Promoting, Dignity, Equality and Self-Determination
Washington Protection & Advocacy System
Home ׀
About WPAS ׀
News ׀
Self-Advocacy ׀
Public Policy ׀
Publications ׀
Contact WPAS
E-Mail Updates ׀
Support WPAS ׀
Search
What is Ticket to Work?
Prepared by: Phil Jordan
Date: Updated April, 2004
Q: I have a disability and I want to get a job. I keep hearing about something called "Ticket to Work." What is that? Do I get a real ticket? Is it the kind of ticket you use to get something or the kind of ticket a police officer gives you?
A: "Ticket to Work" is a new law that has many different parts, and yes, there actually is a “ticket.” Most people in the state who receive SSI or SSDI checks will get a ticket in the mail either late in 2003 or sometime during 2004. Some people have already received their ticket. There is no need to be afraid of this ticket. You don’t need to use it if you don’t want to.
These tickets are part of a new law that is designed to help people with disabilities find and keep jobs.
Q: What is this ticket good for? How do I use it?
A: You can exchange your ticket for a variety of different employment services from dozens of different organizations - - - maybe. The catch is that none of these organizations (called Employment Networks) have to take your ticket and give you services. It is up to you to find an Employment Network that has the services you want and that is interested in exchanging those services for your ticket.
Q: That sounds complicated. How do I find the Employment Network that is best for me?
A: It’s not as complicated as it sounds, but it will take some time and effort on your part. The best way to get started is to make a call to a “Benefits Planner.” Benefits Planners assist you in making a plan for employment. They can also help you prepare for how your life will change once you are employed. Best of all, these Benefits Planners will not charge you for helping you make a plan – all of their services are free. Here are the phone numbers for the Benefits Planners:
ü Plan to Work Hotline (statewide): 1-866-497-9443 (toll free in Washington)
ü Positive Solutions (King County only): (206) 322-8181
ü Positive Solutions (Kitsap County only): (360) 405-0620
Q: Are you saying that the Benefits Planners will help me find an Employment Network?
A: No. The Benefits Planners will help you decide for yourself what services you need and what is the best way for you to start or return to work.
Q: Okay, let me see if I understand this. Ticket to Work is a program that mails me a ticket. It’s up to me to find an Employment Network who will take my ticket and help me find employment or prepare for a job. The best way to get started is to call a Benefits Planner who will help me decide on the plan that is best for me.
A: That’s right.
Q: That’s all there is to Ticket to Work?
A: Actually, there is a whole lot more. The “ticket” is only one part of a bigger law called the “Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act.” This law has many other features that may help you get and keep a job. If you receive SSI or SSDI benefits, here are some of the ways that the law may be able to help you.
 | Benefits Planning and Assistance |
| Work Incentives |
| Medicaid Buy-in |
| Protection and Advocacy |
Q: Can I get all of those services just because I have a disability?
A: Not necessarily. “Ticket to Work” was designed for people who receive SSI or SSDI benefits and who want to work. If you get checks from the Social Security Administration because of your disability and if you want to work, you might be eligible for services.
Q: You said I might be eligible - how do I know which services I can receive?
A: Let's go through them one by one.
The first one is Benefits Planning and Assistance. We talked about this before when we were talking about the “ticket.” You are eligible to receive free benefits planning services if:
| You are between the ages of 18 and 64, and |
| You receive an SSI or an SSDI check from Social Security, and |
| You want to work. |
Benefits Planners will talk with you about what will happen to your benefits if you start to work. They will talk with you about the kind of job you want, what kind of training and supports you need for that job, and how your benefits will be affected when you begin to earn more money. This service is free.
|
In King County, call Positive Solutions at (206) 322-8181 |
|
In Kitsap County, call Positive Solutions at (360) 405-0620 |
|
Everywhere else in the state, call the Plan to Work Hotline (toll free) at 1-866-497-9443 |
Q: Will I be able to keep my Medicaid if I start working? What about my food stamps and my HUD housing?
A: The Benefits Planners will talk with you about all of those things. They will be able to tell you what choices you have and describe to you the various Work Incentives that are available to you.
A large section of the Ticket to Work law has to do with Work Incentives. These are ways you can begin working without immediately losing your Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, or other benefits. There are lots of different Work Incentives in the Ticket to Work law, and they all have names making them sound complicated, such as:
| Extended Period of Eligibility |
| Earned Income Disregards |
| Subsidies |
| Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) |
| 1619(a) and (b) Status |
| Blind Work Expense |
| Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) |
These programs can help you – and they are not as complicated as they sound. A Benefits Planner will be able to tell you which of these Work Incentives you are eligible for, and can explain them to you in words you can understand.
Q: I'm still worried about my Medicaid. Will the Work Incentives help me keep it?
A: Some of them will. There is also a new program called Healthcare for Workers with Disabilities (HWD), sometimes called the Medicaid Buy-in. This program helps people with disabilities who are working. It allows workers to continue their Medicaid coverage after they become ineligible for Social Security benefits. Even if you earn too much money to receive SSI, you can purchase Medicaid benefits at reasonable rates. Talk to a Benefits Planner for more information.
Q: Will these Benefits Planners help me with other problems that don’t have anything to do with my benefits? What if someone discriminates against me?
A: That's where WPAS comes in. The Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS) can provide you with information, referrals, and advice if you have difficulty getting the employment services that you need. Contact WPAS if you have been discriminated against because of your disability, or if you have a complaint about how you were treated by someone at:
| WorkSource Centers |
| Employment Networks |
| Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) |
| An employer |
| A Benefits Planner |
| Any other service that was helping you look or train for work. |
Contact Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS) at:
Phone: 1-800-562-2702 voice, or 1-800-905-0209 tdd
Email: wpas@wpas-rights.org
F.Y.I. SERVICE is an information service of the Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS). It provides general information only and should not be used as legal advice for any specific situation. If you would like more information about this topic, call us and ask for a Resource Advocate.
To receive this document in an alternative format, such as large print or Braille, please call Washington Protection & Advocacy System (WPAS) at 1-800-562-2702.
WPAS is a member of the National Disability Rights
Network
A substantial portion
of the WPAS budget is federally funded.
Back
To Top Of Page