What the Ticket to Work Program Does

The Ticket to Work program lets you work and earn money while keeping your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, even if you earn more than the usual limits. You receive a "ticket" — a document that proves you are in the program — and use it to work with an employment network or vocational rehabilitation agency. If work does not work out, you can return to benefits without reapplying or waiting for a new decision.

The program exists because many people on disability benefits fear that working will cost them their income and health insurance. Ticket to Work removes that risk for a set period. You keep your benefits while you work, and if you stop working or your earnings drop, your benefits restart automatically without a new medical review.

Key Takeaways

  • You must be receiving SSDI or SSI and be between 18 and 64 years old to join Ticket to Work.
  • Once you have a ticket, you can work with an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency to find and keep a job.
  • Your benefits continue while you work, and you keep Medicare or Medicaid even if your earnings would normally end them.
  • If you stop working or your work plan ends, your benefits restart without a new medical review, as long as you report the change within 60 days.
  • You must report your work activity to Social Security every month, and your employment provider reports your progress to the program.

Who Can Join Ticket to Work

You must be receiving SSDI or SSI and be between 18 and 64 years old. You do not have to be working already — you can join before you start a job. You also do not have to be looking for work; the program is open to anyone on disability benefits in that age range who wants to try working.

If you are already working, you can still join. The program does not require you to stop what you are doing; it just gives you protection and support while you continue or change jobs. You can join at any time, and there is no cost to you.

How to Get Your Ticket

Contact Social Security directly to request your ticket. You can call 1-866-4-TICKET (1-866-484-2832), visit your local Social Security office in person, or go online to choosework.ssa.gov. Social Security will mail your ticket to you, usually within two weeks.

When you receive your ticket, it comes with a list of approved employment networks in your state. These are organizations — some nonprofit, some for-profit — that have contracts with Social Security to help people on disability find and keep jobs. You choose which network to work with, or you can work with your state's vocational rehabilitation agency instead. You are not locked in; you can switch providers if the first one is not helping.

What Happens to Your Benefits While You Work

Your SSDI or SSI payments continue while you work, regardless of how much you earn. This is the core protection of the program. Normally, SSDI has an earnings limit (called substantial gainful activity, or SGA), and SSI has a much lower limit. Ticket to Work suspends those limits for as long as you are in the program and actively working with an employment provider.

Your health insurance also continues. If you are on Medicare because of SSDI, it stays active. If you are on Medicaid because of SSI, it stays active. This matters because losing health insurance is often the biggest barrier to work for people on disability. Under Ticket to Work, you keep coverage even if your earnings would normally end it.

You must report your work activity to Social Security every month. This is not complicated — you report your gross earnings and hours worked. Your employment provider also reports to Social Security that you are still working with them. As long as both reports come in, your benefits stay on.

How the Program Ends and What Happens Next

Your ticket remains active for up to 60 months (five years) from the date Social Security issues it. During that time, you can work, stop working, change jobs, and change employment providers without losing the ticket's protection. The ticket ends when one of these happens: you reach age 65, you ask Social Security to close your ticket, five years pass, or your employment provider reports that your work plan has ended and you have not found other work within 60 days.

If your ticket ends and you are still working and earning above the normal limit, your benefits will stop. But you can request a new ticket and rejoin the program. If you stop working before your ticket ends, your benefits restart automatically as long as you report the change to Social Security within 60 days. You do not have to reapply or wait for a new medical decision — your benefits come back on their own.

If you are no longer working and your ticket has ended, you return to regular SSDI or SSI rules. Your earnings limits go back to normal. If you want to work again and stay protected, you can request another ticket, and Social Security will issue one if you still meet the basic requirements.

Working With an Employment Network or Vocational Rehabilitation Agency

An employment network (EN) is a private or nonprofit organization paid by Social Security to help you find and keep a job. They do not charge you. They are paid only if you work and stay working — the longer you work, the more they are paid. This means they have a reason to find you real work, not just any job.

Your state's vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency is a government program that also helps people with disabilities work. VR can pay for training, assistive technology, or other supports to help you work. You can work with VR instead of an EN, or sometimes both at the same time.

When you choose a provider, they will help you figure out what kind of work fits your skills and your disability. They will help you search for jobs, prepare for interviews, and adjust to a new workplace. They will also check in with you regularly to make sure the job is working out. If it is not, they can help you find something else.

What You Must Do to Stay in the Program

Report your earnings and hours to Social Security every month. You can do this by phone, mail, or online. If you miss a report, Social Security may stop your benefits until you catch up.

Stay in contact with your employment provider. They need to know if you change jobs, if your hours change, or if you stop working. If you do not report changes, your provider may close your case, and your ticket protection may end.

Tell Social Security within 60 days if you stop working or if your work plan ends. This is the window to get your benefits restarted without a new medical review. If you wait longer, you may have to reapply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my ticket if I am already working?

Yes. You do not have to be unemployed to join. If you are already working, you can request a ticket and use it to get support from an employment network or vocational rehabilitation agency. The ticket protects your benefits while you continue working or if you change jobs.

What if I try working and it does not work out?

Your benefits restart automatically if you stop working and report the change to Social Security within 60 days. You do not have to reapply or wait for a new medical decision. Your ticket remains active, so you can try again later if you want to.

Do I have to work with the employment network Social Security suggests?

No. Social Security gives you a list of approved networks in your state, and you choose which one to work with. If the first one is not helping, you can switch to another. You can also work with your state's vocational rehabilitation agency instead.

What if my earnings go above the normal limit for SSDI or SSI?

Your benefits continue as long as your ticket is active and you are working with an employment provider. The normal earnings limits do not apply. If your ticket ends and you are still earning above the limit, your benefits will stop, but you can request a new ticket to rejoin the program.

Do I lose Medicaid or Medicare if I work under Ticket to Work?

No. Your health insurance continues while your ticket is active, even if your earnings would normally end it. This protection is one of the main reasons the program exists.