From Effects of the Ticket to Work Program: Return on Investment and Overall Assessment of Outcomes Versus Design by Paul O'Leary and Emily Roessel:
The Ticket to Work (TTW) program was established by 1999 legislation to expand access to vocational rehabilitation services for beneficiaries of Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefit programs. We evaluate TTW and compare its outcomes with the intentions of its authorizing legislation. We also compare the program's costs with the benefit savings resulting from the reemployment of successful program participants. We analyze unadjusted descriptive statistics, then consider potential participation bias among individuals who received employment services by devising an econometric analysis that accounts for the seriousness of a participant's interest in work. We find that TTW improved employment outcomes and generated net benefit savings to SSA for many employment-service clients, but the savings did not fully offset program costs. However, these estimates should be regarded as lower bounds of TTW's positive effects because they do not account for higher service needs of TTW program participants. ...
7 comments:
"TTW was based on the premise that many Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries had the functional capacity and the desire to work but had too few options for employment services."
Could it be the biggest failure of the program lies in the very premise of its creation? Employers seem to have a different perspective on that "functional capacity" to work.
My sister did the TTW, then her disability reemerged with a vengeance. It was so hard to get benefits restored, even with her former employers help, it was nearly impossible. She'll never use that program again, she almost lost her housing. If it wasn't for her previous employer, she would have. This program has never worked properly. She felt she could work, and she did for quite some time! Then when everything fell apart, well...don't just assume SSA will be there waiting to write a check.
Except that we are there to write that check thanks to the EXR process. Assuming your sister's benefits had not been terminated for more than five years, she should have qualified for provisional payments while her reinstatement request was pending.
Ticket to Work is a haphazardly marketed program that does more damage than good. Specifically, SSI recipients who sign up for it and believe that it exempts them from changes in benefits due to their earnings. Or (and this is a problem across T2/T16) they trust TTW contractors to handle their responsibilities to report earnings, and usually the contractor fails them.
The biggest hindrance to people with disabilities working is the employer, not the employee with a disability.
Doesn't mater what the program is, how much money you throw at it, if you want individuals with disabilities to work, you have to have the employers behind it.
Wondering if this shortage of workers is going to cause some changes in workplace attitudes. Doubtful but hopeful.
@2:52. I'm pretty sure that was the provisional benefits she had to wait for (was during covid shutdown). She worked for 2 years, 1 year full time, and 1 year part time. Her boss is definitely on her side. My sister wants to return to work one day, but not for 3-5 years minimum. Her boss will rehire her for sure though. She's having a rough time, but she'll be ok. She knows things were wonky at SSA due to Covid. It was just really frustrating for her.
@9:19. My sister is fortunate enough to have an employer that completely understands, and helps in anyway possible. She's a lucky lady in my book. I agree, the employers are important to be aware, and understand that disabilities can come back, and sometimes with a vengeance. I wish everyone was lucky enough to have an employer like her's!
Not only not helpful but harmful because it replaced state rehab services which were helpful
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