You want to work — and keep your safety net. Social Security’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program helps adults 18–64 who receive SSDI or SSI try working with professional support without immediately losing cash or health coverage. It’s voluntary and free, and it connects you with Employment Networks (ENs) or your state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency to plan, find, and keep a job. (Social Security Administration)
This guide explains how Ticket to Work fits with core work incentives — like the Trial Work Period (TWP), SGA, Medicare continuation, SSI 1619(b) Medicaid, and Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) — and gives you a step-by-step path to start confidently. (Social Security Administration)
Quick Facts (2025)
- Who’s eligible? Most SSDI/SSI beneficiaries ages 18–64. The program is voluntary and free. (Social Security Administration)
- 2025 work thresholds: TWP month = $1,160 earnings; SGA = $1,620 (non-blind) / $2,700 (blind). (Social Security Administration)
- CDR protection: Assign your Ticket before a CDR notice and make Timely Progress to defer medical CDRs during the review periods. (Choose Work, yourtickettowork.ssa.gov)
- Health coverage: If you’re on SSDI, Medicare can continue at least 93 months after your 9-month TWP. If you’re on SSI, you may keep Medicaid under 1619(b) when earnings end your cash SSI. (Social Security Administration)
How Ticket to Work Works (EN vs VR — and Why “Timely Progress” Matters)
- Pick a provider: You can work with an EN (community provider) or your state VR agency. Both help with career planning, training, job placement, accommodations, and retention. (Choose Work)
- Sign an Individual Work Plan (IWP): This sets your goals and milestones. When you assign your Ticket and follow the plan, SSA conducts Timely Progress Reviews (TPR) about every 12 months. Passing a TPR extends protection from medical CDR selection for another year. (Choose Work, yourtickettowork.ssa.gov)
- Partnership Plus: Many people start with VR to train and get a job, then switch to an EN for ongoing supports, earnings growth, and help with reporting. This VR→EN hand-off preserves CDR protection if you keep making Timely Progress and assign your Ticket within the required timeframe after VR closes the case. (Choose Work)
SSDI: Work Incentives that Protect Your Cash & Medicare
1) Trial Work Period (TWP)
For 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) in a rolling 60-month window, you can earn any amount and still receive full SSDI cash benefits for those months. In 2025, any month with gross earnings ≥ $1,160 counts as a TWP month. (Social Security Administration)
2) Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)
After TWP, you get a 36-month safety net: you’re paid for any month you’re below SGA and not paid for months you’re at or above SGA. For 2025, SGA = $1,620 (non-blind) / $2,700 (blind) — SSA counts net self-employment and considers IRWEs and subsidies/special conditions when deciding SGA. (Social Security Administration)
3) Medicare continuation
Your free Part A can continue at least 93 months after your 9-month TWP; you can keep Part B by paying the premium. After that, you may be able to buy Part A. (Social Security Administration)
4) Expedited Reinstatement (EXR)
If your benefits stop due to work and, within 5 years, you can’t continue because of your medical condition, you can restart benefits without a new application and get up to 6 months of provisional payments while SSA decides. (Social Security Administration)
Example: You complete TWP, enter EPE, then earn above SGA for months so your checks stop. Two years later your condition worsens — you can request EXR to fast-track reinstatement. (Social Security Administration)
SSI: Work Incentives that Stretch Your SSI & Protect Medicaid
1) Countable-income math (the good news)
SSI never uses a single “income limit.” Instead, SSA excludes the first $20 of most income (general exclusion), $65 of earnings + half of the rest, and deducts IRWEs. Your payment adjusts, not vanishes — until earnings are high enough to reduce the check to $0. (Then 1619(b) may protect Medicaid.) (Social Security Administration)
2) Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)
Under age 22 and regularly attending school? In 2025, SSA ignores up to $2,350/month (max $9,460/year) of earned income before other exclusions. (Social Security Administration)
3) Medicaid even when cash SSI stops — 1619(b)
If wages make your SSI cash $0, you can often keep Medicaid as long as you still meet disability and resources rules and your earnings stay under your state’s 1619(b) threshold. (SSA sets different thresholds by state to reflect average Medicaid costs and wage levels.) (Social Security Administration)
4) Quick restart
If you kept Medicaid under 1619(b) and your earnings drop, you can restart SSI cash without a brand-new application. (Social Security Administration)
EN or VR… or Both? (Choosing Your Support Team)
| If you need… | Pick VR | Pick EN | Do Both (Partnership Plus) |
| Training/education, intensive rehab | ★★★ | ★★ | Start VR, then assign to EN when employed for retention/advancement |
| Ongoing job coaching & accommodations | ★★ | ★★★ | EN handles ongoing supports after VR closes case |
| Benefits counseling (work incentives) | ★★ | ★★★ (many ENs/WIPAs) | Either, plus WIPA referral |
| CDR protection via Timely Progress | Either, once your Ticket is assigned and you pass TPRs | Same | Maintain by re-assigning ticket to EN within 90 days of VR closure (state rules vary) (Choose Work) |
Step-by-Step: Start Ticket to Work Without Missteps
1) Confirm you’re eligible (SSDI or SSI, age 18–64). (Social Security Administration)
2) Locate providers with SSA’s Find Help tool, or call the Ticket to Work Help Line (1-866-968-7842; TTY 1-866-833-2967) for a list of ENs/VR in your area. Use SSA’s “Finding an EN & Assigning Your Ticket” Worksheet to compare. (Choose Work)
3) Pick EN or VR and sign your Individual Work Plan (IWP) with realistic earnings/education milestones. (Choose Work)
4) Assign your Ticket before you get any CDR notice to activate CDR protection, then meet TPR milestones each year to keep it. (Choose Work, yourtickettowork.ssa.gov)
**5) Learn your specific work incentives with a WIPA benefits counselor (free) so you know how TWP, SGA, 1619(b), IRWEs, and EXR will affect your benefits. (Social Security Administration, Choose Work)
6) Report wages on time to avoid overpayments (see next section). (Choose Work)
Wage Reporting (Prevent Overpayments)
- SSI: Report wages monthly — SSA advises reporting within 6 days of month-end via the mobile app, my Social Security, or the telephone wage system; general SSI change reporting is no later than the 10th day of the next month. Set reminders. (Choose Work, Social Security Administration)
- SSDI: Report when you start/stop work, if your hours/pay change, and whenever you expect to be at/above SGA. You may be able to report earnings in my Social Security as well. Keep paystubs. (Social Security Administration)
2025 Numbers You’ll Actually Use
| Rule | 2025 amount | Why it matters |
| Trial Work Period (TWP) | $1,160 gross/month triggers a TWP month | You still get your SSDI check for those 9 TWP months. (Social Security Administration) |
| SGA (non-blind) | $1,620/mo | Above this during EPE → no SSDI check for that month. (Social Security Administration) |
| SGA (blind) | $2,700/mo | Higher threshold for statutory blindness. (Social Security Administration) |
| Medicare continuation | 93 months after TWP | Keep Part A while working (then you may buy it). (Social Security Administration) |
| SEIE (student) | $2,350/mo up to $9,460/yr | SSI students can earn more before checks drop. (Social Security Administration) |
Common “What-Ifs” (and the Right Tool for Each)
- “I tried a job but couldn’t keep it.” Ask your EN/VR about Unsuccessful Work Attempt and IRWEs; for SSDI after EPE ends, EXR may restart benefits within 5 years. (Social Security Administration)
- “My SSI cash stopped — am I uninsured?” Not necessarily. You may keep Medicaid under 1619(b) while you’re working and still disabled. (Social Security Administration)
- “Will I get a medical CDR while testing work?” If your Ticket is assigned and you’re making Timely Progress, SSA won’t initiate a medical CDR during those review periods. (Choose Work)
- “Can someone explain all this for my exact case?” WIPA projects provide free, individualized benefits counseling so you can plan earnings safely. (Social Security Administration)
Partnership Plus: Why Many People Go VR → EN
State VR agencies are great for training/placement; ENs excel at retention/advancement and ongoing reporting. With Partnership Plus, you may train with VR, then (after VR closes your case) assign your Ticket to an EN for continued support — and to keep CDR protection by maintaining Timely Progress. Ask your VR counselor about local EN partners. (Choose Work)
Pro Tips to Avoid Pitfalls
- Document everything: keep paystubs, schedules, accommodation letters, and receipts for IRWEs. (Social Security Administration)
- Don’t guess SGA: check 2025 amounts and review subsidies/special conditions with your counselor. (Social Security Administration)
- Use reminders: calendar alerts to report SSI wages by the 6th (or no later than the 10th general rule). (Choose Work, Social Security Administration)
- Stay in Timely Progress: meet IWP milestones; pass each TPR to keep CDR protection rolling forward. (Choose Work)
- Keep your health coverage: plan around Medicare’s 93-month rule (SSDI) and 1619(b) (SSI). (Social Security Administration)
Summary Takeaways
- Ticket to Work is free/voluntary for ages 18–64 on SSDI/SSI and offers CDR protection when you assign your Ticket and make Timely Progress. (Social Security Administration, Choose Work)
- SSDI: Use TWP ($1,160/mo threshold) and EPE, keep Medicare for 93 months after TWP, and rely on EXR if work later fails. (Social Security Administration)
- SSI: Earnings reduce checks gradually; SEIE 2025 helps students; 1619(b) can preserve Medicaid when SSI cash stops. (Social Security Administration)
- Report wages promptly (SSI by the 6th via app/online; general rule by the 10th) to avoid overpayments. (Choose Work, Social Security Administration)
- WIPA counselors give free, individualized benefits advice — use them. (Social Security Administration)
FAQs
1) Can I work without losing SSDI or SSI?
Yes. Work incentives and Ticket to Work let you try working with safety nets. SSDI has a Trial Work Period and EPE; SSI reduces payments gradually and may preserve Medicaid via 1619(b) when cash stops. (Social Security Administration)
2) What are the 2025 SGA and TWP amounts?
TWP counts any month you earn $1,160+ (you still get SSDI that month). SGA is $1,620 (non-blind) or $2,700 (blind) and controls SSDI payments during/after the EPE. (Social Security Administration)
3) Will Ticket to Work stop medical CDRs?
If you assign your Ticket before you receive a CDR notice and make Timely Progress, SSA will not initiate a medical CDR during those review periods; passing each TPR extends protection ~12 more months. (Choose Work, yourtickettowork.ssa.gov)
4) How long can I keep Medicare while working on SSDI?
At least 93 months after your 9-month TWP for Part A; you can keep Part B by paying the premium. Later you may be able to buy Part A. (Social Security Administration)
5) If my SSI stops because of wages, can I keep Medicaid?
Often yes, through 1619(b) if you remain disabled and below your state’s threshold. If earnings drop, you can restart SSI cash without a brand-new application. (Social Security Administration)
6) Where do I get free benefits counseling?
From WIPA projects funded by SSA; many ENs also have certified benefits counselors. Call the Ticket to Work Help Line or use the Find Help tool. (Social Security Administration, Choose Work)
7) How do I report wages to avoid overpayments?
For SSI, report monthly within 6 days of month-end via the mobile app, my Social Security, or telephone wage reporting; generally no later than the 10th day of the following month. For SSDI, report when you start/stop work or when earnings/hours change. (Choose Work, Social Security Administration)
8) What’s Partnership Plus?
A VR→EN collaboration: get training and a job through VR, then assign your Ticket to an EN for ongoing supports and to keep CDR protection while you make Timely Progress. (Choose Work)