Some people who receive Social Security Disability benefits have accepted the fact that their physical or mental condition will never allow them to return to the American workforce. This is a big hurdle to overcome, but for many people the reality is that their disability is so severe that there are few, if any, jobs that they could fill.
However, for the millions of people who receive SSD benefits and view the situation as temporary, there is a federal program run by the Social Security Administration that may be able to help with a transition back to the workforce.
The program is called Ticket to Work, and many of our Los Angeles readers may not be familiar with it. According to reports describing the program, it is designed to help individuals who are receiving either SSD benefits or Supplemental Security Income find employment. But probably the most important and most enticing aspect of the program is that benefits do not immediately stop just because someone finds a job; they are gradually reduced based on how much the person is making from the newfound employment, with the goal that the person will eventually transition completely to supporting themselves from employment and thereby no longer require benefits.
There is a myth out there that someone who gets approved for SSD benefits can’t work because doing so would jeopardize the monthly payments they depend on. With this Ticket to Work program in place, that myth can be dispelled.
There is no denying that millions of SSD benefits recipients simply cannot return to the workforce because of their severe disabilities. However, for the others who view their situation as temporary, the Ticket to Work program appears to offer quite a lifeline to help them return to where they once were.
Source: heraldextra.com, “Ticket To Work program could lead to financial independence,” June 18, 2014
