What Ticket to Work is and who can use it

Ticket to Work is a federal program that lets you keep your SSDI or SSI benefits while you work and earn money, without the usual limits that would normally cause your benefits to stop. You get a document called a "ticket" from Social Security that you can give to an approved employment provider — someone trained to help people with disabilities find and keep jobs. The provider then works with you to find work that fits your situation.

You can use Ticket to Work if you are receiving SSDI or SSI and are between 18 and 64 years old. You do not have to use it — it is optional. But if you do, it extends the time you have to test work without losing your benefits, which goes beyond what the Trial Work Period alone gives you.

The program exists because Social Security recognizes that many people on disability want to work but fear losing their benefits if they try. Ticket to Work removes that fear for a defined period.

Key Takeaways

  • Ticket to Work extends your work period beyond the Trial Work Period, letting you earn without losing benefits for up to 36 additional months after your Trial Work Period ends.
  • You assign your ticket to an approved employment provider, who helps you find a job matched to your abilities and goals.
  • During the ticket period, your benefits continue even if your earnings would normally cause them to stop, as long as you are working with your provider.
  • You can end your ticket at any time, and if you do not use it within a year of receiving it, it expires and you return to standard benefit rules.
  • If your ticket period ends and you are not yet working enough to support yourself, your benefits restart automatically without a new process.

How the ticket extends your work window

The Trial Work Period gives you nine months to test work while keeping full benefits. After those nine months end, your benefits normally begin to reduce based on your earnings. Ticket to Work changes that math.

Once you assign your ticket to an approved provider, you enter what Social Security calls the Extended may be able to access Period. This period lasts up to 36 months (three years). During this time, your benefits continue in full, even if you earn above the normal limit, as long as you are actively working with your provider toward employment goals.

This means you have a much longer runway to find stable work, build job skills, and prove to yourself and your employer that you can do the job — without the constant threat that your next paycheck will trigger a benefit reduction.

Finding and working with an approved provider

Social Security maintains a list of approved Ticket to Work providers on its website. These are employment networks (ENs) and state vocational rehabilitation agencies (VRs) that have contracts to help people with disabilities find work. You can search by your state and by the type of work you are interested in.

When you contact a provider, they will meet with you to understand your work history, your disability, what kind of work you want to do, and what support you need. They may help you with job coaching, resume writing, interview practice, workplace accommodations, or ongoing support once you are hired. The specific services vary by provider.

You then sign an agreement with the provider and formally assign your ticket to them. This tells Social Security that you are in the Ticket to Work program and that this provider is helping you. You keep your ticket assignment as long as you are working toward employment with that provider. If you want to switch providers, you can do so.

What happens to your benefits during the ticket period

While you hold an active ticket with a provider, your SSDI or SSI benefits continue at their full monthly amount, regardless of how much you earn from work. This is the core protection the program offers: your income from a job does not reduce your benefits.

However, the protection only holds if you are actively working with your provider. "Actively working" means you are in regular contact with your provider, following through on the employment plan you agreed to, and making progress toward a job. If you stop communicating with your provider or abandon the plan, Social Security may end your ticket status, and you would return to the standard benefit rules.

You are also responsible for reporting your work and earnings to Social Security, just as you would during the Trial Work Period. The difference is that the earnings do not cause your benefits to stop or reduce.

When your ticket period ends

Your ticket period can end in several ways. If you find stable work and earn enough to support yourself, you may choose to end the ticket and transition off benefits. If the 36-month Extended may be able to access Period runs out and you are not yet self-supporting, your ticket expires and your benefits restart automatically — you do not have to reapply or go through a new approval process.

If you are still earning but not enough to live on when your ticket expires, Social Security will calculate your new benefit amount based on your current earnings using the standard rules. You will receive a notice explaining the new amount.

You can also end your ticket voluntarily at any time. If you do, you return to the standard benefit rules when ready, meaning your benefits will be calculated based on your current earnings using the normal limits.

What to do if your ticket expires unused

Social Security sends you your ticket in the mail, and you have one year from the date you receive it to assign it to a provider. If you do not assign it within that year, the ticket expires and you cannot use the Ticket to Work program.

If this happens, you are not penalized. You straightforward return to the standard benefit rules. If you were still in your Trial Work Period when the ticket expired, you continue under Trial Work Period rules. If your Trial Work Period had already ended, your benefits are calculated using the normal earnings limits.

You can request a new ticket from Social Security if circumstances change and you later want to try the program. Contact your local Social Security office or call 1-866-4-TICKET (1-866-484-2832) to ask about getting another ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Ticket to Work if I am still in my Trial Work Period?

Yes. You can assign your ticket at any point, even during your Trial Work Period. Once you do, the Extended may be able to access Period begins and runs for up to 36 months after your Trial Work Period ends. This gives you the longest possible work window.

What if I lose my job while I have an active ticket?

Your ticket remains active and your benefits continue. You and your provider can work together to find a new job. You do not lose the ticket or your benefits because of job loss, as long as you stay in contact with your provider and continue working toward employment.

Do I have to pay the provider or Social Security to use Ticket to Work?

No. The program is free. Providers are paid by Social Security based on your progress toward work, not by you. You never pay a fee to use your ticket or to work with a provider.

What happens to my Medicare or Medicaid while I am using Ticket to Work?

Your health coverage continues separately from your Ticket to Work status. If you have Medicare, it continues. If you have Medicaid, the rules vary by state, but most states continue Medicaid coverage during the Extended may be able to access Period. Check with your state Medicaid office about your specific situation.

Can I switch providers if I am not happy with the one I chose?

Yes. You can end your assignment with one provider and assign your ticket to a different approved provider at any time. Contact Social Security to make the change. Your ticket remains valid and your benefits continue during the switch.