How to Get Started with Ticket to Work in 3 Simple Steps

Thinking about work? You don’t have to have a job goal, a resume, or a plan in place to get started with Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) Program. No matter where you are on your journey to financial independence, Ticket to Work is here to help.

If you receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI) due to your disability and are ages 18 through 64, you may be eligible to participate in the Ticket Program.

The Ticket Program connects you with free employment support to help you explore work, prepare for a job, find work, or succeed at a job you already have. You can get started wherever you are on your journey, even if you’re only beginning to wonder whether work might be right for you.

Here are three simple steps to get started.

Step 1: Explore Whether Work Could Be Right for You

You don’t need to be ready to work to start exploring your options. Maybe you have wondered what kind of job you would be best suited for. Maybe you would like to earn money, develop new skills, or work toward greater financial independence. Or maybe you haven’t thought much about working at all but are curious about what’s possible. That’s OK. The Ticket Program is designed to meet you where you are.

You can learn more about the program, explore your options, and consider how work could fit into your life. You don’t have to have all the answers before you take your next step. The important thing is to start exploring.

Step 2: Learn How Ticket to Work Can Support You

The Ticket Program offers free support from authorized service providers, including Employment Networks (EN) and State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies.

Depending on your needs and goals, your employment team may help you:

• Explore your work options and create your Individual Work Plan
• Identify your strengths and interests
• Prepare for and find a job
• Develop job skills or pursue training
• Understand how earnings from work will affect your benefits
• Get support after you start working
• Help you identify and ask for reasonable accommodations

You also don’t need to know which type of service provider is right for you before you get started. A service provider can help you understand your options and determine what support may be a good fit. The first step is to learn what services each provider offers and what you might need.

Step 3: Connect with a Service Provider

Use our Find Help tool to connect with a Ticket Program service provider today. You don’t have to be ready to work immediately. You just have to be ready to explore what’s possible.

You can search by ZIP code, disability type, languages, provider type, or services offered. It also includes a Guided Search that helps you understand your readiness for work and suggests providers who may be a good fit.

Once you find a provider you might like to work with, contact them. You can discuss where you are now, what you are thinking about, and what kind of support you might need. If you and a service provider agree to work together, you can assign your Ticket to that provider. You don’t need a paper Ticket; your provider can verify your eligibility.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to figure it all out first. One of the biggest benefits of getting connected with a service provider is that you don’t have to figure everything out before you reach out. You can be thinking about work; you can be curious about what work might look like; and you can have questions about your benefits or what kind of job might be right for you. You can start there. A Ticket Program service provider can help you explore your options, answer questions, and determine what steps make sense for you.

For additional support, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) for callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET, or send us an email at TicketToWork@ssa.gov.