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Your Ticket

To Work



Contacting Social Security

Visit our websiteOur website, www.socialsecurity.gov ,

is a valuable resource for informationabout all of Social Security’s programs.

At our website you also can:• Apply for benefits;

• Get the address of your local SocialSecurity office;

• Get forms to request importantdocuments, such as a Social Security Statement, a replacement SocialSecurity or Medicare card or a letterto confirm your benefit amount;

• Go to our special online worksitepages at www.socialsecurity.gov/ work for additional information onthe Ticket to Work program andother topics in this booklet; and

• Find copies of our publications.

Call our 1-800 numberIn addition to using our website, you

also can call toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.We can answer specific questions from7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.We can provide information by auto-mated phone service 24 hours a day. If

you are deaf or hard of hearing, you maycall our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.

We treat all calls confidentially. Wealso want to make sure you receive accu-

rate and courteous service. That is whywe have a second Social Security repre-sentative monitor some telephone calls.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work




http://www.socialsecurity.gov/



What’s inside

Your Ticket to Work 2

How the program works 3

How to get helpin using the ticket 10

Other work incentives 12



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S

everal million disabled andblind Americans receive monthly

Social Security or SupplementalSecurity Income (SSI) payments.Some receive both. Many also havehelp from Medicare or Medicaid in

paying medical bills. The impactof these programs in meeting peo-ple’s needs is significant. However,many people with disabilitieswant to work. To help them, Social

Security has a variety of workincentives, including the Ticketto Work Program.

Some of the work incentivesinclude keeping your cash benefits

and medical coverage while youtransition to the work place. And, ifyou find that you cannot work, it iseasy to start your payments again.

Your Ticket to Work

This booklet is for people whoreceive a Ticket to Work from SocialSecurity. The information in this

booklet will answer questions aboutyour ticket. It also tells you where togo if you have other questions andhow to get additional help using theticket. If you have questions thatare not answered here, you shouldcall the Ticket Program Manager,MAXIMUS, Inc., at 1-866-968-7842,toll-free (TTY 1-866-833-2967).



You can use your ticket to get theservices and support you need togo to work or to earn more money.The goal is to help you earn enoughmoney so that you can becomefinancially independent.

The Ticket to Workprogram helps you obtainvocational rehabilitation,

training, job referrals andother employment supportservices free of charge

How the program worksWhen you use your ticket, you

can get help finding a job, voca-tional rehabilitation or other assis-

tance. These services are providedby employment networks, whichare private organizations or gov-ernment agencies that have agreedto work with Social Security to

provide employment services andother support to beneficiaries withdisabilities and state vocationalrehabilitation agencies.

How do I get started?If you are interested in using the

Ticket program to go to work or getvocational services, you should callMAXIMUS, Inc., at

1-866-968-7842,

toll-free (TTY 1-866-833-2967).MAXIMUS is a private company

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that is working with us to helpmanage the Ticket program.MAXIMUS can answer most ofyour questions about your ticketand can give you the names,addresses and telephone numbers

of employment networks or thestate vocational rehabilitationagency in your area.

What is an employment

network?Employment networks are organi-

zations that can help you find a joband provide other employment ser-vices, at no cost to you. The Ticketprogram gives you the opportunityto choose from a variety of employ-ment networks.

An employment network may be

a single organization that providesall of the services you need, or it canbe a group of providers. The employ-ment network you choose also maywork with others who are not part of

the employment network to providethe services you need.

Before you give your ticket to anemployment network, you shouldcarefully choose the one you thinkcan best help you reach youremployment goal. You are free totalk with as many employmentnetworks as you want without

having to give one your ticket.



See the following sections forhelp in working with an employ-ment network.

What happens when Icontact an employment

network or state vocationalrehabilitation agency?

You can call or visit any employ-ment network or state vocational

rehabilitation agency. If you visiteither, remember to bring yourticket with you. They may need toget information about you from ourrecords. You can expect staff mem-

bers to ask certain questions aboutyour disability, your work historyand other subjects. This is necessaryso they can decide if they can helpyou. You should feel free to ask

them any questions about how theycan help you find and keep the jobthat is best for you.

Can an employment network orstate vocational rehabilitationagency contact me?

Yes, they may contact you to findout if you are interested in work-

ing with them. They will give youdetailed information to help youdecide if you are interested in givingthem your ticket.

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How will an employment

network or state vocationalrehabilitation agency knowthat I have a ticket?

MAXIMUS will keep a recordof people who have tickets and arenot working with employmentnetworks. MAXIMUS will givethis information to employmentnetworks and state vocational

rehabilitation agencies.

What if I do not wantto be contacted?

If you do not want to be contact-

ed, call MAXIMUS to remove yourname from the list. Even if you arenot on the list, you still can partici-pate in the Ticket program.

Do I have to work witha particular employmentnetwork or state vocationalrehabilitation agency?

No, you and an employmentnetwork or state vocational rehabili-tation agency must agree that youcan work together. If you cannot

agree, you can take your ticket andcontact another employment net-work. Even after you have agreed towork with an employment networkor state vocational rehabilitation

agency and signed a plan, you canstill change your mind and move



your ticket to another network orstate vocational rehabilitation agency.

What happens if an employmentnetwork or state vocationalrehabilitation agency and I agree

to work together?First, the employment network

will work with you to develop aplan that is right for you. The plan

will state your goals for the typeof work you want to do, and mayinclude the amount of money youwant to earn. The plan also willstate exactly what services the

employment network will provideto help you reach your goals. Inaddition, the plan will explain yourrights under the program, including:

• Your right to take your ticket

back if you are not satisfiedwith the services you arereceiving from the employmentnetwork; and

• Information on the availabilityof services and help in resolvingdisputes through the state protec-tion and advocacy system. Youcan find more information about

these services on pages 10-12.If you and your state vocational

rehabilitation agency agree to worktogether, and the state determinesyou are eligible, the state vocational

rehabilitation agency will outline

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a plan to determine the services itwill provide for you.

You or your representative (if youhave one) and the employment net-work or state vocational rehabilita-tion agency will have to sign the

plan before you can start workingwith it. The employment networkor vocational rehabilitation agencyshould give you a copy of your planin an accessible format. You can

work with this organization tochange your plan if your situationchanges.

When you sign the plan, youhave “assigned” your ticket to theemployment network or state voca-tional rehabilitation agency, and youcannot work with another employ-ment network without taking yourticket back.

If you or the employment networkor state vocational rehabilitationagency decide that you cannot worktogether, you can then reassign

your ticket to another employmentnetwork.

What if I am unhappy withthe employment networkor state vocationalrehabilitation agency?

There are several steps you cantake if you are having a problem

with your employment network. Werequire all employment networks



to have a process to deal with situ-ations where clients are unhappywith them. If this process is notsuccessful, you can call MAXIMUSand ask to resolve your probleminformally. If MAXIMUS cannot

resolve your problem informally, itwill report your problem to us.

If you give your ticket to a statevocational rehabilitation agency,the state agency must give you a

description of the services avail-able through the client assistanceprogram. It also must give you theopportunity to resolve your griev-ance through mediation or an

impartial hearing.You also can ask the protection

and advocacy agency in your stateto help you if you are unhappy with

an employment network. You canask your protection and advocacystate agency to help you at any stageof the grievance process.

How does participating in theTicket program affect medicalreviews of my disability?

We ordinarily review your

medical condition from time totime to see if you are still disabled.If we find that you are no longerdisabled, we may stop your benefits.

If you are participating in the

Ticket program, we will not con-duct a review of your medical

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condition as long as you meetcertain requirements and give yourticket to an employment network orstate vocational rehabilitation agen-cy. We will send you more informa-tion about these requirements after

you give your ticket to an employ-ment network or state vocationalrehabilitation agency.

Do I have to take part

in the program?No, the Ticket program is volun-

tary. If you decide that you are notinterested in using your ticket, orthat you are not able to work, youdo not have to take part. If youdecide not to use the ticket it willhave no effect on your disabilitybenefits. However, you should keep

the ticket we sent you in case youchange your mind and decide totake part in the program.

How to get help in using

the ticket

Where can I get moreinformation or advice?

By calling MAXIMUS, Inc., youcan also get the phone numbersfor two other important sources ofinformation and advice about theTicket program.



1 The state protection and

advocacy systemYou should ask MAXIMUS tohelp you contact your local stateprotection and advocacy systemif you have a disagreement with

your employment network whichyou are unable to settle.

These state protection andadvocacy agencies can help youwith any complaints you have

about an employment networkor other provider that is helpingyou. And it can help you withany problems you have with theemployment plan you developwith the employment network.

The state protection andadvocacy system also can giveyou information and advice about

vocational rehabilitation andemployment services, includinghelping you select an employmentnetwork. Additionally this agencycan tell you how your work may

affect your benefits.

2 Benefits planning, assistanceand outreach programs

Social Security pays localcommunity agencies to helpyou understand special rules thatcan help you go back to work.

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Representatives from thisprogram can tell you how yourearnings would affect your dis-ability benefits and the benefitsyou may be receiving from othergovernment programs.

These agencies also can tell youabout the other government ben-efits you may be able to receive.

Call MAXIMUS to find the state

protection and advocacy system orbenefit planning, assistance andoutreach organization nearest you.

Other work incentives

In addition to the ticket, SocialSecurity has other special rulescalled “work incentives” that helpserve as a bridge between disability

benefits and financial independence.These work incentives include:

• Cash benefits while you work;

• Medicare or Medicaid while

you work; and• Help with any extra work

expenses you may have asa result of your disability.

You can find more informationabout Social Security and SSI workincentives by contacting us and ask-ing for Working While Disabled—How We Can Help (Publication No.05-10095).

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10095.html









Social Security Administration

SSA Publication No. 05-10061ICN 463262Unit of Issue - HD (one hundred)May 2006 (Destroy prior editions)

social security: 10061

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