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Ticket To Work Program Is Free For SSDI, SSI Recipients

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There's more than 13 million people on Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits are eligible to participate in the "Ticket To Work" program, but relatively few know about the free federal program.

A Belleville, Illinois based firm, Allsup Employment Services, works with clients on the programs to provide a path to employment for people with disabilities.

Spokesperson Rebecca Ray says 155 million people pay into the program...

"..A couple million a year apply for assistance because of a health issue, cancer, heart attack, stroke, something that stopped them from working. Once they recover, or have some medical stability, they can try to work again and receive free assistance and protection of their benefits and many people are not taking advantage of the benefits for themselves...."

She says workers who are motivated to return to the labor force can use the free 'Ticket To Work' program..

"...In Wisconsin, about 238,000 people are eligible and only about 3.6 percent or about 8,500 people are using the Ticket To Work program. So we're trying to get the word out about the availability of this...."

Allsup works with Social Security to get people getting benefits to return to the workforce. She says the program allows people to try to work while protecting benefits.

"The Ticket To Work program has incentives, protections, time periods that give people an opportunity to try to work, continue to get benefits, and different additional benefits like trying to get Medicare..."

Ray says Ticket To Work provides several years of protections for people on disability who try to work. More information is available at Allsup Employment Services online or you can go to the the Social Security website which lists service providers.

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