Frequently Asked Questions |
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There are no translations available. All questions and requests for information about Access Employment Network can be directed to our main office in California:
1. What is the Ticket to Work & Self Sufficiency Program?It’s 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. The goal of the Ticket program is to increase opportunities and choice 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 (SSA) provides disability beneficiaries with a Ticket they may use to obtain the services and jobs they need from a group of organizations called Employment Networks (ENs). There are more than 11 million Ticket-holders nationwide who are eligible for the program or are already working. You can visit the Ticket to Work website for more information. 2. Do I have to participate in the Ticket Program if I have a Ticket?No. The Ticket Program is flexible and voluntary. Beneficiaries receiving Tickets can contact one or more ENs to discuss services. Once an agreement is made between you and the EN, you and the EN work together to develop a work plan to assist you in reaching your employment goal. 3. What's the benefit to me if I sign up for the Ticket program?Aside from the opportunity to work, here are the top three benefits of signing up for the Ticket program:
4. Does it matter if I work full-time or part-time?Not really. During your trial work period you can earn or work as much as you are able. Once you have finished this period, then your cash benefits can be affected by your monthly earnings if you earn over $1000.00 a month. (2011 SGA) 5. What kind of jobs do you find for people?We help you find the type of job that fits your skills and abilities. Before starting your job search, you will be professionally evaluated to make sure that we are looking in the right direction 6. What if I go back to work and then lose my job or get sick?There is no penalty for trying to return to work. If you try working and then find out that returning to work is not right for you, your cash benefits can be reinstated without any difficulty or questions during the expedited reinstatement period. (36 months after completing the nine month trial work period). Ticket-holders can also retain their Medicare benefits for 8 ½ years after starting back to work, and do not have to worry about changing healthcare providers or obtaining healthcare coverage through their employer. 7. Aside from telling you I'm working, do I need to provide any additional information or proof?Yes. You will need to provide a photocopy of your pay stubs showing that your gross earnings were $720 or more during your first 9 months of working. These amounts are for 2011, and will change annually. Pay stubs are the preferred form of evidence. If you don’t have copies of your pay stubs, you can provide an earnings statement signed by your employer containing the pay period dates, gross earnings, and year-to-date earnings. Since your employer may not know you are part of the Ticket program, it's no necessary to disclose why you need the earnings statement. This is a common request and employers are required by law to provide copies of pay stubs if requested. If you have partial documentation, we will need to explore other options with you. Keep in mind that this may slow down the processing of your 80% Milestone-Outcome payment by 1-2 months. This documentation is necessary in order to receive your 80% Milestone-Outcome payments. You can provide it by e-mail, fax or even mail it in. We will then submit that information to SSA for payment. If you fail to provide us with the necessary documentation, you will unfortunately no longer be eligible for the 20% Milestone-Outcome payment until you do so. That documentation is key to receiving payment. 8. If I go back to work, even part-time, will SSA believe I’ve medically improved and terminate my benefits?As long as you have assigned your Ticket and are making progress, according to SSA’s schedule, in the Ticket to Work program, SSA will not initiate a continuing disability review during that time. If you are not making timely progress in the Ticket to Work program according to SSA’s schedule, they may begin a medical review to determine if you are still disabled. Timely progress, which is reviewed by Maximus, a company helping SSA manage the Ticket Program, is determined by the following schedule: 1st - 12 months (after 12 months of Ticket use)
2nd - 12 months (13-24 months of Ticket use)
3rd - 12 months (25-36 months of Ticket use)
4th - 12 months (37-48 months of Ticket use)
5th - 12 months (49-60 months of Ticket use)
6th - 12 months (61-72 months of Ticket use)
7th - 12 months (73-84 months of Ticket use)
*The guidelines for any subsequent 12-month Progress Review are the same as for the 7th 12-month Progress Review. 9. Do you offer cash back or incentives?The assistance we provide is personal and full service. Cash back companies offer limited or no services. We do provide some financial help or cash back incentives on an individual basis. 10. What if I'm signed up with another Employment Network, and I want to switch?As a Ticket holder, you can choose at any time to seek the services of a different Employment Network. Depending on the depth of services provided by the previous EN, Maximus may determine that the previous EN is eligible to share in EN payments. If this is the case, and you switch your Ticket to our Ticket program, we will still pay you 80% of whatever we receive for your Ticket. If you believe our services are a good match for you, and you'd like to reassign your Ticket, you can contact us via e-mail at: Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla for assistance. We will provide you with the information you need to reassign your Ticket. Once approved, you'll then follow our standard process for enrolling in our services. |
