The word disability can be a scary one. The majority of people who apply for Social Security disability would rather be working than applying for the program and many even experience a sense of shame. No matter that the program was setup for hard-working Americans who paid into the system, but are unable to work any longer due to no fault of their own, some people are worried about the connotation that comes with being labeled as disabled.
There is also the fear that they will never be able to return to work. Unfortunately for many people the return to work, at least at a fulltime level, is not possible due to the severity of their impairments, but for others there is the hope to return to work one day. That is why it is important to note that Social Security is not a permanent disability program. After someone is considered disabled Social Security can revisit whether the person remains disabled after a few years.
Social Security even has a program, Ticket To Work, which is geared at providing vocational rehabilitation, training, job referrals and other employment support services to those on Social Security disability who believe they are ready to return to work. The program is free and voluntary.
Although it is up for discussion about how successful the Ticket To Work program is, at the very least, it does provide an outlet for those on disability to attempt to rejoin the workforce after medical improvement through this support.
We have yet to see any specific statistics to determine how successful the Ticket To Work program is at assisting disabled workers in rejoining the workforce, but at least it is an opportunity.
To learn more about the Ticket To Work program call the helpline at 1-866-968-7842 or by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/work.
