WASHINGTON (Aug. 7, 2025) — The Ticket to Work (TTW) Program, an initiative of the Social Security Administration, is facing scrutiny for its limited reach and effectiveness in helping Americans with disabilities return to work. Only 0.8 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries have successfully left the program through employment, despite nearly one in five, or 20%, expressing a desire to rejoin the workforce within five years, according to an ABC7 I-Team investigation.
Allsup Employment Services, a national leader among SSA-approved Employment Networks, continues to deliver results for beneficiaries. AES Founder and CEO Jim Allsup said his company has helped between 7,000 and 8,000 individuals successfully go back to work through TTW, creating lifetime government savings estimated at $2 billion, or an average of $309,000 per person.
He noted that the program remains underutilized because about 70 percent of recipients are not aware of the benefits and protections that Ticket to Work provides, according to the ABC7 I-Team report.
The story of Tarnisha Averette, who returned to work as an Amazon driver and dispatcher with support from Allsup Employment Services and Ticket to Work, illustrates the positive impact when Employment Networks like AES are involved, the report said.
For those already receiving SSDI, expert support from Employment Networks remains essential.
Highlights:
- Only 0.8 percent of SSDI recipients leave the program through employment, even though nearly 18 percent see themselves working and earning enough to stop receiving disability benefits altogether in 5 years.
- Allsup Employment Services, an SSA-approved Employment Network, has delivered results for thousands of individuals, generating substantial savings for taxpayers.
- About 70 percent of eligible disability beneficiaries are not even aware of the Ticket to Work Program.
- Personalized, expert support is critical for successful outcomes.
The full report from WLJA-TV Washington, D.C., and ABC can be found online.
For more information about how Allsup Employment Services helps individuals return to work through the Ticket to Work Program, visit Allsup Employment Services or call 1-866-540-5105.
