Managing And Protecting Your Disability Benefits With Ticket To Work

You may have thought about returning to work, but like many people with disabilities, you might be concerned about losing the benefits you depend on. If you’re receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), it’s natural to worry that working could jeopardize your monthly payments, health insurance or eligibility for other support. However, there’s good news: The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Ticket To Work (TTW) Program is specifically designed to help you return to work safely.

Through a variety of work incentives, TTW makes it possible to test your ability to work while protecting your disability benefits. From providing time to ease into employment to ensuring you can quickly reinstate benefits if your health worsens, these incentives are tools to help you succeed. Let’s break down how each of these protections works and why TTW is a secure path to achieving greater financial independence.

Understanding The Ticket To Work Program

The Ticket To Work Program is a voluntary, free program for individuals aged 18-64 who receive SSDI or SSI benefits due to a disability. Its purpose is to provide you with the resources and support you need to return to work without immediately risking your disability benefits.

When you join TTW, you can work with an Employment Network (EN)—like Allsup Employment Services—that guides you through the process. ENs offer valuable services, including application assistance, resume guidance, interview coaching techniques, job search assistance, long-term support and more.

Most importantly, TTW includes a variety of work incentives designed to help you transition back to work while safeguarding your SSDI or SSI benefits.

Protecting Your Benefits With Ticket To Work

These work incentives provide essential protections, such as allowing you to test your ability to work, maintain healthcare coverage and quickly reinstate benefits if needed. Let’s explore how each of these incentives works and why they make returning to work a safe and secure option.

Trial Work Period

For SSDI recipients, the Trial Work Period (TWP) gives you an opportunity to test working without losing your SSDI benefits. Over a rolling 60-month period, you get at least 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) during which you can earn as much as you want while still receiving your full SSDI payment.

For example, if you earn above the TWP threshold ($1,160 per month in 2025), that month counts as a trial work month. However, your SSDI benefits continue regardless of how much you earn during this time. This provides a safety net while you explore your work capacity. Track your earnings carefully so you know how many TWP months you’ve used. An Employment Network such as Allsup Employment Services helps you with this and other tracking.

Extended Period of Eligibility

Also for SSDI recipients, once your TWP ends, the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) begins. This is a 36-month safety net that ensures your SSDI benefits only stop in months when your earnings exceed the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold ($1,620 per month in 2025 for non-blind individuals).

Here’s how it works:

• If your earnings are below SGA in a given month, you’ll receive your full SSDI payment.
• If you earn more than the SGA limit, your SSDI payment will stop for that month.

The EPE ensures your benefits don’t abruptly end after the TWP, giving you time to adjust to employment.

Medicare Continuation

Receiving SSDI and worried about losing your health insurance? Don’t be. After your TWP, you can keep your Medicare coverage for up to 93 months (over 7 years). This includes Part A (hospital insurance) plus Part B and Part D if enrolled in them. You need to be working at SGA and not medically improved. This extended coverage ensures you can focus on work without sacrificing access to critical healthcare services.

Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits

Sometimes, you might return to work but need to stop due to your disability. Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) allows you to quickly restart your SSDI or SSI benefits without reapplying. If your earnings drop below the SGA threshold within 5 years of losing benefits, you can request EXR and receive up to 6 months of provisional benefits while your reinstatement request is processed. This gives you peace of mind: If work doesn’t go as planned, you can return to the support you need.

Continuing Disability Review (CDR) Protection

When you’re participating in TTW and making progress toward employment goals, you’re protected from a Continuing Disability Review (CDR). Normally, CDRs evaluate whether you still meet SSA’s definition of disability. By actively participating in the program, you avoid this review, reducing stress and uncertainty as you work toward independence. CDR protection is for both SSDI and SSI recipients.

SSI-Specific Protections

If you receive SSI benefits, the SSA offers additional incentives to support your return to work:

• Medicaid While Working: Keep this coverage even if your earnings reduce SSI payments to $0.
• Earned Income Exclusion: A portion of your earned income is excluded when calculating SSI payments.
• Special SSI Payments for Persons Who Work: Helps maintain SSI eligibility even when earnings temporarily increase.
• Reinstating SSI Eligibility: Allows SSI benefits to resume without reapplying if work ends.

These tools ensure that SSI recipients can work without losing vital support. Visit the SSA website for details on eligibility and rules for these programs.

Financial Options To Further Assist

These additional options provide financial flexibility and practical support to manage work-related expenses and pursue your career goals. They can help create a larger picture of support and protection.

• Plan to Achieve Self-Support: The Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program allows SSI recipients to set aside income or resources to achieve a specific work goal, such as getting a degree, buying equipment or starting a business. By doing this, you can reduce your countable income, which may help you maintain your SSI eligibility.
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses: If you have costs directly related to your disability—such as special transportation, assistive technology or medical devices—you can deduct these as Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE). These deductions can lower your countable earnings and help you stay under the SGA threshold. For example, if you earn $1,600 but spend $300 on transportation related to your disability, only $1,300 will count toward SGA.
• ABLE Accounts: Achieving A Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts allow you to save money for qualified disability expenses without affecting your SSI or Medicaid eligibility. These tax-advantaged accounts can be used for education, housing, transportation, healthcare and more. For example, you can save for a new assistive device or training program while keeping your SSI intact.

Moving Forward With Confidence

The Ticket To Work program’s work incentives are designed to reduce the risks and challenges of returning to work. By offering safety nets like the Trial Work Period, Extended Period of Eligibility and Expedited Reinstatement, the program helps you pursue employment with confidence.

Returning to work doesn’t have to mean giving up the benefits you rely on. TTW provides valuable work incentives that allow you to explore employment, maintain healthcare coverage and protect your SSDI or SSI benefits.

At Allsup Employment Services, we specialize in guiding you through TTW. From understanding work incentives to providing ongoing support, we’re here to help you achieve your employment goals while protecting your benefits.

Gaining Extra Support With Allsup Employment Services

Returning to work after a disability doesn’t have to be a daunting experience when you have a dedicated ally like Allsup Employment Services. AES’s vocational experts provide vital support that empowers you through each stage of the job search, employment and beyond, ensuring your benefits are protected and your career aspirations achievable.

If you’re considering returning to work or beginning your job search, reach out to AES.

AES has over 10 years of experience helping thousands return to work successfully.

Benefits Of Working With AES:

• Earn More. Make as much income as you choose during the Trial Work Period and protect your full SSDI benefits.
• Stress Less. Avoid medical disability reviews and the worry that comes with them.
• Keep Medicare. While working, you can keep Medicare for over seven years.
• Avoid Risk. If you stop working anytime within five years, your SSDI benefits can resume through a reinstatement process.
• Pay Nothing. As a Social Security-authorized Employment Network, our services are provided at no cost.

Choosing AES means working with an EN who’s focused on your goals and will work with you every step of the way.

Get started – With No Cost And No Obligation.

Connect with Allsup Employment Services today by calling 866-540-5105 or requesting a call.