The Social Security Administration has a message for Los Angeles residents who receive Social Security Disability benefits: you are not prohibited from returning to the workforce. In a recent article, an employee of the SSA assured readers that a person who is receiving SSD benefits can in fact look for work — and that doing so may not necessarily impact the benefits that the person is receiving.
Based on the current discussion in America’s political realm regarding Social Security Disability benefits, most people probably think that this is program on the brink of disaster, disbursing funds only to those individuals who have given up on helping themselves. But, as our Los Angeles readers know, nothing could be further from the truth. Social Security Disability is a hugely important program for millions of Americans who are unable to work due to a physical or mental disability.
But what if a person who receives SSD benefits does find employment that can accommodate their disability? The Social Security Administration wants people who are in this position to know about the “Ticket to Work” program.
The Ticket to Work program can help a person who is receiving SSD benefits transition back into the workforce. In most cases, there is no immediate impact on the SSD benefits that are disbursed — it is only after the person maintains employment for a long enough period of time and can support themselves as a result that the SSD benefits will be re-evaluated. Any Los Angeles resident who is receiving SSD benefits but who believes there may be a place for them in the workforce may want to get more information about their options in the Ticket to Work program.
Source: Asbury Park Press, “People on disability can look for work,” Joanne Crane, Jan. 3, 2016
