A ticket is assignable to an employment network (EN) or State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency acting as an EN if a Ticketholder:

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  is age 18 through 64,

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  is in current payment status, and

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  is not subject to one of the exclusions listed in DI 55002.005C.

To assign a ticket, the EN or State VR agency acting as an EN and the Ticketholder must complete and sign an employment plan to achieve a work goal. For more information on employment plans, see DI 55020.001. Once the Ticketholder assigns the ticket, the ticket’s status is “In Use” on the disability control file (DCF).

NOTE: Although a beneficiary/recipient cannot assign a ticket at age 65 or later, if assigned the ticket prior to attaining age 65, the ticket remains active until full retirement age when the ticket terminates. For information on who is eligible for a ticket, see DI 55002.005B.

“Using a ticket” refers to a specified period of time when the Ticketholder receives employment-related services from an EN or State VR agency and makes the progress toward self-sufficiency that is required under the regulations. The period of using a ticket begins on the effective date of the assignment of the ticket to an EN or State VR agency acting as an EN, or the date a beneficiary with a ticket begins receiving services from the State VR agency under the cost reimbursement option.

The CDR initiation date is the date on the notice sent to the Ticketholder that informs that SSA is beginning to review the disability case. The FO inputs the CDR initiation notice date to DCF on the CDR FO Input Screen (IFOA) following MSOM CDR 001.007.

If you do not have the notice, you can query the following DCF screens to identify the CDR initiation notice date.

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  IFOA screen shows the notice date in the DIRECT RELEASE NOTICE INIT field.

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  General Ticket Query (TKQY) shows the notice date in the CDR INITIATION DATE field.

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  CDR Query Screen (QCDR) shows the notice date as the DIRECT RELEASE initiation DATE field.

If a Ticketholder's ticket status is "In Use" or "In Use SVR" and the ticket becomes unassigned, the Ticketholder is entitled to a period of 90 days during which may reassign the ticket. During this period, called the extension period, the ticket is considered to be in use, the ticket status is "Not Assigned In Use - Extended," and the ticket continues to protect the Ticketholder from a medical CDR. A Ticketholder may reassign a ticket during this period even if disability-related cash benefits cease because of work and earnings.

If a Ticketholder, an EN, or a State VR agency acting as an EN decides not to continue with the ticket assignment, the party dissolving the relationship must make a request in writing to the TPM to unassign the ticket.

If a Ticketholder decides to discontinue working with a State VR agency that chose the cost reimbursement option, the Ticketholder must notify the State VR agency that he or she will no longer participate. The State VR agency will notify the TPM once the case closes.

A Ticketholder may reassign a previously assigned ticket or place it in the “In Use SVR” ticket status if meets the ticket-eligibility criteria in DI 55002.005B and DI 55002.005C. The reassignment is effective on the first day the Ticketholder meets these requirements.

NOTE: During the extension period or the 90-day period immediately following the case closure by the State VR agency, a Ticketholder can reassign the ticket whether or not meets the eligibility criteria described in DI 55002.005B and DI 55002.005C.

A Ticketholder must make a written request to the TPM to place the ticket in inactive status. A Ticketholder may call TPM at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) or email TPM at support@choosework.ssa.gov. When the ticket is in inactive status, the ticket remains assigned but the Ticketholder is not exempt from medical CDRs.

A Ticketholder may reactivate the ticket by making a written request to the TPM. If the Ticketholder had been working with an EN or a State VR agency acting as an EN, the ticket may be reactivated only if the ticket remained assigned. If the Ticketholder had been working with a State VR agency under the cost reimbursement option, the ticket may be reactivated only if the ticket is available for assignment and the Ticketholder is receiving services from the State VR agency.

When a Ticketholder does not meet the work or educational requirements for a timely progress review, the DCF will show the ticket status as "Assigned-Not In Use-FTPR," and the Ticketholder will be subject to scheduled medical CDRs. There is no 90 day extension period for FTPR. The Ticketholder must meet the criteria set for the timely progress review before returning to “In Use” status.