Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

B.4
Subsequent to developing the agreement with TakeCharge, the Wisconsin DVR sent
mailings to approximately 100 Social Security beneficiary clients believed to be working at
SGA, or believed to have the potential to work at levels higher than SGA. The letter
explained that if consumers assigned their Tickets to TakeCharge, they would receive $125
per month for every month they are working and not receiving Social Security. Only one or
two dozen beneficiaries responded by assigning their Tickets to TakeCharge. The low
response surprised DVR and TakeCharge staff, both of whom had anticipated that at least
half the group would assign Tickets to TakeCharge.
Ticket Assignments and Outcomes. At follow-up interview in August 2003,
TakeCharge had 316 Ticket assignments. The EN has received just under $6,000 in
payments on five beneficiaries since beginning its operations. A few additional beneficiaries
are working and expect to be off of benefits and eligible for Ticket payments soon. The
interviewee noted that, although costs are minimal, TakeCharge has been losing money on
Ticket to Work. The EN now employs only one part-time staff person (in addition to the
owner/director who manages the business as a part-time activity).
TakeCharge has not developed procedures for unassigning Tickets. This would add
another level of administrative burden that the EN does not have the resources to support.
At present, assigned Tickets are left assigned, regardless of activity.
Program Administration. Few problems with program administration were noted.
Those reported centered on the claims submission and payment process. One problem is
that beneficiaries have experienced difficulty submitting pay documentation that will meet
SSA’s requirements. According to the interviewee, none of the 20 or so TakeCharge clients
who have submitted pay documentation have done so without problems. The requirements
for the pay documentation are very specific, and some employers do not provide
information that will meet that level of specificity. TakeCharge’s procedure for correcting
insufficient documentation is to return it to the beneficiary, indicating why it is deficient, and
have the beneficiary address it. In some instances, however, it was unclear to TakeCharge
staff why the documentation was insufficient and what was needed to rectify the situation.
Another issue noted was the time frame for receiving payments. The interviewee
estimated that it takes three to four months, on average, to receive payment on a claim.
Some claims have taken as long as five or six months. The Program Manager has indicated
that the payment turnaround time is largely beyond its control and is driven primarily by SSA
processing.
The interviewee notes that, in general, administering TTW has turned out to be more
work for far lower returns than initially anticipated.
Concerns and Expectations Regarding Future Success. Although she has been
losing money on TTW thus far, the owner of TakeCharge will continue to participate in the
program. She indicates that she needs to receive payments on five or six beneficiaries each
month in order to break even, and is just beginning to achieve that. She also feels a sense of
responsibility to the beneficiaries who have signed up with TakeCharge and is committed to
trying to help them through her program. The interviewee believes that TakeCharge could
Appendix B: Provider-Specific Case Study Summaries