Adults who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to a disability may be eligible for the Ticket To Work (TTW) program. If you are eligible for a Ticket To Work, you select a provider agency from an approved list – Vocational Rehabilitation or another Employment Network (EN) approved by SSA. These agencies work to help you reach your employment goals and enter or re-enter employment. A full list of all Employment Network Providers, WIPA service providers, and other resources can be found at Choose TTW.
Private organizations or government agencies (like Vocational Rehabilitation) that have agreed to work with Social Security to provide employment services and other support to beneficiaries with disabilities and state vocational rehabilitation agencies.
While the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services is an approved provider under the Ticket to Work, you can get help selecting a different provider through the Choose Work website. This website has many resources to help you, including a "Find Help" tool. You can access that tool at TTW Find Help Tool.
No. The Ticket To Work program is free and voluntary. You do not have to pay for services, and there is no penalty for not participating. The goal is to help people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to disability obtain employment and work toward greater independence and increased self-sufficiency.
No. You do not need to have the paper ticket to start working with an approved provider of vocational services and supports called an Employment Network (EN). The EN or state vocational rehabilitation agency you select can contact the operations support manager, MAXIMUS, to verify your eligibility to participate in the program.
No. Your ticket is assigned to one organization at a time. However, once you complete your program and have your case closed, your ticket may be assignable to a different EN for further services. Ticket assignability is only available to one organization at a time.
This website lists office contacts for the various services and locations at www.rehab.alabama.gov/Office-Locations. Select "Vocational Rehabilitation Service" under the services option, then select your county of residence from the drop-down box list. The office that serves your county will be indicated with street address, phone, toll free number, fax number, and TTY contact. Call and request an appointment with a rehabilitation counselor.
While your Ticket is assigned to a provider and you are meeting SSA’s definition of timely progress, Social Security cannot perform a medical "Continuing Disability Review" (CDR) to determine whether you continue to have a disability. Therefore, only your earnings from work can affect your benefit eligibility.
Once you have selected an agency to help you achieve your employment goal and your Ticket To Work is placed “in use” with the state vocational rehabilitation agency or is “assigned” to an Employment Network Provider, the Social Security Administration (SSA) cannot perform a medical "Continuing Disability Review" (CDR) to determine whether you continue to have a disability. However, once you place a TTW "in use," SSA conducts periodic reviews every 12 months to determine if you are making adequate progress toward your vocational goal. If you are not meeting SSA's standard at the time of the Timely Progress Review, you may be placed back in rotation for a CDR.
More information can be found at www.ChooseTTW.Net or at www.ssa.gov/work.
SSA requires VR agencies like ADRS to submit a request for ticket unassignment through an electronic process. To do this, your case must be closed. If your case is still open, you should contact your counselor and request case closure. The counselor notifies the state VR TTW coordinator and the information is transmitted to SSA. Closure letters are not required.
This will vary for each individual and can depend on the type of benefit you receive from SSA (either SSDI or SSI). Some work incentives can allow you to legally subtract certain amounts of earnings from your gross earnings. You can get help on the various work incentives through:
TTW National Help Line: 1-866-968-7842 (V) 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) M-F 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. EST
ADRS Benefits Counseling Services (in-state toll free): 1-877-816-4602
Online through the SSA Red Book: www.ssa.gov/redbook.
You should obtain help with this through either the SSA Red Book, which outlines work incentives available to SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients at www.ssa.gov/redbook; ADRS WIPA/Benefits Counseling Services; or the TTW National Help LIne at the numbers noted in the question above.
Call the toll-free Benefits Counseling Information and Referral line at 1-877-816-4602. A trained and certified community work incentive counselor will be glad to discuss your options.