Disabled People In Illinois Who Receive Social Security Benefits Will Be Among The First In The Nation Eligible To Participate In A New Program

house.gov, Sep 16, 2005

Congressman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., is pleased to announce that disabled people in Illinois who receive Social Security benefits will be among the first in the nation eligible to participate in a new program designed to help them retrain for new careers.

“Today only about 1 percent of the people who get Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits find a way to return to the work rolls each year.  We can do better and we must do better.  This new program is a step in the right direction,” Hyde said today.

Under the program, Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability beneficiaries will receive a “Ticket to Work” that can be used to obtain free vocational rehabilitation, job training and other support services.  Initially, 13 states, including Illinois, will participate in the program, which will be operational nationwide by January 2004. 

Here’s how the program works: a ticket holder gives the ticket to an Employment Network.  The network and the ticket holder together design an individual employment plan outlining the free services to be provided to assist the beneficiary in reaching his or her employment goal.  The program is voluntary.  Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who receive a ticket are not required to work, but they may choose to use their ticket to attempt to return to work. 

“Oftentimes, people who are disabled want to return to work, even if it is in a different career that can better accommodate their disabilities. But the problem is that many of those who have returned to work have often taken jobs far below their previous salaries.  Worse yet, many of these people often lost what little disability benefits they received by returning to work.”

But now that barrier has been eliminated for many Illinoians who are receiving Social Security and SSI disability benefits.  Now people who have received disability benefits for at least 24 months will not be disqualified for benefits solely because they have returned to work.

 “However, regularly scheduled medical reviews can still be performed and benefits can still be terminated if someone’s total earnings are above the limits.  These safeguards are essential to ensuring that the program’s benefits are not abused,” Hyde said.

Over the next five months, 2.4 million Social Security and SSI beneficiaries will receive a ticket.  The mailings will be staggered, based on the last digit of a beneficiary’s Social Security Number.
Tickets for eligible Illinois residents will begin arriving in mailboxes this week.