Honoring Those Who Have Served

Each November 11, the country celebrates and honors the men and women who have served in the U.S. military.

November 11 was originally established as Armistice Day to celebrate the Allies' victory in World War I. After World War II, a veteran from Alabama started organizing events and festivities on Armistice Day to honor and celebrate all people who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, during World War I or otherwise. This idea sparked the evolution of the holiday to what we know it as today. And in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill into law that established Armistice Day as a holiday honoring all American veterans, not just those who had served in World War I. Congress renamed the day Veterans Day just a few days later.

Today, in honor of Veterans Day, some businesses and companies close, there are parades, and many stores and restaurants offer discounts for veterans. We also encourage you to reach out to someone you know who has served in the military to thank them for their service.

Helping those who have served

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI) and want to work. Through this free and voluntary program, people who are eligible can connect with authorized service providers to receive the support they need to succeed in the workforce.

The Ticket program recognizes that military experience includes training and skills that many civilian employers look for in employees. For veterans with disabilities who receive Social Security disability benefits, the Ticket program offers supports and services to help identify and leverage transferable skills and transition these to the civilian workplace.

If you're a veteran who receives Social Security disability benefits and you're looking for a job in the civilian workplace, a Ticket program service provider can help you:

• Review your resume and make sure that you've included such transferable skills and traits as leadership, organization, flexibility and time management
• Practice interview skills to help you discuss how your military experience makes you a strong job candidate
• Decide if disclosing your disability and requesting accommodations is right for you
• Review your disability benefits and learn about Social Security Work Incentives to help you make an informed decision about finding work

Finding supports and services

Finding a Ticket program service provider is easy. You can connect with a service provider in one of 2 ways:

1. Call the Ticket to Work Help Line. Our representatives can answer questions about your benefits and the effect earning income may have on them. They can also send you a list of Ticket program service providers to help you get started on your return to work. To connect with the Ticket to Work Help Line, call 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET (TTY).
2. Use the Find Help Our Guided Search will ask you a series of questions about your goals, experience — including military service — and the types of services and supports you may be looking for to help you identify the type of service provider that best fits your needs. Once you've completed the questions, you'll find a list of service providers who serve your area. Or you can search directly for a service provider in your area or one that offers services virtually using the Direct Search feature. With either search function, you can use our menu of filters to narrow your results to help you find a service provider who serves a particular work goal, disability, or language — or find service providers who have specific experience working with veterans.

In addition to finding a service provider, you can also explore the Choose Work website to find resources for and stories about veterans who have found success with help from the Ticket program:

• Ticket to Work for America’s Veterans: Learn more about Ticket program and other Social Security supports and services that are available for veterans interested in finding work.
• Robert's Ticket to Work Success Story: Robert served for 7 years in the U.S. Army, and when a spinal cord injury from a surgery mishap took him out of work, a Ticket program Employment Network (EN) helped him find his path back to the workforce.
• Renate's Ticket to Work Success Story: Renate left her job after experiencing multiple disabilities. Her Ticket program EN helped her recognize that her experience serving in the U.S. Army's Military Police gave her transferable skills and regain the confidence she needed to return to work.

Thank you to the men and women who have served our country. Join the Ticket program in celebrating and honoring America's veterans this Veterans Day and throughout the year.

Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.