December 4, 2024

How the National Training and Data Center Connects to Social Security's Ticket to Work Help Line

by Jaime Head

The graph shows Ticket Legislation and the programs that fall under the law including the Ticket to Work, WIPA, and PABSS programs. 

Congress created The Ticket to Work & Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 to help Social Security disability beneficiaries achieve their employment and economic self-sufficiency goals. It contained three separate components: Ticket to Work (TtW), Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA), and Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS). 

  • The Ticket to Work program helps beneficiaries obtain the services and supports needed to enter and maintain employment.
  • The WIPA program provides accurate information to beneficiaries about the effect of increased earnings on their benefits and healthcare coverage.
  • The PABSS program assists beneficiaries to understand their employment rights and eliminate obstacles to employment. 

Part of the Ticket to Work program was the creation of the Ticket to Work Help Line. Beneficiaries with disabilities between ages 14 to Full Retirement Age and who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits can call the Ticket to Work Help Line toll free for general questions or guidance about work incentive information. To receive information specifically about the Ticket to Work program, beneficiaries need to be between the ages 18 – 64. 

The RRTC’s National Training and Data Center (NTDC) is directly involved in the work of the Help Line. Social Security contracted with NTDC to provide ongoing training and technical assistance to the staff that work on the Help Line. This includes certifying the staff specifically on work incentives information and caller assistance protocols. This certification is a requirement for the staff to be able to provide services to beneficiaries. Since 2011, Social Security has relied on NTDC to provide quality training and certification so that beneficiaries receive accurate information and resources to make educated decisions about their employment goals, Social Security benefits, and healthcare coverage. 

How to contact the Ticket to Work Help Line:

Photo of a person in a wheelchair working on a computer at a desk in an office overlooking a city. (Shutterstock Image)

For general questions or guidance about the Ticket to Work program and work incentive information, beneficiaries can call the Ticket to Work Help Line toll free at 1-866-968-7842 (V) / 866-833-2967 Text Telephone (TTY), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Eastern Time (excluding federal holidays). The TtW Help Line handles over 100,000 calls a year from beneficiaries who hear about the Help Line from Social Security websites and publications, Ticket program marketing materials, webinars, and social media. The TtW Help Line is often a beneficiary’s first point of contact in their return-to-work efforts.  

The TtW Help Line employs Beneficiary Support Specialists (BSSs). These staff persons provide information about the Ticket program, confirm beneficiary eligibility, and respond to specific questions. Help Line BSSs also offer callers a list of employment support service providers in their area that includes Employment Networks (EN), State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, and Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) agencies. Representatives offer to send this listing by mail or email, but they also direct callers to the “Find Help” tool on the Choose Work website, where callers can create their own search for providers. BSSs send out more than 4,000 lists every month. 

BSSs also assess the beneficiary’s readiness to move forward on the road to employment, introduce the caller to the availability and value of benefits counseling, and, if appropriate, facilitate a referral to a WIPA program serving their community.

The Help Line is a critical referral source for WIPA programs and they provide a valuable service by screening callers to identify those who are most in need of WIPA services. To ensure appropriate beneficiary referrals, BSSs:

  • Identify callers who are working, have job offers, or are youth ages 14 – 17 and 18-year-olds who haven’t gone through Social Security’s adult determination process;
  • Refer eligible beneficiaries to the appropriate WIPA program via secure encrypted email;
  • Provide basic work incentive information (if not eligible for a WIPA referral) based on the beneficiary’s verified disability benefits to help beneficiaries understand Social Security’s work incentives for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI programs and available healthcare coverage;
  • Encourage callers who haven’t yet decided to work or are preparing for a job search to explore their employment options and the advantage of the TtW program; and
  • Provide information and referral (I&R) services that assist beneficiaries to contact programs and other organizations responsible for local or state benefits programs and employment resources in their local communities. 

We know that now, more than ever – Social Security disability beneficiaries want to work and increase their earnings to improve their financial stability and meet their life goals. The Ticket to Work Help Line is a vital resource for beneficiaries at any point in their employment journey. For more information, please visit the NTDC website or go to Social Security’s Ticket to Work website at: www.choosework.ssa.gov.