On December 17, 1999, the President signed the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-170). This legislation includes a repeal of sections 222(b) and 1615(c) of the Social Security Act. These sections had provided for deductions from the benefits of disabled title II beneficiaries and for suspension of payments to disabled and blind title XVI Supplemental Security Income recipients who refuse to accept VR services under an appropriate State program and did not have "good cause" for such refusal. The legislation eliminates these sanctions for refusal of VR services without good cause, which began January 1, 2001.

Effective January 1, 2001, the law requires SSA to end title II benefit deduction and title XVI benefit suspension actions due to refusal of State VR services. Effective January 1, 2001, no sanction actions will be taken due to refusal of VR services.

A systems run was performed to identify title II beneficiaries in payment code S-7 whose benefits were stopped due to the imposition of benefit deductions, and title XVI recipients in payment code N09 whose benefits were suspended, because of refusal of VR services. Based on this run, we reinstated benefits to most affected beneficiaries and recipients. If other cases are identified, reinstate benefits per current operating instructions SM 01305.001 for title XVI recipients and MSOM 53-G for title II beneficiaries.