Ticket to Work Program Overview

Eligibility

Social Security's Ticket to Work Program is a free and voluntary program available to people ages 18 through 64 who are blind or have a disability and who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Path Forward of Kentucky, Inc. is an Employment Network that is contracted by Social Security to provide support, services, and encouragement to make employment successful for beneficiaries who are interested in starting or returning into the workforce.

Goals

The goals of the Ticket Program are to:

• Offer beneficiaries with disabilities expanded choices when seeking service and supports to enter, re-enter and/or maintain employment;
• Increase the financial independence and self-sufficiency of beneficiaries with disabilities; and
• Reduce and, whenever possible, eliminate reliance on disability benefits.

While participating in the Ticket program, beneficiaries can get the help they need to safely explore their work options without immediately losing their benefits and find the job that is right for them. Beneficiaries also can use a combination of Work Incentives to maximize their income until they begin to earn enough to support themselves. Therefore, the individual can:

• Go to work without automatically losing disability benefits;
• Return to benefits if he or she has to stop working;
• Continue to receive healthcare benefits; and
• Be protected from receiving a medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) while using the ticket and making the expected progress with work or educational goals.

Path Forward of Kentucky has a certified Community Work Incentives Counselor (CWIC) onsite.