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:

1. 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.
2. 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!

  
  
  • Medicaid and Work: Keeping your Medicaid While You Work (1619b-medicaid-and-work-508)
  • The 1619(b) Program and Continued Medicaid for Social Security Disabled Adult Children (1619b-dac-508)
  • Use this 1619(b) template letter to alert your local SSA office about potential eligibility
  • (1618b)-template-letter
  • Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD): How to Navigate the Application Process (mbi-wpd-508)
• Wages, Resources, and your Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Supplemental Security Income: Calculating the Impact of Earnings on Benefits (ssi-income-impact-508)
  • Reporting Your Earnings to Avoid Overpayments: Strategies for Navigating the Income Reporting Process (ssa-overpayments-508)
  • Social Security’s Treatment of Resources in its SSI Program for Individuals with Disabilities (ssi-resources-508)
  • The Social Security Administration’s Treatment of Income in the SSI Program (ssi-income-508)
• Learn How to Grow Your Assets
  • Earned Income Tax Credit: How to Use the Tax Credit to Build Assets (eitc-508)
  • Plan for Achieving Self Support: How You Can Use PASS to Grow Assets (pass-508)
  • ABLE Accounts: A Way to Save for Future Expenses to Support Work, Special Needs, and Independence (able-accounts-508)
• Information for Youth
  • Age 18 Redetermination for Continuing Eligibility Under the Supplemental Security Income Program (age-18-redet-508)
  • Medicaid Continuing Disability Review for Children and Young Adults Who Receive Supplemental Security Income (1619b-dac-508)
  • Social Security Section 301 Rule (section-301-508)
  • Student Earned Income Exclusion (seie-508)
• How to Utilize Ticket to Work Resources
  • Ticket to Work: Choosing the Right Employment Network (employment-network-508)
• What does it all mean?
  • Glossary of SSA Disability Programs and Related Terms (ssa-glossary-508)

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. 

• Explore the pamphlet below to find out more information about Section 301.
• Social Security Section 301 Rule (section-301-508)
• Use the template letter below to communicate with your local SSA Field Office about potential Section 301 eligibility.
• Section 301 template letter

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:

• New York State Medicaid Buy-In Website
• Medicaid Buy-In Program for Working People with Disabilities Toolkit

We Can Work

We Can Work is a grass roots movement that aims to build hope among people with psychiatric diagnoses and disabilities to achieve employment and economic integration. Download the booklet now!

We Can Work Video - A 25-minute video of people with psychiatric disabilities sharing their stories of their journey to successful employment.

We Can Save

We Can Save is a campaign for and by individuals in mental health recovery with the goal of building hope, sharing information, and supporting one another so that all people can achieve economic self-sufficiency.