Goodwill will offer Sheltered Workshops and regular employment. Not every location will have Sheltered workshops.

good to know

ssa needs to clarify work attempts. there are probably under the right cicumstances and the right employer work on a limited basis. but if i ask 10 people i get 10 different answers. there are so many menial jobs the disabled could do on a limited basis. we would contribute in the way of fica taxes, give us purpose but the way it is now it seems to an all or nothing deal with ssa. i couldnt possibly work full time and part time would be difficult but i would love to try. ticket to work is meant to bum rush you benefits. after my failed work attempt i promptly recieved a long form cdr. i only worked less than a month. so much for the ticket protecting you. its not the money. i sit home everyday staring out the window. it's horrible

I thought I had read you needed to keep your earning under 50% of SGA for the month, but I think I misread the rule.

If you stay under $701 per month, you won't trigger a Long Form:

"If question 1.a. is answered “Yes” (or is not answered or is answered BOTH Yes and NO, and DIRCON does not resolve these situations), but question 1.b. is blank/no earnings are reported, the mailer is actionable.
If there is insufficient WORK BEGAN and/or WORK ENDED information in question 1.b. to determine when the earnings occurred, but the reported MONTHLY EARNINGS in 1.b. are $701 or more in any of the three entries, the mailer is actionable." https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0440502001

Many people forget that some moths they might have an additional paycheck, so you need to factor that as well.

The GOAL really should be to return to work and to make above the SGA level. If that means receiving new training or completing additional education so you can make more money per hour, than so be it. The Ticket To Work Program is always an option.

but somtimes it seems to me that ssa makes up the rules as they go. i contacted ssa via email with my concerns. 4 days day later they responded with an explaination that applied to people on ss retirement.

You want to avoid human interaction when possible when dealing with SS.

They got your money, just like bank bailouts, they got what they wanted from disillusioned taxpayers, and could care less.

I'm not sure who you emailed or what your question was? As a general rule, staff at the 800# or a national office will have more experience with SS retirement then SSI/SSDI and they sometimes don't have adequate training. When possible, it's best to contact your local field office since they have more training.

With the form that is scanned, a computer follows the rules exactly as programmed. Most staff will as well, as you can see from the POMS I linked, their instructions are very specific. Many beneficiaries unknowingly will make an error on the form that will encourage a Long Form. Be very careful how you fill your CDRs out. If you're unsure how to do it, ask questions before starting. http://nymakesworkpay.org/docs/Guide_CDR.pdf

Many attorneys encourage their clients not to ever work, even pt. I think if you can work, you should. Hopefully, you'll end up being able to return to work ft eventually.

I returned to work PT - I believe it triggered a short form 455 and while I am under 20 hours a week and under 700 a month (15 hours a week - 600 a month) I just received notification that I will NOT lose my SSDI benefits.
I wanted to tell others that it probably depends on your physical scenario.

I'm 60 - on SSDI for 10 years. I was truly paranoid that I was going to lose my benefits but with my husband on the liver transplant list and ultimately almost going to lose housing I *had* to figure it out to keep a roof over our heads.
I had to.
Fortunately, I guess because of my age, because of my disability, because, because... I am OK.
thank God.
It's not easy... trust me - it's not...