Kathleen A. Petkauskos, President, Resource Partnership
Ticket to Work, a program of the Social Security Administration, started just four years ago. The goal of the Ticket program is to make the transition to employment for recipients of Social Security disability benefits (SSI and/or SSDI) who want to work as smooth as possible.
Granted, going to work while receiving benefits can be a complicated process. Social Security’s work rules can be difficult to figure out. As a matter of fact, many people have given up before applying for even a single job. The good news is that people voiced their frustration over this and Social Security listened and did something about it. They created the Ticket program. (The Ticket program is voluntary; you do not have to participate in it if you don’t want to.)
In this article, I will tell you a little bit about two important aspects of the Ticket program, BPAO and EN, a better understanding of which can help you to make the Ticket program work to your advantage.
BPAO stands for Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach. SSA provides grants to over 100 organizations nationwide to deliver BPAO services to beneficiaries of SSI and SSDI. Resource Partnership is proud to be one of those BPAO grantees; we provide these services in Massachusetts. Since November of 2000, Resource Partnership’s BPAO program, which we call BenePLAN, has been assisting beneficiaries of SSI and SSDI to successfully navigate through the complex rules of SSA to get the information they need to decide whether pursuing employment or training is right for them. We have seen many people work their way through various benefits systems and move successfully into employment. It is complicated but, as BenePLAN can attest to, it can be done.
Our two very knowledgeable and experienced Benefits Specialists, Teri O’Shea and Brian Forsythe, assist with SSI/SSDI work rules and incentives as well as other important benefits such as Medicare, Medicaid, MassHealth, CommonHealth, Subsidized Housing, TANF, EAEDC, Worker’s Compensation and Long-Term Disability Insurance. Teri and Brian are available throughout your entire employment process: as you prepare to go to work, as you transition into employment, while you are working, and if you stop working or change jobs.
EN stands for Employment Network. ENs, for the most part, are human service agencies that sign up with Social Security’s Ticket to Work program to assist recipients of SSI/SSDI to prepare for and obtain employment. If you receive SSI and/or SSDI, chances are you qualify for EN services under the Ticket to Work program. Other ways of saying this are you are ‘eligible for a Ticket’ or you are a ‘Ticket holder’. To find out if you’re eligible, call Maximus (the name of the organization that manages Social Security’s Ticket program) toll-free at 1-866-968-7842. A representative will tell you whether or not you are eligible for a Ticket.
Resource Partnership is an EN under the Ticket program and is currently working with Ticket holders to help them reach their employment goals. If you are interested in learning more about our EN, I encourage you to contact our Ticket to Work Coordinator Mary Kowit toll-free at 1-877-937-9675 Ext. 18 or by email at mary@resourcepartnership.org.
I have discussed BPAOs and ENs. At the Resource Partnership, our EN works very closely with our BPAO Benefits Specialists. We have learned that a close working relationship between BPAO, EN and the Ticket Holder is essential to overall success.
Resource Partnership’s mission is the employment and career advancement of people with disabilities. We exist to help you reach your employment and financial goals. We hope you will call us today to GET THINGS STARTED!
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The Resource Partnership
251 West Central Street, Suite 31, Natick, MA 01760
P) 508.647.1722 Toll-Free) 1.877.YES.WORK F) 508.647.9622 TTY) 508.652.7284
info@resourcepartnership.org
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