The Social Security Administration has just released the final rules on
the ticket to Work program.  In about one-fifth of the states, including
Illinois, millions of people with disabilities who receive Social
Security will begin receiving these "tickets" starting at the end of this
month.  In Illinois alone, more than 300,000 people are scheduled to
receive tickets in the next few months.  You can read the program rules
for yourself in accessible format to see how the program is supposed to
work.  Info is below.

Kelly



From SSA Web site:
http://www.ssa.gov/work/ResourcesToolkit/FinalRegs2002.html

The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program;
Final Regulations

Synopsis

On December 28, 2001, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published
final regulations implementing the "Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency
Program" (the Ticket to Work program) authorized by the Ticket to Work
and
Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-170). The Ticket to
Work
program provides Social Security disability beneficiaries and disabled or
blind Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries with expanded access to
employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support
services. This program will enable these beneficiaries to obtain, regain
or
maintain employment and to reduce their dependency on cash assistance.
Under
this program, SSA will pay the providers of those services, called
employment networks (ENs), after the beneficiaries achieve certain levels
of
work and earnings.

These final regulations:

explain the purpose of the Ticket to Work program and how SSA will
implement
the program in graduated phases in sites around the country;
provide that most beneficiaries receiving disability-based cash benefits
from SSA will receive tickets if they are at least age 18 but not yet age
65;
explain how a beneficiary receiving a ticket can assign it to an EN or
State
vocational rehabilitation agency to obtain services;
explain what is meant by the term "using a ticket" and how "using a
ticket"
protects a beneficiary from initiation of a medical review to determine
whether he or she continues to meet SSA's definition of disability;
explain what the Program Manager does to assist SSA to administer the
Ticket
to Work program;
describe the qualifications and responsibilities of ENs and how State
vocational rehabilitation agencies participate in the Ticket to Work
program;
describe when an EN or State vocational rehabilitation agency is paid
under
the Ticket to Work program, and the two systems for paying ENs for
assisting
beneficiaries to go to work;
explain how we will settle disputes arising in the Ticket to Work program
between beneficiaries and ENs, beneficiaries and State vocational
rehabilitation agencies, and ENs and the Program Manager; and
explain how implementation of the Ticket to Work program will affect the
alternate participant program.

A complete copy of the regulations can be found on-line at:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&d
oci
d=fr28de01-23


(very long address, may need to cut and paste into browser)


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