We Help SSI Recipients Nationwide Boost Financial Security and Future Retirement Benefits Through Work
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly cash payments for people 65 or older or disabled with limited income and resources. The support and stability the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides through this program is crucial. However, as an SSI recipient, you likely know how difficult it can be to cover even basic expenses when SSI is your only source of income. You may struggle to pay your rent, buy groceries, cover transportation costs, or handle unexpected bills.
Though the thought of returning to work or getting a job for the first time might seem overwhelming, this could be the key to building a more secure financial future. Fortunately, if you decide that taking this transformative step is right for you, you don’t have to do it alone—or worry about immediately losing your SSI results.
Disability Services of America is an SSA-approved Employment Network (EN) that helps SSI beneficiaries nationwide explore their employment options available through Social Security’s Ticket to Work program. We don’t just help you find a job—we provide free career counseling services to prepare you for employment and ensure a successful transition to the workforce, as well as ongoing support to help you navigate and overcome issues in the workplace.
Most importantly, our experienced and empathetic team understands your concerns about losing your SSI benefits. By participating in Ticket to Work and assigning your “ticket” to our EN, we can help you protect your benefits while showing you how working may actually improve your financial situation.
Understanding SSA Work Incentives for SSI Beneficiaries
You might have heard that working while receiving SSI is a surefire way to lose your benefits. However, that’s not the case. The Social Security Administration (SSA) actually helps people with disabilities achieve greater independence by encouraging and helping them take advantage of employment opportunities. The agency offers work incentives and crucial employment support to help blind SSI recipients and people with disabilities test their working ability while minimizing the risk of losing their monthly cash payments or Medicaid benefits.
The SSA has special rules for evaluating the income of SSI beneficiaries participating in its work incentive programs. When you first start working, the SSA only counts about half of your earned income when calculating your monthly SSI payment. As a result, you can often end up with a higher monthly income than you would receive from disability benefits alone.
For example, if you receive the maximum SSI payment and earn $800 per month working part-time, your countable income would be approximately $367.50 after exclusions. While this would reduce your SSI cash benefits, your total monthly income from both work and disability would be higher than your typical monthly SSI payment.
SSA work incentives let you test your ability to work and gain valuable experience while maintaining a vital financial safety net.
Working Toward Future Financial Security
From boosting independence to improving your health and quality of life, working has numerous benefits for SSI beneficiaries. The financial advantages alone can be transformative—increasing your security both now and in the future. Here’s what you should know.
Working while receiving SSI doesn’t just increase your total monthly income—it can also help you qualify for future Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and retirement benefits. Each quarter you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn credits to help you qualify for these programs.
Most people need 40 work credits to be eligible for benefits. Though the amount required to earn these credits changes annually, but you could one credit by working full time, earning a maximum of four credits per year. Even part-time work can help you accumulate these essential credits. Over time, this could give you access to higher monthly payments through SSDI or retirement benefits than if you remained solely on SSI.
Best of all, accessing SSDI benefits through work can help you avoid the frustration and wait times associated with the traditional Social Security disability application process. The SSA denies roughly 65 percent of SSDI applications in the initial phase of its five-step sequential evaluation—often due to a lack of sufficient evidence to establish the claimant’s medically determinable impairment (MDI). As an SSI recipient, you’ve already demonstrated to the SSA that you have a disabling medical condition that prevents substantial gainful activity (SGA), which may help streamline your SSDI application.
The SSA’s Ticket to Work Program Could Be Your “Ticket” to a Better Quality of Life
If you receive SSI, are age 18 through 64, and are ready to improve your earning potential and increase your financial independence, Social Security’s Ticket to Work program could be just the “ticket” to achieving your objectives. This free and voluntary SSA work incentive connects people with disabilities to career development services and support to empower their success in the workplace.
Whether you want to enter or re-enter the workforce, the Ticket program can help you do it with confidence.
That’s not all—participating in this work incentive also protects your SSI benefits. As long as you’re enrolled in Ticket to Work and making timely progress toward your employment goals, the SSA won’t conduct a continuing disability review based on your work activity.
Are you ready to improve your quality of life? You’ve come to the right place for assistance.
Experienced Guidance for Your Journey to Employment
The SSA authorizes State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and Employment Networks (ENs) like Disability Services of America to provide wide-ranging free career development services and employment support for Ticket to Work participants.
When you choose Disability Services of America to be your partner on your employment journey, thus assigning your “ticket” to our EN, you get more than quick, one-size-fits-all job coaching. Our team guides you through a personalized and robust vocational program that can last several years, with the ultimate goal of helping you build the skills necessary to find meaningful, fulfilling work.
Our free career development services include:
- Career counseling. We offer individualized guidance, helping you find employment aligning with your interests and abilities.
- Community Partner Work Incentive Coordinators. These services can help you understand how working might affect your SSI benefits, helping you make informed decisions about transitioning into the workforce.
- Employment goal creation. Our experts help you identify and set realistic, achievable career goals.
- Individualized work plan development. We’ll work with you to create a customized plan that defines your goals and the various services and supports required for success and self-sufficiency. We also submit regular progress reports to the SSA to protect your benefits.
- Resumé development and interview practice. Work with our specialists to create a resumé showcasing your skills and employability.
- Labor market research. Our specialists provide in-depth analysis of current job opportunities, employment trends, and industry demands to increase your chances of finding suitable employment.
- Job interview coaching. We guide you through practice interviews, helping you approach interviews with confidence and make a good impression on prospective employers.
- Job training. Our team connects you with training opportunities that present you as a more enticing hire.
- Job placement and development. We can help you find employment that’s right for you and learn how to advance within the company.
- Ongoing employment support. Our experts provide continuous support and assistance for every stage of your employment journey.
The Path to Meaningful Employment
Transitioning to employment can be challenging, but with Disability Services of America’s team by your side, you have the experienced guidance you need to reach your goals. The path to meaningful employment is long, but it begins with a single step—contacting us to express your interest in Ticket to Work. We’ll take it from there, confirming your eligibility with the SSA and helping you assign your “ticket” to our EN.