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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why should I participate in the Ticket Program?

2. Where can I go to get lots of information about the Ticket Program?

3. I understand there is review after nine months covering the whole plan. Will I be terminated from your services if I don't complete the steps in my plan?

4. Why do I have to submit pay stubs to Your Ticket Dollars?

5. I'm receiving services from my State Vocational Rehabilitation agency. Can I still assign my ticket to you?

6. What is the best way to contact you if I have questions?

Protecting My Benefits While Working

7. Even though I am told how work incentives give me a chance to try work and not be afraid to lose my disability benefits, I still worry that it may happen. What can you say that will help me feel more certain about trying work?

8. What is the Trial Work Period and how can that help me if I'm a beneficiary receiving SSDI benefits?

9. Is there a way to get a written "report" about my benefits from SSA?

ANSWERS

1. SSA has an excellent web site that answers this question at https://www.ssa.gov/work/overview.html

2. http://www.chooseworkttw.net/about/faqs/index.html

3. Not necessarily. In keeping with SSA's mission to want to genuinely help beneficiaries achieve self sufficiency, we will work with you to see where changes in your plan may make more sense.

4. Submitting your pay stubs to us is your evidence that you are working and allows us to help track your level of earnings and receive payments from SSA for our services.

5. Talk with your State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor about the next steps in your program. You want to be sure to complete the plan you've developed with your counselor that hopefully leads to employment. After you've been working for 90 days they will close your case. That is when you can select an Employment Network to continue working with you as part of the Ticket Program.

6. If you were not able to find the answers to your questions on our web site you can email us by going to the Contact Us page. Or you can call us toll free at 866-927-8231; local:(860) 286-0755.

7. We'll answer questions you have about the program and protections that are available to you. If you still have concerns or questions that we can't answer we'll, direct you to someone who can. The goal of the Ticket to Work Program is to help you achieve self-sufficiency. We want to help you do that.

8. If you are receiving SSDI benefits you may be eligible for a period up to nine months (plus a three-month grace period) in which you can earn an unlimited amount of money from work and not have it effect your cash benefits. This work incentive encourages you to try to go to work and stay working to see if you can do it without fear of losing your benefits.

9. Sure. It's called a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY). By calling them you can get an analysis of your disability and work status to help you with planning your return to work. A BPQY provides information about your disability cash benefits, health insurance, scheduled medical reviews, representative payee, and work history, as stored in SSA's electronic records.

You can request a BPQY by contacting your local SSA office or by calling SSA’s toll free number 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free TTY/TDD number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

With an approved plan, you can set aside money to pay expenses to reach your work goal. For example, the money you save can be used for:

  • Supplies to start a business;
  • Equipment and tools to do the job; or
  • Uniforms, special clothing and safety equipment;
  • Let us know about other expenses you may have that are not listed here.