Talking About Ticket

Do you work with or provide services to people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI)? If so, knowing more about Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program may enable you to help these people as they think about and pursue their work goals.

Each month, we receive questions from organizations and people who provide services to people with disabilities about work and benefits, Ticket program supports and services and how someone who's interested in working can get started. Today, we're discussing how you can use the Choose Work website to learn more about the Ticket program and help others find the support they're looking for.

What is Ticket to Work?

The Ticket program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. Through this free and voluntary program, people who are eligible can work with Ticket program service providers, like State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies or Employment Networks (EN), to receive supports and services they need to pursue work and financial independence.

Ticket program service providers offer a variety of supports and services to help jobseekers with disabilities, ranging from resume writing and interview prep to accommodation requests (during the interview and/or on the job) and continued support once someone has started working. Many service providers also offer benefits counseling through certified Benefits Counselors, who can help someone better understand how earning an income will affect their benefits and discover Work Incentives that may help them on the path to financial independence.

Finding information

The Choose Work website can help you find information and resources that can help jobseekers with disabilities as they look for work and transition to the workplace.

Check out and share:

• Choose Work! blog: Weekly blog posts share Social Security and Ticket program updates, job search advice, and financial resources. Subscribe now to receive email updates about new posts!
• Ticket to Work success stories: Accounts of how real people have used the Ticket program and Work Incentives to find their path to work.
• WISE webinars: Our monthly Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE) webinars are free, online events. Guests present information about the Ticket program and specific employment topics, like reasonable accommodations, federal employment and self-employment. Can't attend during our live event? Recent WISE webinars are also available to watch at your convenience by checking out our WISE archives. Subscribe to receive WISE details directly to your inbox so you can learn about upcoming topics and share registration details with the people you work with.
• Choose Work Library: Frequently asked questions (FAQs), fact sheets and other resources can help you share information about the Ticket program and Social Security rules to help an eligible jobseeker get started. Send your eligible clients and those you serve to the website or print a few copies of our FAQs to have on hand in your office to share.
• Ticket to Work Tutorials: Our self-paced learning modules can help eligible beneficiaries who are thinking about work, searching for a Ticket program service provider, transitioning to the workplace or making progress toward financial independence.

Do you have an employment section on your website? Linking to the Ticket program's Choose Work website can help people who are eligible for the Ticket program access information they need to start making progress toward their work goals.

Getting started

If you know an eligible person who'd be interested in the Ticket program, you can tell them about 2 ways they can get started.

1. The Ticket to Work Help Line: Ticket program representatives can help callers find answers to their questions about working and their benefits — or even send them a list of service providers that offer the supports and services they need to find work. The Ticket to Work Help Line is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. To connect with a representative, call 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY).
2. The Find Help tool: If a beneficiary is ready to start working with a Ticket program service provider, the Find Help tool can help them find the right one. The Direct Search feature allows users to find service providers by type of provider, location and even services offered. Or the Guided Search feature asks the user a series of questions to help determine what kind of service provider may fit the user's needs best.

Is your organization looking to hire? Do you know of businesses that have inclusive hiring policies? Use the Find Help tool to connect with Ticket program service providers in your community. They can help you find qualified local jobseekers with disabilities who are ready and looking for work. Jobseekers who are participating in the Ticket program may continue to receive supports and services from their Ticket program service provider after they are hired.

Staying connected

Find us on social media! By following us on Facebook and Twitter, you can find more information and resources to share with the people you serve. We post updates about the Ticket program and other Social Security news, and we help our followers discover new resources that may help them find work, request job accommodations, and succeed on the path to financial independence. Share our posts with your followers to help them find the information they're looking for!

• Like us on Facebook: @Choose Work!
• Follow us on Twitter: @ChooseWorkSSA
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel