Employment Options

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faqs

OUR SERVICES

We offer over 20 years of expertise as an authorized Employment Network in helping job seekers on SSI/SSDI to find Work at Home or On-site positions with employers across the country. We practice the personal touch and service our clients like family and support them in increasing their income and self-esteem. Our agency has been a part of the federal Ticket to Work Program since it began over 20 years ago. It’s our goal to help you focus on your abilities to get the right job for you. Many of our staff have a disability and have also used the Ticket to Work Program personally.

Our goal is to get you back to work as soon as possible. The time it takes can differ for each individual and depends on multiple factors including your work history, motivation, employment goals, and your personal situation. We want to help you find suitable and meaningful employment. We are highly motivated to place you in the right position and employer so that you will stay successfully employed as long as you can. You will be assigned a personal job counselor who will work with you on your employment goals.

We help our clients on SSDI or SSI disability benefits find either Work at Home or local employment across the contiental 48 states and Washington, D.C. We help you find the type of job that fits your skills and abilities. Before starting your job search, you will be professionally screened to make sure that we get to know you and your strengths and goals. We help connect our clients to employers who have job openings across a multitude of career levels and industries including Customer Service, Tech Support, Billing & Coding, Information Technology, Federal Government, Nursing, Case Management, Sales, Clerical, Accounting, Engineering, Analysts, Manufacturing and many more. Our clients on SSDI or SSI are assigned a personal job counselor who will have all the latest job updates.

Employment Options, Inc. proudly has three different divisions committed to helping employers seeking diverse workforces and individuals with disabilities to find the perfect match to their unique needs. If you are Not on SSI or SSDI, please check out our two other divisions:

Ask MEO is a free service for individuals with disabilities or challenges who need guidance on employment resources to help them identify career opportunities, get connected to career skills resources and employment agency partners.

MEO Staffing works to expand career opportunities for individuals with disabilities and employment challenges who want to work and who do not qualify for the Social Security Ticket to Work Program.  Candidates of MEO Staffing have a defined career path and are ready to get back to work.

At times, MEO isn’t in a position to assist jobseekers with significant hearing or vision impairments with finding Work at Home if you are using an assistive device. The employers that we place clients in do not have software that is compatible with assistive technology. However, we review each candidate’s situation individually and have them submit our application to see if they qualify. If we are not able to assist you for some reason via Ticket to Work, please feel free to book an appointment for a free 15-minute employment assessment through Ask MEO, our other division, dedicated to providing referral resources to all jobseekers no matter their situation.  Those on SSDI or SSI, can also find additional Ticket to Work agencies by calling 866-968-7842 or visiting the main program website.  

Yes! You are welcome to enjoy many of our post-employment client services including benefits counseling, help with accommodation questions, career advancement and regular communication with your dedicated counselor on all job-related needs. Our services for job seekers on SSDI or SSI are always free thanks to the federal Ticket to Work Program guidelines. You may also like to check out the ongoing rewards programs we have for our clients who find and maintain work! We have many prizes up for grabs, including gift cards, cash, monitors and computers.

No, we are unable to provide additional training or schooling. However, there are many types of authorized agencies in the Ticket to Work Program and some do offer educational and training services. You can call the program hotline at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) or visit the main website for assistance in finding those agencies.

No, My Employment Options does not have the resources to help ticketholders with self-employment. We are trained and experienced in ‘direct’ job placement with national employers. However, our partner, NEBA provides ongoing support to SSA ticketholders seeking to start a new business. Please visit their website at NEBA to get more information on starting your own business, or Email info@nebaworks.com Toll Free: 855-632-2975.

Click here for some information on how to submit your pay stubs. You can find out more about our contests on our Contests page.

Resources

If you do not receive SSDI or SSI disability, or applied for our Ticket to Work services but did not qualify, Ask MEO is a free service that we offer for individuals with disabilities or challenges who need guidance on employment resources to help them identify career opportunities, navigate government programs, and develop critical work skills. Please feel free to book an appointment for a free 15 minute employment assessment through Ask MEO.

The easiest and most positive approach is through Employment Options: The Ultimate Resource for Job Seekers with Disabilities and other Challenges written by Employment Options’ CEO, Paula Reuben Vieillet. This is the same proven methodology we use with our Ticket to Work clients. The workbook is also available in a convenient Ebook option.

Check out the tutorials on the Microsoft site here. To test your typing, you can also practice on typingtest.com or for some free typing tutorials follow this link. GCFLearn.org is also another free online learning resource to help with training on computers, social media, various programs, writing, and more.

Ask MEO is a free service that we offer for individuals with disabilities or challenges who need guidance on employment resources to help them identify career opportunities, navigate government programs, and develop critical work skills. Please feel free to book an appointment for a free 15 minute employment assessment through Ask MEO.

The Ticket to Work Program is primarily for job seekers ages 18-64 who receive SSDI or SSI (non-retirement) benefits. If you are 65 or older, Ask MEO is a free service that we offer for individuals with disabilities or challenges who need guidance on employment resources to help them identify career opportunities, navigate government programs, and develop critical work skills. Please feel free to book an appointment for a free 15 minute employment assessment through Ask MEO.

Ticket to Work Program

Trial Work Period (TWP) or Trial Work Level (TWL) applies to those who receive SSDI benefits only. A Trial Work period is a work incentive that is given to those on SSDI to allow them to ‘test’ the waters of working. Social Security allows the person to try to return to work and is allowed to keep both their full disability benefits and health insurance during the Trial Period months.  SSA allows for 9 of these Trial Period months. A month in 2024 is counted as a trial if earnings exceed $1110 a month. Our Certified Benefits Counselor/CPWIC can help you track your benefits.

SGA stands for Substantial Gainful Activity. It is a term used by Social Security to determine if someone is eligible for disability benefits and to describe the level of work activity and earnings. If you receive SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), the SGA amount is used to determine if your benefits continue after you return to work and complete your Trial Work Period. The 2024 SGA figure is $1550. If you are blind, SGA is $2590 in 2024. Our Certified Benefits Counselor/CPWIC can help track your benefits and guide you through every stage of the program so you can focus on your employment goals.

Many people receiving SSI (Social Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) who are between the ages of 18 and 64, qualify for this free federally-sponsored return to work program. Your Social Security Number now serves as your ‘ticket.’ When you apply with MEO, we will be able to check the SSA portal to verify your ‘ticket’ status. If you would prefer to know before applying, you can call the Ticket to Work Helpline at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) to verify if you have a ‘ticket to work.’

The Ticket to Work Program is a national program that serves all 50 states and is managed and created by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It is an ‘outcome’ based program and SSA must first authorize and approve any agency who wants to provide services under the program name. It not only helps someone find suitable work, but also gives them a professional agency who can guide them in many areas including finding legitimate employers that fit their abilities, job development, resumes, interviews, accommodations and guidance with benefit questions.

There are various stages within the Ticket To Work Program for those on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). There is a “Trial Work Period” (TWL) and a “Substantial Gainful Activity” (SGA) period that affects income when returning to work. Our Certified Benefits Counselor/CPWIC can help you track your benefits throughout each stage of the program so you know where you are and what is coming next.

You have the option to work part-time or full-time, although there are some considerations. During your first nine months (if you are on SSDI), you can earn or work as much as you are able without consequence. Once you have finished this period, then your cash benefits can be affected by your monthly earnings if you earn over $1550 a month (2024 SGA). SGA for the Blind in 2024 is $2590.

Returning to work using the program is a ‘gradual’ process and different for each person. As ticketholders advance in the program, we help them work toward more hours, using program work incentives, to help reach self-sufficiency. Our Certified Benefits Counselor/CPWIC can help you track your benefits to ensure you are in a good place within the program.

To read more about the Ticket To Work Program, follow this link or call 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY).

It is possible to unassign your ‘ticket’ from another Employment Network (EN) or from Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). To ensure we are the right fit for your goals, we would first have you submit our online application to be screened by our staff. We can also guide you on how to unassign if needed. Note: You do not have to unassign your ticket to simply apply with us. You can apply and see if we are a good fit and then make your decision if you prefer.

If you are certain you would like to unassign from an agency, you can to submit this form to SSA to unassign from an Employment Network. To unassign from Voc. Rehab (VR) you would need to 1) Call your VR case manager to have your case closed. 2) After your case is closed, you can submit this form to SSA.

If you are unsure, please feel free to contact us.

The employment services that we offer to our clients on SSDI or SSI are entirely free because the program is a federal government program managed by the Social Security Administration. The services that we provide under the Ticket to Work Program are free to both job seekers and also employers.

It allows beneficiaries, who receive SSDI or SSI (non-retirement) disability benefits, to ‘test’ the waters of working again without risk to their benefits or health insurance. The program is gradual and allows job seekers on SSDI or SSI to work toward self-sufficiency over time.

Our client information page provides some steps as to how to find out more about your personal Social Security Benefits.

Work From Home

We partner with numerous leading national Work At Home employers who send us their positions to fill. Requirements can often vary by the Employer and also the specific job.  To learn more about our Work At Home job minimum requirements CLICK HERE.

Sitting is an essential job function of most Work At Home customer service jobs. If sitting up to 4 hours is too much for you, you can either have a desk where you can stand or you can also explore placement in our community-based jobs.  New applicants can complete a community on-line application form here.

Most definitely. We specialize in Work At Home jobs with the leading national employers in the industry and helping people with disabilities in the Ticket to Work Program. With the influx of work-from-home opportunities following the COVID pandemic, remote opportunities have expanded dramatically.