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Ticket to Work is a Social Security-led employment program designed to reduce or end the reliance on benefit payments for people with disabilities.
Ticket to Work offers training, career counseling, job referrals and other services to help people with disabilities enter or return to the workforce and become more financially independent. It is open to most people ages 18 to 64 who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

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Participation is voluntary and free. In conjunction with other Social Security work incentives, you can continue receiving disability benefits and the health care that comes with them while transitioning into stable employment.
Public and private workforce-development organizations that partner with the Social Security Administration (SSA) provide Ticket to Work services and supports. The program has two main types of providers:
- Employment Networks (EN): Employers, nonprofit organizations, government agencies or combinations of these that deliver or coordinate services for Ticket to Work participants, including training, career advice, job placement and workplace support.
- Vocational Rehabilitation agencies (VR): State-level agencies that provide education, skills training, workplace accommodation and other aid for people who need more significant services to make it possible for them to work. Beneficiaries who complete a VR program may shift to an EN to get continued support.
About 318,000 beneficiaries participated in Ticket to Work in 2021, and more than 1.5 million people have been through the program since its launch in 2002, according to the SSA.
Getting started
If you are interested in Ticket to Work, call 866-968-7842, Social Security's toll-free beneficiary help line for the program. An agent can provide information on how it works, answer questions and send you a list of available service providers. You also can use the program's online Find Help tool to locate and contact ENs and VRs in your area.