We referenced “a centrally important consideration” for select visitors to our Social Security Disability blog forum in a recent post.
We specifically spotlighted in our May 6 blog entry the unique nature of every SSDI case, given that every individual’s disability differs. That reality yields the expected result that questions and concerns focusing on work activities will necessarily be nuanced and varied.
“In other words,” we noted, “there are myriad possibilities and outcomes when it comes to the work-or-not question for SSDI applicants.” The same is true for claimants already receiving program benefits.
That latter demographic is stressed today via a snapshot sketch of the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program. The SSA denotes that initiative on its website as “access to employment support services for [SSD] beneficiaries who want to work.”
Some disabled individuals across the Philadelphia metro or elsewhere who currently receive SSD payments might logically be interested in learning about Ticket to Work. The program might initially seem to entail an easily explained and quick-to-start process, but proof is always in the details, and Ticket to Work is unquestionably detailed. Here are some key program points:
- All SSDI recipients aged 18–64 are eligible to participate
- Following eligibility verification, a participant selects a service provider to work with
- Participant pledges to SSA to work at a specified level or complete training requirements
- Goal is “timely progress” aimed at persistent employment and reduced dependence on disability payments
- SSA will in most instances conduct a periodic “Continuing Disability Review” evaluating a participant’s medical condition
A participant in a given case might of course welcome the program, but it is just as true that it engenders concerns in some instances. An individual might come to the view that his or her work goals are quite different from the SSA’s expectations. Ultimately, too, some persons receiving SSD benefits might fear their loss owing to SSA dictates/determinations that issue despite an inability to continue working.
Questions or concerns regarding the potential or desire to work to some extent while receiving benefits can be directed to an established disability law office and proven SSDI attorney.
