Ticket to Work: A National Program Bringing People Back To Work

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If you’ve had to stop working due to a long-term illness or unexpected injury, it can be comforting to know that there is a path back to work. Your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits come with incentives to return to work through a program called the Ticket to Work (TTW) Program.

The TTW Program includes powerful benefits designed to support you as you consider returning to work, especially when you experience medical stability or recovery. Today, 161 million workers have earned SSDI protection through their payroll tax contributions, and more than 7 million are receiving SSDI benefits.

When medically stable SSDI beneficiaries choose to return to work, TTW allows them to test work options while retaining disability income protection. They can also access Medicare benefits and other protections for a period of up to several years.

Are You Eligible For Ticket To Work?

Here are some key facts to help you assess if you’re eligible. The TTW Program is available to:

Individuals aged 18 to 64 who are SSDI beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients.
Those who are medically stable and would like to achieve financial stability.
Recipients of Social Security disability benefits who are interested in exploring work opportunities while learning how their benefits may be affected.
Individuals seeking assistance with training, career counseling, job-seeking skills strategies, and other services to help facilitate their return to the workforce.

Social Security-Authorized Help Is Available

The idea of returning to work may feel daunting for individuals with disabilities and those dealing with chronic illnesses.

The benefits can include financial stability and professional fulfillment through employment. At the same time, individuals can have concerns about their medical issues resurfacing and needing to reapply for disability benefits if working doesn’t work out.

Social Security-authorized Employment Networks (ENs) help SSDI beneficiaries understand how they can make the most of the incentives and protections available.

The Social Security Administration has vetted and authorized these organizations to help individuals understand and navigate the TTW Program, and assist with their job search, interview, and resume preparation, and much more. ENs help beneficiaries with every aspect of returning to work, plus their services are free.

ENs Help Beneficiaries Identify Skills And Jobs

After an SSDI beneficiary decides to return to work and chooses an Employment Network, vocational professionals begin by getting to know the individual, their skills, interests, and goals.

When a TTW participant shares their past work experience and other capabilities, these professionals can provide individualized assistance. They bring specialized insights on how to transfer skills into new roles and reorient to a new career path. The more they understand each person’s abilities and preferences in a new job, the better they can assist in finding a role that works for them.

One SSDI beneficiary found out about TTW through their long-term disability carrier. Grace had successfully recovered from a heart transplant, and an EN helped her get back to work. She returned to the same employer, but in a different role. “Even though I came back with the same title, my responsibilities were very different. I was the night manager of the department as opposed to an artist.” Since her employer was on the East Coast and Grace was on the West Coast, she planned to utilize her later work hours to attend doctor’s appointments, when needed.

Tarnisha, another beneficiary, was granted an accommodation to begin her workday at 10 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. She said of her EN, “People are always on deck. They call me back, text, and email. The program was fully explainable after I asked questions. They worked with me every step of the way. The fact that I could try to go back to work with my benefits protected and pay my bills is lovely.” The TTW Program offers vital protection for those choosing to return to the workforce.

TTW Incentives Provide Support When Returning To Work

Many SSDI beneficiaries worry that they will lose their benefits if they decide to go back to work, Tarnisha and Grace included. “I was skeptical about the whole TTW Program. ‘I kept asking ‘What’s the catch?’ And then finding out there wasn’t one, I was like, ‘Wow!’ ” Grace said her EN was instrumental in reassuring her that she could return to work while protecting her Social Security disability benefits.

TTW incentives are designed to give beneficiaries ample time to attempt working while protecting their benefits:

Trial Work Period (TWP): 9-month (non-consecutive) period where you can earn any amount and retain your SSDI benefits.
Expended Period of Eligibility (EPE): 36-month safety net following the TWP. Social Security determines if your monthly earnings are considered substantial gainful activity (SGA). In 2025, SGA is $1,620 for non-blind individuals and $2,700 for blind individuals.
Continuation of Medicare Coverage: Provides up to 93 consecutive months of continued healthcare coverage once you complete the last month of TWP.
Expedited Reinstatement (EXR): Allows you to resume SSDI benefits through reinstatement if you have to stop working within five years of when your benefits stopped. You do not have to reapply.

Choosing to go back to work after disability leave can be stressful, but the Ticket to Work Program and expert support provided by an EN can make this process easier. Crucial TTW work incentives, when explained by trained professionals, can clarify how disability income and medical benefits interact with employment decisions.

With the guidance and services of vocational professionals, SSDI beneficiaries can have opportunities to explore re-entering the workforce, with the potential to improve financial stability and find fulfillment in their work, as Tarnisha did. “I love that I am bettering myself, being self-sufficient, and living comfortably.” This support system helps empower individuals to achieve their career goals and brings them back to a higher quality of life.

Steve Perrigo

Steve Perrigo, J.D., is Vice President & Head of Sales and Account Management. He joined Allsup in 2010 following 17 years with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in various roles of increasing responsibility, including Claims Representative, Technical Expert, Operations Supervisor, and Assistant District Manager. Steve leads Allsup’s national account sales activities and provides consultative guidance to client companies by analyzing complex data sets that compare performance against historical measures, Allsup’s business results, and industry benchmarks. His consultation includes leveraging his prior experience with the SSA to identify and analyze macro-level trends with the Social Security Disability Insurance program, and providing timely insights and client updates through channels such as Allsup’s commercial blog. Steve’s educational background includes a law degree from the Nashville School of Law, where he graduated in the top 10 of his class, and a bachelor’s degree from The State University of New York. He currently is an adjunct professor of Social Security Disability Law at the Nashville School of Law.