New Ticket to Work Website Launched
The Social Security Administration  and CESSI, the Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach for the Ticket to Work program, marked the 10th anniversary of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act by launching a new web site (www.choosework.net) for people with disabilities receiving Social Security disability benefits.  Visitors to the site can view videos and listen to stories told by people with disabilities who have used the Ticket and other work incentives.  The site also contains information about Work Incentive Seminar Events and other resources.

GAO Investigation Urged Into Social Security Overpayments
U.S. Representative John Tanner, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, has asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate overpayments made by the Social Security Administration to disability beneficiaries who returned to work.  A Nov. 6 letter to the GAO referenced reports that SSA often does not stop benefit payments when a beneficiary returns to work, even when beneficiaries inform SSA they are working.  Resulting overpayments can amount to thousands of dollars which beneficiaries may be forced to repay, even in cases where beneficiaries are without fault and were unaware they were being overpaid.  The fear of large overpayments may discourage beneficiaries from returning to work and undermine SSA’s own return-to-work policies.

Access Nebraska
Access Nebraska is a new online DHHS resource for individuals to self-screen to see what financial assistance programs are offered and/or they may want to consider applying for. It is now possible to apply for and submit the online Application for Benefits with an electronic signature. Applicants will be contacted by a local DHHS office to complete the eligibility determination process.

National APSE Calls for End of Sub-Minimum Wage Employment
The Executive Board of APSE issued a dramatic statement this month calling for “the complete phase out of sub-minimum wage for all individuals with disabilities by the end of 2014.”  The Board’s statement outlines recommendations to ensure that phasing out sub-minimum wage is carried out over time, in a way that avoids unintended consequences and leads to integrated employment opportunities.  Recommendations include amending the Rehabilitation Act to prohibit VR closures to sub-minimum wage jobs and for the Department of Labor immediately to stop issuing new sub-minimum wage 14(c) certificates to employers.  The statement was endorsed by the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination.  Read the full statement.

New Disability and Employment Website Launched
As part of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Workforce3 One launched a new Disability and Employment Resource Page to provide employment-related resources for the workforce system.  The page was created to disseminate promising practices that promote positive employment outcomes of people with disabilities and expand the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities.  Visit the new resource page.

SSA Strategic Plan Released
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released its strategic plan for 2008-2013. The plan focuses on four main goals: to eliminate the hearings backlog and prevent its recurrence; to improve the speed and quality of the disability determination process; to improve retiree and other core services; and to preserve the public's trust in Social Security programs.

Ticket to Work at the Crossroads: A Solid Foundation with an Uncertain Future
How many people have new or improved jobs due to Ticket to Work (TTW)?  Why did people choose whether to participate in the program? Which employment supports were the most effective? What are the costs and benefits of TTW to participants, program mangers, and employers?  The report describes the program and answers all these questions and others.
Contact: Mathematica Policy Research via email info@mathematica-mpr.com or call 609-799-3535.

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