Ticket To Work And National Disability Employment Awareness Month Go Hand In Hand

Each October, we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This reminds us of the U.S. Department of Labor’s promise: workers with disabilities have access to good jobs, every month of every year. This year’s theme is “Access to good jobs for all.”

If you were to get sick or hurt and were unable to work, you probably wouldn’t be thinking about finding a new job. But it's important to know about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the Ticket to Work (TTW) Program. TTW is part of the SSDI program. Not many people know that the SSDI program can actually help you get back to work when you’re ready. And it’s free.

SSDI is like an insurance policy. It pays you monthly income and other benefits if you’ve paid into the policy with your FICA taxes. Then if you can't work because of illness or injury, you can receive SSDI.

About 161 million workers pay into this program, and 7.2 million former workers get SSDI benefits. The Ticket to Work (TTW) Program helps people who receive SSDI try working again. You can do so while protecting your disability income and Medicare benefits for a period of time.

Help from Social Security’s Employment Networks

NDEAM helps the public understand that it’s important for everyone – including individuals with disabilities – to have the opportunity to succeed at work. This economic and community value also comes to life through the assistance Ticket to Work provides. It helps people receiving SSDI benefits find jobs and feel confident about working again.

TTW relies on Employment Networks (EN) like Allsup Employment Services to help SSDI beneficiaries get the most from the program. AES is a Social Security-authorized EN. We can  help you with your job search, interviews, training and requests for accommodations at work. Just knowing someone is there to help you can make a big difference.

Finding the Right Job For You

When you decide to work again following a disabling condition, the TTW Program allows you to choose an EN. Vocational specialists, like ours at AES,  learn about you, your skills and your goals when it comes to working again. The more we know about you, the easier it is to help find a job that fits your needs and situation.

Choosing to go back to work after receiving disability benefits can be stressful. But the combined benefit of SSDI and TTW, with help from AES can make this process easier. Trained professionals explain how you can protect your SSDI benefits while you work. With our help, you can return to work, earn money and feel good about your job. The TTW Program helps you reach your career goals and improve your finances and your life. And, it follows along with NDEAM’s mission of raising awareness and increasing access to good jobs for all.

Learn more about:

- The Ticket To Work (TTW) Program.

- What an Employment Network (EN) is and why they are important.

- How your SSDI benefits are protected under the TTW program.

- Frequently asked questions regarding the TTW program and Allsup Employment Services.

- How Allsup Employment Services’ deep experience helps you.

Allsup Employment Services can be reached at 866-540-5105 or requesting a call.

About The Author

David Doeren is executive vice president and chief operating officer at Allsup, where he oversees a range of services for those with disabilities in areas including Social Security disability, healthcare benefits and disability financial solutions. David also serves as president of Allsup Employment Services, a subsidiary of Allsup and Social Security Administration-authorized Employment Network that offers services through the Ticket to Work Program.