What Ticket to Work Does

Ticket to Work is a federal program that lets you work and earn without losing your SSDI or SSI benefits for a set period. Unlike the Trial Work Period, which counts work months toward your benefit termination, Ticket to Work pauses the normal rules that would end your payments when you earn too much. You get a ticket—a document you assign to an approved employment provider—and that provider helps you find and keep a job while you keep your full benefit check.

The program is voluntary. You do not have to use it. But if you want to test whether you can work without the when ready risk of losing your benefits, Ticket to Work creates a protected window to do that. The protection lasts up to 36 months, depending on how much you earn and how long you stay in the program.

Ticket to Work is run by the Social Security Administration but delivered by private and nonprofit employment networks—not by Social Security itself. That separation matters: the employment provider is paid by Social Security based on your progress toward work, not by you, so there is no cost to join.

Key Takeaways

  • Ticket to Work protects your SSDI or SSI benefits while you work, even if your earnings would normally end your payments.
  • You assign your ticket to an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency, and they help you find and keep a job.
  • The protection period lasts up to 36 months, but only while you are actively working or in a plan with your provider.
  • If you stop working or leave the program, your benefits may end based on your current earnings, so the protection is not permanent.
  • You can request a new ticket if your first one does not work out, but you cannot use Ticket to Work twice for the same job.

How the Protection Period Works

When you assign your ticket to an employment network, Social Security stops counting your work toward the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit that would normally end your benefits. Instead, you enter an extended may be able to access period that lasts up to 36 months. During this time, you can earn above the SGA threshold—currently $1,550 per month for non-blind adults in 2024, though this amount changes yearly—and keep your full benefit check.

The 36-month clock does not start the moment you get your ticket. It starts when you begin work with an employment network provider. If you get a ticket but do not work for three months, those three months do not count against your 36 months. The protection only runs while you are actively employed or in an approved work plan.

After the 36 months end, your benefits do not automatically stop. Instead, Social Security looks at your current earnings. If you are earning above SGA, your benefits will end. If you are earning below SGA, your benefits continue. This is the same rule that applies to anyone on SSDI, but Ticket to Work gave you three years to prove you could work without that pressure.

Finding and Assigning Your Ticket

You can only use Ticket to Work if you have received an SSDI or SSI benefit for at least one month. Social Security mails tickets to people it believes can work, but you can also request one by calling 1-866-968-7842 or visiting the Ticket to Work website at choosework.ssa.gov. The request takes a few weeks to process.

Once you have your ticket, you choose an employment network or a state vocational rehabilitation agency to assign it to. Employment networks are private or nonprofit organizations approved by Social Security to help people with disabilities find jobs. Vocational rehabilitation agencies are state-run programs that also provide job training and placement. You can search for providers in your state on the Ticket to Work website, which lists their specialties and contact information.

Assigning your ticket is straightforward: you sign a form saying you want that provider to help you, and you give them a copy of your ticket. The provider then reports your assignment to Social Security, and your protection period begins when you start working. You can change providers once during your ticket use if the first one is not helping you, but you cannot assign the same ticket to a second provider for the same job.

What Happens to Medicare and Medicaid

Ticket to Work protects your cash benefits, but it also protects your health insurance in a specific way. If you are on SSDI, you have Medicare. If you are on SSI, you may have Medicaid. Normally, if your earnings end your SSDI or SSI, your health insurance ends too—usually after a grace period.

Under Ticket to Work, your Medicare or Medicaid continues for the full 36-month protection period, even if your earnings would normally end it. This is one of the program's biggest advantages: you can work, earn real money, and keep your health coverage while you test whether employment is sustainable for you. After the 36 months end, your health insurance follows the normal rules based on your earnings and income.

If you are on SSI and also receive Medicaid, the rules are slightly different by state. Some states continue Medicaid throughout the protection period; others follow federal SSI rules. Ask your employment provider or call your state Medicaid office to confirm what applies to you.

When Ticket to Work Ends

Your ticket protection ends in three ways: the 36 months run out, you stop working, or you ask to end it. If the 36 months end while you are still working above SGA, your benefits stop. If you stop working before the 36 months are up, your benefits are reviewed based on your current earnings at that time. If you ask to end the ticket early, your benefits are reviewed when ready.

If your benefits end because your earnings are too high, you can request a new ticket later if you become unable to work again and requalify for SSDI or SSI. But you cannot use Ticket to Work twice for the same job or the same employer. The program is designed to let you test one work situation; if that does not work out, you can try again with a different job.

Some people use Ticket to Work, work successfully for 36 months, and then their benefits end because they are earning above SGA. That is the intended outcome: the program worked, and you are now self-supporting. Other people use the ticket, realize work is not sustainable, and stop working before the 36 months end. Their benefits resume based on their current earnings and medical condition.

How Your Employment Provider Is Paid

Employment networks are paid by Social Security based on your progress, not by you. The payment structure is called outcome-based payment. Social Security pays the provider when you reach certain milestones: finding a job, staying employed for a set period, and reaching a higher wage. The provider has no incentive to push you into a job you cannot sustain, because they only get paid if you stay employed.

This payment model also means the provider cannot charge you a fee. If someone asks you to pay to use Ticket to Work or to work with an employment network, that is a scam. Legitimate providers are paid by Social Security, and the service is free to you.

State vocational rehabilitation agencies are funded differently—by state and federal vocational rehabilitation funds—but they also do not charge you. Both types of providers are required to disclose their payment arrangement to you before you assign your ticket.

Ticket to Work vs. Trial Work Period

You arrived at this article from the Trial Work Period section, so the comparison matters. The Trial Work Period is automatic: every month you work, it counts, whether you want it to or not. You get nine months of work months where your benefits do not stop, but after those nine months, your benefits end if you are earning above SGA. The Trial Work Period is built into SSDI; you cannot opt out.

Ticket to Work is voluntary and optional. You only enter it if you request a ticket and assign it to a provider. It gives you 36 months instead of nine months, and it pauses the SGA earnings limit instead of just pausing benefit termination. You also get help from an employment provider, whereas the Trial Work Period is just a counting rule.

You can use both. If you have already used some of your nine Trial Work Period months, you can still request a Ticket to Work and get the extended protection. The two programs work together, not against each other. Many people use the Trial Work Period first to test work, and if that goes well, they request a ticket to extend the protection while they build job stability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Ticket to Work if I have already used my Trial Work Period?

Yes. The Trial Work Period and Ticket to Work are separate programs. You can request a ticket even if you have used all nine of your Trial Work Period months. The ticket gives you a new 36-month protection period, and your earnings during that time do not count toward the SGA limit.

What if I get a ticket but do not use it right away?

Your ticket does not expire if you do not assign it when ready. You can hold a ticket for years without assigning it. The 36-month protection period only starts when you assign the ticket to a provider and begin working. If you get a ticket and are not ready to work yet, you can keep it and use it later.

Do I have to work full-time to use Ticket to Work?

No. Ticket to Work protects you whether you work part-time or full-time. The protection applies to any earnings above the SGA threshold. Many people use Ticket to Work to test part-time work first, then increase hours if it goes well.

What happens if my employment provider is not helping me find a job?

You can change providers once during your ticket use. Contact Social Security or the Ticket to Work website to request a change, and you will be matched with a different provider. You keep the same ticket and the same protection period; only the provider changes.

Can I go back on benefits if I stop working during Ticket to Work?

Yes, but only if you still meet the medical requirements for SSDI or SSI. If you stop working and your earnings drop below the SGA threshold, your benefits resume. If your medical condition has improved, Social Security may review your case and find you no longer disabled, in which case your benefits would not resume. The ticket protects your earnings; it does not protect your medical status.