How to take advantage of the Ticket To Work Program as a disabled person

Disabled doesn't mean unable!

My journey as disabled person on the road back to productivity with the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work Program.

Things You'll Need

• Patience
• Willingness to work
• Research ability
• Computer for work at home job

Instructions

1. 

   I have been disabled for over 4 years now. It was hard to live with the fact that I would be at home and not going out to work any longer. I had a lot of questions. Would my disability payment each month be enough for my family and me to survive? Was this it? I am only 40 years old and will I ever be productive again for myself, my family, or my community? These were definitely in the fore front of my mind. Luckily, I was introduced to the Social Security Administration's, Ticket to Work Program.
   The Ticket to Work Program is an employment program for people with disabilities who are interested in going to work. The Ticket Program is part of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 - legislation designed to remove many of the barriers that previously influenced people's decisions about going to work because of the concerns over losing health care coverage. The goal of the Ticket Program is to increase opportunities and choices for Social Security disability beneficiaries to obtain employment, vocational rehabilitation (VR), and other support services from public and private providers, employers, and other organizations.
   Under the Ticket Program, the Social Security Administration (also referred to as the Agency) provides disability beneficiaries with a Ticket they may use to obtain the services and jobs they need from a new universe of organizations called Employment Networks (ENs).
   The Ticket Program is flexible and voluntary - Social Security Administration beneficiaries are not mandated to participate and in most cases, ENs can chose which services they want to provide, where, and to whom. Beneficiaries receiving Tickets can contact one or more ENs to discuss services and once an agreement between the beneficiary and EN is reached, the two work together to develop a work plan to assist the beneficiary in reaching his or her employment goal.
   Once you have gotten all the particulars about your Ticket to Work in order, check out the immediate openings at www.jlodge.com/careers. J. Lodge Corporation is a company dedicated to the employment of folks on the Ticket to Work program, on Social Security Disability, and Social Security Supplemental Income (SSDI) in various positions that are tailored to the unique needs of these individuals. They have openings now at www.Jlodge.com/careers and they are able to assist during the application process with any questions or concerns you may have.

2. 

   The first step that was the hardest for me was accepting the fact that I was unable to go to work in a "brick and mortar" job any longer. My legs and back were shot, so applying for disability with the Social Security Administration was the first step. I started on the Social Security Administration's, website http://www.ssa.gov/, and followed the instructions for applying for disability. This process took about 6 months to complete and 1 year for me to start seeing checks.

3. 

   I became interested in working at home when I started reading more about it online. I researched several sites out there for the best opportunities and legitimate jobs. WWW.RATRACEREBELLION.COM was a great resource for me to find outstanding legit WAH jobs. When searching for these types of jobs use of specific words is very important. Telecommuting, remote worker, work at home, WAH are all good keywords to use.

4. I then started to check with the Social Security Administration about guidelines for how much I could earn and not lose my benefits. I was then directed to www.yourtickettowork.com. I received my ticket and assigned it to a local Vocational Rehabilitation office. When I was ready to move forward and found the right opportunity with J. Lodge Corporation, I simply called Maximus, the Program's management company, and had them move my Ticket to J. Lodge.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient, the initial setup takes a while.

• The Ticket to Work Program really helped change my life. I am able to keep my Disability benefits, including Medicare, and work to learn a new skill, bring more income into the family, and earn my own self respect and keep my identity as a person. For more information you need to check with the management company for the Ticket to Work, Maximus, phone [phone] and on the web www.yourtickettowork.com you can get all the particulars there to apply and start feeling like a productive person again. Especially now with all of the Work at Home positions available around the country, it is great time to participate in the program.

• Keep up with your progress toward employment goals.

• Disabled does not mean unable. Today can be the beginning of a new productive future for you and your family with the Ticket to Work Program and great Employment Networks like J. Lodge!

Resources

• J. Lodge Corporation
• Social Security Administration
• Ticket to Work and Maximus