SOCIAL SECURITY ANNOUNCES MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TICKET TO WORK PROGRAM
- Adapted from: “ Social Security Announces Major Improvements To The Ticket To Work Program” , The Margolis & Bloom Weekly, 06/02/2008.The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Ticket to Work Program provides people receiving Social Security benefits vocational rehabilitation, employment and related support services to assist them in getting back to work and maintaining self-supporting employment.
Under this program the SSA issues tickets to eligible beneficiaries who, in turn, may choose to assign those tickets to a network of employers or employment service providers of their choice to obtain various employment services.
The SSA recently issued new rules, to go into effect July 21, 2008, improving the effectiveness of the program, such as broadening the population of eligible beneficiaries to include those expected to medically improve, offering greater financial incentives to employers and employment service providers, and increasing the quality of such employment services.
Prior rules do not address the reality that entering the workforce or returning to work for SSA beneficiaries is an incremental and often episodic process. Payments were only available once the beneficiary’s earnings reach the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level. Now they are introducing a three phase return to work process with Phase 1 & 2 Milestones designed with this reality in mind.
For more information: www.ssa.gov/work , and www.socialsecurity.gov/work/newregs.html.
06/08