Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

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CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
SSA faced a daunting challenge in designing and implementing this large new program
literally from scratch—especially considering that no dedicated funds were appropriated for
the task. While the original concept of the program sounded simple, many complexities
arose as SSA worked out all the details of how TTW would relate to the many rules and
systems associated with the SSI and DI programs. Further, SSA had to address the interests
of a wide variety of stakeholders in developing all the rules, regulations, procedures, and
systems needed to make TTW operational.
At present, however, most of the important evaluation questions cannot be answered;
the program has just begun to roll out in the remaining Phase 3 states, and the evaluation has
just begun. Still, even at this early point, some emerging issues merit careful consideration
and monitoring as time goes on, as they have the potential for seriously undermining the
program’s success.
Ticket participation rates remain low, although they are increasing. Even though the
program was never envisioned as a way to move a large percentage of disability beneficiaries
into self-sufficiency, Ticket use is lower than many had hoped for at this stage. Several
factors may be contributing to this finding. First, despite efforts by SSA, the Program
Manager, and individual ENs to explain TTW to beneficiaries, many people appear not to
understand the basics of how the program operates, what it means for their benefits, and the
opportunities it offers. Second, beneficiaries who are not ready to move quickly into fulltime
employment may have a hard time finding an EN that will accept their Ticket.
Discussions with ENs suggest that many are focusing on beneficiaries whom they expect can
quickly obtain sufficient earnings to move off the disability rolls and therefore generate
outcome payments to the EN. This seems particularly true for those ENs that rely solely on
TTW payments.
A related, but separate, issue of concern is that some beneficiaries may have difficulty
finding an EN that is accepting any Tickets at all. Fewer ENs than hoped for have joined
the program, and relatively few of them have accepted Tickets. The vast majority of Tickets
are assigned to SVRAs, raising questions about whether TTW is succeeding in increasing the
diversity of providers and services available to beneficiaries. New ENs appear to be taking a
very tentative, wait-and-see approach to the program, hanging back until the early
operational difficulties are worked out. They may also see the program—especially under
the current payment systems—as posing too great a financial risk. This perception is
certainly understandable, given the financial problems that the most active, experienced ENs
have already encountered.
Yet another issue of concern is that few of the Tickets assigned have resulted in
payments to ENs. It seems likely that the economy is a contributing factor insofar as the
economic downturn has reduced the number of job openings and increased competition for
the vacancies that do exist. The experienced ENs we interviewed said that it had been
difficult to find jobs for their clients. Other factors, though, are also in play. In some cases,
ENs have found that beneficiaries do not stick with the service plan or try to find suitable
employment. In other cases, beneficiaries have not remained in jobs long enough to
Executive Summary