People with Different or Unique Abilities

Did you know that you can return to work after you’ve been approved for Social Security disability? We are here to assist you with your career search, planning and return to work through a variety of programs and services.

Do you have a Ticket to Work?

If you are between the ages of 18 and 64 and currently receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefits, you have a “Ticket to Work.” Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program can provide work incentives which will help you find meaningful work.

Debunking the Top 3 MYTHS about Disability and Work

There are several common myths about how working will affect disability benefits and health care coverage.

Here are the three most common and why they are wrong:

Myth No. 1

Myth No. 2

Myth No. 3

Myth No. 1

Myth No. 1: If I try to go to work, I will automatically lose my Medicare or Medicaid.

This is simply untrue.

As long as you keep receiving a benefit check of any amount, you will keep your health insurance.
If you earn enough that your SSDI checks stop, Medicare can continue for up to 93 months.
If you currently receive Medicaid, you should be eligible to continue to receive Medicaid, even after you stop receiving SSI benefits due to your return to work.
To be eligible, you must meet certain requirements, which include earning below a designated threshold set by your state. Even if your earnings exceed the state threshold, you may still be eligible and should talk to your state Medicaid office.
For more information about Keeping Your Medical Benefits after cash benefits stop, visit www.ssa.gov/redbook and www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/1619b.htm

Myth No. 2

Myth No. 2: If I use my Ticket to Work, Social Security will conduct a medical review of my case, and I will lose my benefits.

This is a myth for several reasons.

Social Security ordinarily reviews your medical condition from time to time to see whether you are still disabled by using a process called the Medical Continuing Disability Review, or Medical CDR.
If you participate in the Ticket to Work Program with either an employment network or state vocational rehabilitation agency, and make “timely progress” following your individual work plan, Social Security will not conduct a review of your medical condition.
If a Medical CDR has already been scheduled for you before you are assigned your Ticket, Social Security will continue with the Medical CDR.

Myth No. 3

Myth No. 3: If my checks stop because I go to work, but I have to stop working because of my disability, I will have to reapply for benefits all over again.

There is absolutely no need to reapply for benefits in the event that you should stop working due to your disability.

If your benefits ended within the past five years due to your earnings and if you meet a few additional requirements, such as you still have the original medical condition or one related to it that prevents you from working, you will not need to reapply.
Due to a work incentive called Expedited Reinstatement, you may even be able to receive up to six months of temporary cash benefits in addition to Medicare or Medicaid coverage while SSA conducts a medical review to determine if your benefits can be reinstated.
For more information about Expedited Reinstatement, visit www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/exr.htm

General Resources

FAQs for Ticket to Work

Click to view the Ticket to Work Frequently Asked Questions

CareerSource Pinellas Information

CareerSource Pinellas is a Social Security Administration approved Employment Network. CareerSource Pinellas and the Ticket to Work program will make it easier for people with disabilities to return to work. We are here to assist you with your career search and planning.

CareerSource Pinellas has a direct impact on the workforce, business, education and economic development communities in Pinellas County. Through various programs, CareerSource Pinellas has assisted an average of 40,000 customers annually, including 1,500 persons with disabilities.

CareerSource Pinellas offers the following services to beneficiaries of a Ticket to Work:

Initial meeting, assessment, goal setting, job search assistance and long-term planning with the Disability Program Navigator;
Employability Skills Training to include basic computer skills, resume development, professional interviewing skills, targeting employment transition and other offerings;
Access to labor market and salary information and workforce training;
Job fairs and other hiring events;
Access to understanding benefits, workplace accommodations and community resources; and
These services are at NO COST to you!

Disability Program Navigator

CareerSource Pinellas employs a Disability Program Navigator (DPN) assists job seekers with disabilities to gain access to services, activities and programs offered at the centers. The DPN also provides information to SSI and SSDI recipients on work incentives offered by the Social Security Administration while assisting with navigating other community resources.

If you are interested in using your Ticket to Work and improving your economic status, please contact Yvette Weiss, Disability Program Navigator, at (727) 608-2498, or via email at yweiss@careersourcepinellas.com.

Special Services & Adaptive Equipment – ADA Compliant Workstations

CareerSource Pinellas is committed to providing services, activities and programs in fully integrated settings.

To proactively accommodate job seekers with disabilities at the centers, CareerSource Pinellas offers the following adaptive equipment at an ADA-compliant workstation at each of our centers:

MAGic magnification software;
Desktop video magnification unit;
Job Access With Speech (JAWS) reader software;
SARA scanner and reader;
Sign-Language Interpreters (with a three day notice);
Optical trackball mouse;
Braille keyboard; and
Text telephone (TTY).

Additional Resources