Customer Resources
Are you a person with a disability considering work? If so, check out these great resources to make sure you are equipped! You can work! We can help!
Ticket to Work and NYESS
Ticket to Work 
is a free and voluntary program that can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work and progress towards financial independence. Individuals ages 18-64 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may qualify for this program. To find out more about the Ticket to Work Program, go to the Disability Employment Initiative web site to contact a Disability Resource Coordinator.
We help Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)/Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients obtain work through employment services provided by designated America’s Job Centers and participating community agencies. We have Disability Resource Coordinators who are certified benefits planners with the expertise to advise you on your benefits, help you get your first job, a new job, or a better job.
There are two primary ways to find assistance through Ticket to Work:
- New York State Department of Labor Career Centers: NYSDOL Career Centers can assist you with your job search, including resume writing, interview skills, labor market information, identifying employment and training opportunities, and more. Find the Career Center in your area.
- To obtain assistance with employment and to find a community provider in your area, please click here: Administrative Employment Network Partners. For more information or direct assistance in connecting to a provider, call 518-474-2338 or email the NYESS administrative team.
SSA Red Book
The SSA Red Book is your go-to source for all information regarding SSA benefits, related health insurance, and how income will affect your benefits.
Your Path to Success Handbooks
Your Path to Success handbooks are designed to help you answer questions about working while receiving public benefits as well as a wide array of other related topics.
-
Want to work and keep your Medicaid? There are two major programs you should explore – MBI-WPD and 1619(b). See the table below to see which program is right for you. To get more specific information about each program, and to learn how wages affect your eligibility for Medicaid, see the bulleted items directly below the table.
Which Medicaid program is right for me?
1619(b)
MBI-WPD
You are earning up to $54,611 in wages
annually and have less than $2,000 in resources;You are earning wages up to $65,436
in wages annually and have/want to have resources up to $20,000;AND
AND
have a qualifying disability; have a qualifying disability; AND
AND
are currently receiving a SSI cash payment; have not received a SSI cash payment
in the last 36 months;OR
OR
are no longer receiving a SSI Cash
Payment due to earned income but have in the previous 36 months;have received SSI within the last 36 months but want to have greater earnings and savings capacity; AND
AND
want access to free Medicaid! want access to free Medicaid!
- Use this 1619(b) template letter to alert your local SSA office about potential eligibility
Section 301 of the Social Security Act
Section 301 of the Social Security Act is a rule that allows Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) coverage to continue if a recipient is found to be no longer disabled according to Social Security Administration’s (SSA) criteria. To be eligible for continued SSI or SSDI coverage under Section 301, you must actively be involved in one or more of the following: a vocational rehabilitation program, the Ticket-to-Work program, or be engaged in another qualifying rehabilitation program and/or have an SSA approved PASS Plan and/or have an Individualized Education Plan.
- Use the template letter below to communicate with your local SSA Field Office about potential Section 301 eligibility.
Department of Labor Resources
The Department of Labor has developed powerful websites to help New Yorkers explore careers, look for jobs, and create job seeker profiles. Using SMART (Skills Matching and Referral Technology), both the CareerZone and JobZone sites listed below use sophisticated software to help connect job seekers with jobs within businesses that fit their unique skills.
CareerZone is a career exploration tool, designed specifically for individuals who have little to no work history and need a place to start. To learn how to navigate and utilize CareerZone, watch short instructional videos, or go directly to the Department of Labor’s New York State CareerZone web site.
JobZone utilizes many of the same features as CareerZone, but may be more useful for job seekers with a work history. We have also created short instructional videos to help you get the most of this powerful resource.
If you are looking for employment, access the Department of Labor’s New York State Job Bank to find open positions near you.
Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD)
The Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities is a program that allows working New Yorkers with disabilities to earn up to $65,436 without the risk of losing their Medicaid coverage. In New York State, people with disabilities can continue working, or return to work without fear of losing their essential health care coverage through Medicaid. Traditionally, New Yorkers with disabilities have had to limit their wages, or pay high "spend-downs" in order to retain or access Medicaid. Through New York State's Medicaid Buy-In program for Working People with Disabilities, they will no longer have to do either.
To learn more about MBI-WPD click one of the links below: