area. 

If you’re currently working or currently self-employed, you’re eligible for services. If you have a job offer pending, you are eligible for these planning services. Or if you’re actively interviewing for jobs. And that means you’ve had an interview in the past 30 days or you have one scheduled within the next few weeks, you’re eligible for these services. These are also free services. And if you’re transition-age youth, between the ages of 14 and 25, in the very, very early planning stages for work, you are eligible to find out what happens when I get a paid work experience through my special education plan. And if that paid work experience works, what’s going to happen if I decide I want to work part time upon graduation? 

Wonderful, wonderful services for that particular age group.

Then we have yet another member of your team should you need them. The PABSS, Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries with Social Security. That was my last job in legal services before I joined Cornell. And we provided free legal services to people who received a Social Security disability benefit and had a disability-related employment issue. And so, we could provide legal support, which meant if you came in with a problem, we might just give you some information on how to handle it yourself. Or you may choose to handle it yourself, and we would give you that information. If you wanted some more help with talking to an employer, or you had something happen that required legal action, we could represent you. Employment discrimination issues. Overpayment issues. A wide variety. Anything that you consider a barrier to employment is something that that program can help with.

And there’s going to be an agency. In California it’s called Disability Rights California. In New York it’s Disability Rights New York. It will have that sort of name in every state and territory. And they’re going to help you resolve employment concerns with employers if you need that.

Another good place to talk about that reasonable accommodation so that you’re prepared or you have someone from the PABSS agency go with you to talk to your employer, you know, and explain, yes, this is what’s necessary, no it’s not going to cost a whole lot of money. And it will allow you to be a more productive worker.

Protecting your legal rights. Very, very important. One of my last cases, you know, was involved with that. And it was simply a matter of where the supervising was placing the weekly schedule. And my client happened to be in a wheelchair, and they placed the schedule at the top of the break room bulletin board. And my client couldn’t see it. And he asked that it be moved. And they kept putting it up higher. And when he missed a shift, he was fired. You know, that was something that was wrong. What was the reasonable accommodation? Move the piece of paper lower. How much did that cost? Nothing. But this gentleman was treated very poorly. And he did get his job back. And the supervisor got a slap on the wrist and was told exactly what he did wrong. So that was an important case.

Requesting reasonable accommodations again. What about college classes? What about training courses? You might accommodations for those. You know, Sarah told you that I have a training program. And very often we’ll have somebody with a disability who might need a little more time to do one of the tasks to get to credentialing. So, we talk. What do you need from us? You know, we have a captioner here today. Some of our training courses are fully captioned because someone needs that service.

So, and – and any other legally-based issue that’s based upon a disability that presents a barrier to employment.

What about these work incentives? You know, these are special rules that Social Security has that allow you to receive training for new skills if that’s what you want. Improve the skills you already have if that’s what you want or need. Pursue an education. Again, two-year degrees. Four years – four-year degrees. In some cases, advanced degrees. Try different jobs. If you don’t know exactly what you want to do, this program will allow you to try several jobs before you make a decision. Then start a career. You know, it may be that you don’t – you don’t want a job, you know, you want a career. And they’re two different things. You know, one invests more of you. A career invests more of you into your work than a job does. A job kind of lets you go at 5:00, and you don’t need to think about it. You know, maybe you want more than that. If you do, we can get it for you. 

And to gain confidence. You know, my guess is there’s more than one or two of you out there who aren’t sure that you can work at all. And my guess is that if we tried, you know, without any obligation, to get you a job, and you tried to work, and income started coming in from that, you would find that to be a better situation. And it’s – it never fails to surprise me how many people gain confidence and say, I want to start at ten hours a week. And it’s not many months before they come back to a planner and say, I want to work 20 hours a week. You know, once you get a taste of working, and once you get a taste of the extra money that it’s bringing in, it’s a good thing. It’s a very good thing.

So, how do you find these providers? Again, the Help Line is always there. And the number is here. I’m going to read the number for you. 1-866-968-7842. Or for TTY users, 866-833-2967. Or you can go into the Choose Work Find Help link. It’s the Find Help tool in your pod, and you can search by zip code, by the services office – offered by that employment network, or WIPA, or PABSS, or all of those programs we’ve talked about. What disability types do these people work with? You know, if you are looking for someone to help you and you have a physical disability, you don’t necessarily want to go to an employment network who only works with people who have mental disabilities. That’s not a good fit. So you can find out what types of disabilities these people work with. 

The languages that are available. You know, if you are more comfortable speaking in a language other than English, how can they provide you with these services? If they’re listed right on the website, clearly somebody in that office has someone speaking your language. Otherwise, how can this be made available to me?

As well as provider types. If right now you’re just interested in having benefits analysis done to see what would happen if, you’re only going to be looking for the WIPA programs. 

So, there’s – it’s – it is a good website, and its very user friendly. And I like to say that if I can do it, everybody can do it. And I can make that one work.

So, we’re at questions now. Do we have anything in the box?

SARAH>> Of course we do, Ray, we have lots of questions for you. So, we’re going to take a – a pause here and a few moments to address some of the questions. 

The first one that I have for you, Ray, is, how do I get a virtual Ticket to Work?

RAY>> I didn’t hear that one, Sarah. How do I – 

SARAH>> How do I get a virtual Ticket to Work?

RAY>> Oh, okay. The virtual Tickets were sent out, you know, they – they weren’t sent out at all. When the Ticket program started, everyone got a Ticket to Work. It was a piece of paper sent to people by Social Security. After a while, Social Security made them virtual so that you just had one. If you called the Help Line, they would tell you, yes, you have a Ticket. And the employment network that you would go to would then call and say, yes, you have a Ticket. They began again to send them out in paper I think around 2016 because people wanted to see them. They wanted to hold them. You know, you don’t need the piece of paper. But if you call the Help Line, you will know, they will let you know if you have a Ticket. And if you’re receiving a cash benefit, and are 18 through 64, you likely do have a ticket. So you can give that Help Line a call at any time. 

SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. The next question I have for you is, I have sent a letter to SSA notifying them I have returned to work. Can I begin reporting my income immediately? 

RAY>> If you sent a letter to SSA telling them that you’re returning to work, I mean, the offices aren’t open right now, so you can start reporting your income. And you can do that via the mail. The first thing that you need to let Social Security know is how much you’re making. You know, you need to give them the information that who your employer is, where they’re located, what your hourly rate is going to be, how many hours a week you’ll work, you know, and when you get paid. So, there’s some basic information that you need to give Social Security. Once that’s provided to Social Security, you do need to report your income. You can do that by telephone, through the 1-800 number. You can do that by mail, you know, and send – just always keep a copy of what you’re sending to Social Security. Social Security will provide you with a receipt for that. You’ve got to keep track of that as well, so don’t just let those receipts go away.

But, yeah, you do have to start reporting your income. And you’re responsible for reporting your income before the tenth of the next month. So, if you work the month of November, when you figure out what your gross wages were for November, you must report them by December 10. So that’s your deadline. 

There are other ways to report. You can use special apps that are on the phone. You can use a My Social Security account to report. But initially you’ve got to get that employer information to Social Security. And the best way right now is to do that in writing or to call the Help Line or the 1-800 number. They will get that information – they’ll take that information from you to get your reporting system set up.

That’s a very good question.

SARAH>> All right. And, so, follow up with that, the SSA offices are closed, but they are taking phone calls. So call the SSA 800 number, like you said.

RAY>> Yeah.

SARAH>> And ssa.gov, if you go there, you will be able to find the local number online for your local office. Just to follow up your answer, of course. I have another – 

RAY>> Yeah. And while you’re – while you’re on – 

SARAH>> Go ahead. I’m sorry.

RAY>> And while you’re online, I think you should also set up a My Social Security account. That gives you a lot of good information that you could, you know, provide to benefits planners, or ENs, or just to check and see if everything looks okay. So, do that as well.

SARAH>> Okay. And I want to follow up with the number, which is 1-800-772-1213, before we move on. And thank you for that additional information and advice, Ray.

The next question that I have for you before we move on with more information is, if you know you will never have substantial gainful activity, or SGA, is the Ticket to Work the right program for me?

RAY>> If you know that’s the case, it probably isn’t. You know, it’s probably better to go with a benefits planner to figure out what will happen to your cash benefits, and your healthcare, and all of the other benefits that you have. Employment networks are paid by Social Security based upon your performance. And part of that performance measure is using, you know, working at trial work levels, and using that trial work period. And then working at SGA levels for so many months in a year. And it continues on. So, if you’re working with an employment network, you’re looking to work your way off of benefits. So, someone who’s never going to be able to perform SGA would most likely be more helped by a benefits planner.

SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. And we are going to go ahead and move forward with more information. Thank you for the thorough answers to the questions sent in. We will definitely be taking more time to answer questions throughout today. 

And I am going to turn things back over to you, Ray, so that you can debunk the first myth about disability benefits and work. Thank you.

RAY>> All right. This is the fun part. Debunking these myths. You know, the – as I always like to tell people, the street talks very loudly, but the street is often wrong. And when it comes to Social Security, they’re often – the street is often very wrong. 

Myth number one. If I go to work, I will automatically lose by Medicare or Medicaid. That could not be further from the truth. That is absolutely false. As long as you’re receiving a benefit payment, whether it’s SSDI or SSI, you keep your Medicare or Medicaid. Or both if you have both. If your payments stop because of your earnings, you can still keep your Medicare and Medicaid by using work incentives, and we’ll talk about some of those. You know, there are extended Medicare programs, you know, where, yeah, you may have to pay the premiums because your income has gone up high enough to allow you to do that. That’s something a planner will help you with. Making sure you have enough money to pay for those things. But that can keep your Medicare going for seven-and-a-half years after your trial work period is over. That’s a long time. That’s enough time for you to be really entrenched in work, possibly working full time, with an employer-provided health plan. So we’re making sure all of the gaps are filled before anything ends. 

The state buy-in programs. Forty-five states have buy-in programs. And this allows you, based on your earnings, to pay a small premium for Medicaid coverage. So, if you lose your SSI because of earnings, you’ve just switched to a different category and you’ll continue earning. At some point, the buy-in program will be available for you. But many times, if you, you know, look at some of the state limits, you know, they’re $30,000.00, $40,000.00, $50,000.00 before you end up having to pay for Medicaid. And the premiums are based on your income and very reasonable. 

So, losing healthcare is very hard. You have to be working a lot. And if you’re working a lot, and making a lot of money, that employer health plan is available. And the Medicaid buy in could potentially be available to fill any holes that exist.

And remember, when it comes time to consider those employer plans, your benefits planner is going to be there. They may not be the person that helps you determine which plan is going to meet your medical needs, but they’re going to get you in touch with an expert that will provide a free consultation to do just that. Because we’ve got to make sure your needs are going to be met by whatever plan you’re on.

Medicaid while you’re working. I told you that at some point you’re going to be earning too much to get an SSI cash payment. When that happens, you switch categories. You become a 1619(b) SSI recipient. And you don’t get cash, you just get Medicaid. Now, again, this program varies by state, but you can earn up to - Connecticut is up to $60,000.00. You know, it’s a very expensive state to live in. Most of them are in the $35,000.00 to $45,000.00 range. But you keep your Medicaid until you hit that level.

Now, if you do hit the level, you can request an individualized threshold. So for those of you who might have personal care attendants, or a lot of durable medical equipment, you know, you’re more expensive than the average Medicaid recipient. So Social Security can figure out a higher threshold based on your actual medical needs.

The Medicaid buy-in program, again this is dependent upon your state. Forty-five states have them. And these are fabulous programs. They are absolutely fabulous. It allows you to purchase Medicaid based on a sliding-fee scale. And that scale continues up and up and up. You know, I think the last time I saw Massachusetts, you know, where I used to work, saw their scale, it went up to $120,000.00, at which point you were basically buying Medicaid. But you got 125 – you know, $120,000.00 in income to do that with. You know, these are incredible programs. I’m not sure what the other five states are thinking about not having them. I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t have – rather have people working and paying a premium. You know, they’re small, and they have healthcare. You can’t work without healthcare.

Now, on the Title II side, on the SSDI side, we have Medicare. And the first thing I mentioned on the other slide was the extended period of Medicare coverage. That’s the seven-and-a-half-year period after your trial work period is over. Now, if you are not performing substantial gainful activity and it’s still being paid, the Medicare premiums come out of your disability payment. And I like to reinforce that. You are paying for Medicare now. Your premium is just being taken out of your benefits. What happens if you perform SGA is that there is no check payable to you. So you’re eligible for zero dollars in SSDI. You, then, have to pay that premium out of pocket. It is the benefits planner’s job to ensure that you have enough money to do that.

And then Medicare for disability – for people with disabilities who work, after that seven-and-a-half years, if you lose your – your about to lose Medicare, there is a buy-in program for that, too. And if you’re still disabled and are working, you can pay for those premiums as well.

So, we’re talking a very, very long time before anything is going to seriously threaten healthcare.

1619(b), we’ve talked about this a little. What are the requirements? You were eligible for SSI cash for at least one month. You’re still disabled. You meet the non-disability requirements, meaning your resources are still below $2,000.00 or $3,000.00. You need Medicaid to be able to continue to work. And your earnings are below the state threshold. You know, you can go on – you can even Google that. If you want to Google state threshold, that’s going to come up. 

And we’ve got to move a little bit faster.

The Medicaid buy-in programs, I told you, state by state. You’ll have to apply for this. And when you go to your state Medicaid agency, make sure that you describe the program properly. In New York it’s Medicaid buy-in for working people with disabilities. Naming that program, finding out what it’s called in your state, is going to go a long way to make sure you get into the right program. But this is a fabulous program. Again, small premium, and you continue your healthcare.

The extended period of Medicare coverage, that 93 months is going to take care of hospital insurance, Medicare Part A, supplemental medical insurance, Part B for regular doctor visits, and Part D, prescription drug plan, if you’re enrolled. So, they’re going to take care of all of that. But remember, you’ll continue, as your income goes up and Title II benefits disappear, you have to pay for those premiums. And the benefits planner is the person who will make sure you’ve got enough earnings to do that and still be able to get a pizza on Friday.

Now to qualify, you have already had Medicare benefits as a person with a disability, and now you’re working at substantial gainful activity. But you still have to remain disabled. So Social Security has not done a review and said you are no longer – you no longer meet the disability standard.

Medicare for people with disabilities who work. This is the buy-in program for Medicare. So you have to be under age 65. Because at 65, people are no longer disabled, they are aged. And different qualifications for Medicare kick in. You have to continue to have that disabling impairment. And Medicare stops because of earnings. Notice that’s our theme. Your benefits stop because of earnings from work. You can continue to purchase these programs. And they’re not that much money. When you get into the down-and-dirty details, if you’ve worked for a while, you’re earning those quarters of coverage, you’re earning that insurance. If you’ve got enough insurance status, these benefits are going to be pretty reasonable.

For more information, call Social Security for that buy-in Medicare program on that 1-800-772-1213. Or TTY users, 800-325-0778.

There are also some state programs. You’re going to need your Medicare number. That might help you pay some of these premiums. They’re called Medicare Savings programs. And it basically is where the state Medicaid office would pay these premiums for you to keep you on Medicare. Always check that out because sometimes the resource levels are higher, sometimes the income levels are higher. 

All right. Did I catch up, Sarah?

SARAH>> You did great, Ray. We are going to transition into some more questions from our audience. And the first one I have for you is, if I have a medical review letter from Social Security, am I still able to participate in the Ticket to Work program?

RAY>> Absolutely. You know, those medical reviews are scheduled on a regular basis by Social Security depending on your individual situation. If you have a letter that says we’re reviewing your medical situation, you can still participate. That medical review will happen. The good thing about using your Ticket, if it’s at VR, we call it In Use status. If it’s at an employment network, we call it assigned. If your Ticket is assigned, those medical reviews are suspended. Now you said you had a medical review letter. You can’t run to an EN and stop it from happening. But you can get your Ticket assigned to potentially stop the next one.

That’s a great way to build comfort. You’re working. You’re making progress. And you don’t have to worry about those medical reviews. So, I think that’s an extra, added benefit to using your Ticket.

SARAH>> Okay, Ray. On to the next question I have for you from the audience. What can I do if I feel I have been discriminated against by a potential employer?

RAY>> Okay. That – if you feel that, it’s probably right. Because the employers are limited as to what questions they can ask you about your disability during the interview process. Most of the larger employers know. Some of them don’t, and they’ll make an inquiry. You know, it’s not right for them to say, you know, to ask you, what are you not going to be able to do because of your disability? Are you going to be able to keep pace with other people without disabilities? Those types of questions are very inappropriate. And when somebody asks you that, you can talk to the Protection and Advocacy Agency, that PABSS program we talked about. You know, and there could be remedies. You know, for – for – you might get the job, you know. And, at that point, the question is, do you want to pursue your remedies? You might end up with a complaint being filed against the employer for inappropriate conduct during the interview. But they – if that happens, and you feel it, you’re – you’re going to know it. And you should at least talk to the PABSS agency.

SARAH>> Okay, Ray. I have one final question for you before we keep moving on with the debunking the myths. And it is a perfectly-timed question being, with the holidays coming up, how would you recommend I handle reporting my income for a seasonal job since my hours will be unpredictable?

RAY>> Well, you know, the basic rule is, keep track. Keep track of the hours that you work during the month, and each week, you know, keep a journal. When you come home from work, I worked six hours today. I worked four hours yesterday. And then on Friday, if you’re paid on Fridays, write down what your gross wages are. And at the end of the month, you would report that to Social Security. 

You know, the holiday season is here. November through January. You know, your hours could be varying greatly each month. You need to report every month, as soon as you’re ready to. If you keep a log like I suggested, you’ll be ready on December 1 because you’ve just got to add up the hours, and add up the paychecks to make that report. And the quicker you do that, you know, do it early and often. You know, that’s what you need to do to report that if your income – if your income and hours are varying a lot. You have to do it every month so Social Security can keep up with those changes. If you don’t tell them, they’re going to find out from the IRS in a couple of years. And we don’t want that to happen.

SARAH>> Okay, Ray. Although I do have more questions, for you, we are going to stop and find out what the two remaining biggest myths about disability benefits and work are. And turn it back over to you.

RAY>> All right. Let’s get to myth number two. If I use my Ticket to go to work, Social Security will conduct a medical review of my case and I will lose my benefits. 

Well, I guess I stole my own thunder, didn’t I? That’s absolutely not true. If you’re using your Ticket to Work, you are protected from those medical reviews. They’re suspended. And, as I said, it’s a great work incentive. Because, you know, having represented people for a long, long time, people do not go through these CVRs without getting upset. And it makes sense because your lifelines are being threatened. So what you can do if you’re using your Ticket to Work is forget about that. It’s not going to happen, so you don’t need to worry about it. To that myth is telling you exactly the opposite of what is true. We’re not looking to pull the rug out from under you if you’re using your Ticket to try to get off the benefits rolls. We’re going to stop that so you don’t have to worry and can focus on your return to work. And that’s one of the best protections a Ticket to Work has.

So let’s go on. I thought I was answering a question. I went into question mode there. 

Again, let’s talk about what happens if you receive the notice first. If you receive a notice before you’re using your Ticket, that medical review will happen. Social Security will be made aware that you have assigned your Ticket to Work. And I tend to think that helps you a little bit when they’re looking at what’s going on because you’re trying to do this. And we’re more inclined to let you try to go back to work than to pull that rug out from under you.

You have to be making timely progress, too. We talked a little bit about that, but there’s going to be a plan. And you have to be cooperating with that plan, and making the levels of income that that plan calls for over a period of time in order to be protected. So, it’s not just assigning your Ticket, or putting it In Use with VR, you have to be actively working and making progress towards your goal. And that’s going to protect you. That’s the protection. That’s what we ask to bend the rules for you. The timely progress reviews happen approximately every 12 months. And Social Security is going to look. There is a chart that tells you what is required. And I believe the first 12 months you need to have worked at trial work levels for three of those months. You need to have finished your GED or finished high school. You need to have finished about half of a year of college. Social Security will look at what you’ve done, and if you’ve met at least 90% of those goals, you’re okay. And we continue on for another year until you’re reviewed again.

The employment network is going to be watching you, too, because, remember, the employment network is only going to get paid if you’re keeping your timely progress going. And, you know, it’s kind of a contract with you. Have a silent contract between you and the EN. They are giving you free services. You’re going to make progress so they can get paid by Social Security. 

Well, I did that, didn’t I? Did I get it right? Let’s see. During that first year, that 12-month review, three out of 12 months at trial work levels. This year that’s $910.00. Completed 60% of a full course load. If you’re looking for a degree or you’re working towards a technical trade or vocational program. So, I was a little bit off on that one. But with each 12-month review, the work requirements and the educational requirements are going to increase. The educational requirements eventually will drop off because you got your training, you’ve gotten your certificate from trade school. You know, and you’ve gotten your degree. Then we focus on work. And the work requirements are there because you signed up for this plan and your goal was to get off of the benefits. And that’s – this plan is going to help you do that.

It's not – it’s not a year plan. It’s not a two-year plan. You know, but the chart goes up to seven years. And we can make it longer than that if necessary. It’s a very, kind of, free-floating program with lots of requirements. But it’s – to do this at your comfort level.

If you don’t meet the timely progress requirements, you can still participate. What happens is that the CDR protection is removed. So, let’s say, for instance, you’re receiving a cash benefit. You’re participating with an employment network on your plan. You are making timely progress. And then you have an exacerbation in your medical condition. Your doctor says, three months you can’t work. You would then not be making timely progress. As a result, Social Security can do a continuing disability review. But in that case, if the slow-down in work was caused by an exacerbation, that seems to be the best time to have one of these, to have that work review because you can’t work. Your disability is flaring up. It’s not getting better.

So learn more about the timely progress rules at the site on the web here, on screen. And in your link pod at Timely Progress Review. You’re going to have to be aware of what those rules are.

Here’s the last myth today. If Social Security payments stop because I go to work, and then I have to stop because my disability acts up again, I will have to apply all over again. That’s not the case at all. Social Security has fixed that with this Ticket to Work act and has a new work incentive just to take care of that. It’s called Expedited Reinstatement – I keep erasing things. I’ve got to stop moving that thing. Expedited Reinstatement, or EXR. This is a post-termination entitlement. It’s because you were successful. So successful that Social Security was able to terminate your benefits. And you continued to work. Now there’s a safety net out there even though you’re not getting benefits. For the next five years, and if at any time during that five years after the month of termination, or I should say beginning with the month of termination, your income drops below SGA or you have to stop working, you can apply for EXR. You must not be working at SGA levels according to Social Security’s definition, and that’s about to change in January, when you apply for EXR. 

But the benefits of EXR are pretty good. You notice this second bullet here. It allows you up to six months of temporary cash benefits while Social Security is making up their mind if you’ve been – if you can be reinstated or not. You may also be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid during this provisional period. If you’re a Title II beneficiary on SSDI, if your kids are still eligible, or your dependent spouse is still eligible, those benefits have to wait until you are reinstated. But six months’ worth of benefits. And this is a fast program. It’s November 18, so we are likely past the date where Social Security has the December payments ready to be issued. So we could, if we apply for November – on November 18, expect a payment on January 1. And those payments will be made until Social Security makes a decision. If they make a decision in month three, you get three months’ worth of temporary cash benefits and you’re in regular payment. 

So this money comes through really quick. It’s not like the first time you applied and had to wait and go through hearings. It’s a fast on. So we’re protecting you after you have been terminated. I still can’t, for the life of me, think of another program where that happens.

So, put it together. That’s the Ticket. You know, we’ve got lots of reasons, I think, for you to think real seriously about starting your journey to work. You know, again, only you can make this decision. And it’s a big one. It requires that you understand how working is going to affect your disability benefits and your other benefits. And, potentially, find support to keep that job. But we’ve given you all of the players. You know your employment team is out there if you choose to build it and take a shot. Again, notice 20 work incentive programs that Social Security has in place to help you transition. And we are all about making this happen as fast as you want or as slow as you want. You know, to make you comfortable with this transition.

If you’re eligible for SSI, there is a set of work incentives that apply to that program. If you’re eligible for SSDI, there is a set of work incentives that apply to that program. If you have both benefits, both sets of work incentives apply to each benefit. Now, you’re going to have to – those people who receive both SSI and SSDI really need a benefits planner because it gets very confusing. It’s not – it’s not not doable. It is infinitely doable. And I want you to take a look at choosework@ssa.gov and look at ssa.gov/theredbook. So, take a look at some of these work incentives. They are amazing things. And if you take – and you can take advantage of as many of them as you can. And they can really help you make that transition easy.

Now, I love the success stories. I am a big one for success stories. And Hazel is our newest success story. After years of struggling with mental health and addiction, Hazel found the support she needed to create a path to recovery and work towards financial independence. You can learn how she did that, and how she achieved her goals, by looking at that website posted on there. In the web links pod, it’s Hazel’s Success Story. And there are other success stories in there so that you can look at how people did this and got off of benefits, and are working independent of government assistance. And it – it – you’ve just got to look at some of them. You know, it gives you goose bumps. It gives you goose bumps.

Now, what did Hazel say about her story? Employment brought about a real turning point for me. It has been a critical part of my recovery. Make no mistake. Recovery is something you give away every day. The work I do here allows me to share my recovery with those who need it most.

That’s a great happy ending to me. And I wish Hazel continued success. And we can help you all do that. You know, all you have to do is make the decision to give it a shot.

SARAH>> Thank you.

RAY>> And we’re back to questions.

SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. Thank you for sharing Hazel’s story with us. We, like you said, are going to stop here and address a couple more of the questions we have. 

The first I have for you is, I have been on SSDI for a few years now. Do I need to meet any specific criteria before I can work full time?

RAY>> Nope, you don’t. Other than, you know, if you want to use your Ticket to Work to return to work, you just have to be ready to make that choice. I assume you have a Ticket to Work. And if you make the choice to use that Ticket, you can get involved with VR or an EN. If you choose not to use that Ticket and just find work, I’d suggest you meet with a benefits planner. But there’s nothing to stop you right now other than your willingness to give it a shot.

SARAH>> The next question I have for you, Ray, is, what happens if I start work but find that I cannot continue due to my disability? 

RAY>> Okay. There are – it depends on when that happens. If you are still working toward your goal and can’t do – continue with your plan because of your disability, no harm, no foul. You go back to being a beneficiary. Your benefits are still in place. And you wait until you feel a little better and perhaps try again. You know, you may find out, like that earlier person did, that you can’t work above SGA. You may have a break up with your employment network at that point, but you can still talk to a benefits planner to see how that lower earnings level is going to affect your benefits.

If you are, you know, beyond the point where you’ve been terminated because of work, remember there’s that five-year period for expedited reinstatement so that you can get back onto benefits quickly if your income drops below SGA or you have to stop working because of your disability. 

So we’re watching out for you.

SARAH>> Okay. Thank you, Ray. The next question is, how do I find information about ENs that provide services in my area?

RAY>> All right. You can call the Help Line, and they’ll help you. Or there is the Find Help tool in the web links pod that will bring you to the Social Security Choose Work website. And you can search, again, by zip code to see which employment networks will help you. And sit down and give it a good read because they’re all a little bit different. And if you want to meet with someone, I mean, you’re going to be meeting virtually for a while, but if you want someone, you know, within a 25-mile range so that eventually you can sit down and talk to somebody, you know, that’s what you’re looking for. You know, you could look – you can work virtually with some of these employment networks who cover the entire country. But give a read to see what each one can provide and determine which ones you’re going to call. And call a couple of them. That’s what the Ticket is all about. Making this your employment team. Not a team that we toss together for you.

SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. I have another question for you. Can I use work incentives even if I find a job on my own and don’t work with a Ticket to Work service provider like a VR agency or EN?

RAY>> Absolutely. The work incentives are there. And I like to say work incentives happen. You know, if you return to work, there are certain work incentives that are just going to begin to occur. If you’re on SSI, when you report your income, your benefits are going to decrease. There’s a formula that counts less than half of what you earn. And it reduces your benefits a bit. If you’re on SSDI, you may be using a trial work period. If you go back to work and earn $1,000.00 a month, your trial work period starts whether you’re using y our Ticket to Work or not. So, yes, all those work incentives are fair game. And the benefits planners are there to help you navigate those. 

SARAH>> Okay, Ray. The next question I have for you is, if I am able to find a job on my own, would participating in the Ticket program still benefit me?

RAY>> You know, it could potentially benefit you. You know, if you found the job on your own, and you need ongoing supports for that job, whether it be a job coach for a little bit, some type of medical equipment that might help you, or if you’re interested in requesting a reasonable accommodation, yeah, that Ticket could help you. You know, you would find an employment network who could pick up where you are and potentially, you know, again, put a plan together for you, and you would be making progress in accordance with that plan so that the employment network gets paid. 

But most certainly, yeah.

SARAH>> All right. We’re going to move right on to the next question for you, Ray. Do state thresholds change frequently?

RAY>> Not frequently, but they tend to change every year. You know, we will find out probably in March or April. Because the thresholds we’re talking about have a lot to do with what the SGA level is for next year, how much it costs to zero out your SSI. And then we need money from each state to determine what the average cost for Medicaid was for a person with a disability living in the community. So, there’s a lot that goes into that. And I expect in March or April we will see the thresholds change. And they can go up or down. You know, they generally don’t change a whole lot, but they can go up or down depending on what that state Medicaid expenditure was.

SARAH>> All right. Ray, I have another question for you. How do I know if I qualify for expedited reinstatement, EXR?

RAY>> Well, you have to have been terminated from benefits. And that means you are no longer eligible for anything from Social Security. And you have to stop working or your income has to fall below the substantial gainful activity level because of the original disability that you had before termination or something closely related to it. And you have to – that has to happen within five years of your termination. So those are the qualifications for EXR.

SARAH>> All right, Ray. Thank you so much. Unfortunately, we are out time for questions for today’s webinar. I just want to thank the audience for all of the great questions that we had today, and we hope that we provided you with your – with answers about the Ticket to Work program. And, again, many thanks to Ray for being with us today and sharing his knowledge on the Ticket to Work program.

Thanks, Ray.

RAY>> Thank you. It’s good to talk with you all.

SARAH>> Of course. And we’ll see you in December.

RAY>> All right.

SARAH>> Okay. Social Security’s Ticket to Work program has a number of service providers and other resources ready to help you get started. To get a list of providers in your area, or to get answers to questions that you may have about the Ticket to Work program and other work incentives, you can contact the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842. Or for TTY, 1-866-833-2967. Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. Or you can visit the Ticket to Work website at choosework.ssa.gov any time.

You can also find us on social media or subscribe to the blog and email updates by visiting choosework.ssa.gov/contact/index.html. This link appears in the web links pod under Ticket to Work Contact Information. 

To get advice and encouragement and read success stories from people who have had success with help from the Ticket to Work program, you can receive text messages from the Ticket program. Go ahead and text ticket – T – I – C – K – E – T – to 474747. Standard messaging rates may apply, and you may opt out at any time.

Please join us for our next WISE webinar, Ticket to Work and Mental Health, which will be held on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Registration is open, and we look forward to having you attend. To register online, go to choosework.ssa.gov/wise, or you can call 1-866-968-7842, or, for TTY, 1-866-833-2967. 

And your feedback is very important to us and helps us plan for future webinars. Please provide your feedback and tell us what you think about today’s webinar by taking our survey. To take the survey, you can follow the link that will pop up after the webinar or visit the Ticket to Work website to complete the survey. This survey can also be found in the web links pod.

Thank you again for attending today to learn about the Ticket to Work program. Please take the opportunity to reach out to any of the resources we discussed today, and take the next step in your career path.

This concludes today’s webinar, and I hope you have a wonderful evening. Thank you.