iHeart Podcast Features Jim Allsup: How Technology Is Changing Disability Benefits For Workers

A recent episode of HELLO FUTURE with Kevin Cirilli featured Jim Allsup, founder and CEO of Allsup and Allsup Employment Services (AES). The discussion centered on how technology is changing disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and helping people return to work. The conversation covered the disability system, medical advances and the Ticket to Work (TTW) Program. AES is an SSA-authorized Employment Network that assists Social Security disability beneficiaries with returning to work while protecting benefits during the transition.

Learning The System From The Inside

Jim Allsup started working at the Social Security Administration when he was young. This gave him a close look at how the disability process works and how hard it can be for people to deal with.

"What I observed is the disability system and Social Security was and still remains extremely abusive to the public," Allsup said. "These are the people you should be helping the most, and instead our government's system gives them a backhand."

These early experiences led him to create a business focused on the goal of "simplifying government complexity to make it easy for the person."

Making Applications Easier With Technology

Jim Allsup explained the problems with current government websites. "A person who has a disability today and wants to file an application for Social Security disability benefits goes to a government website that's impossible to use," he said.

Allsup takes a different approach with their proprietary platform, empower by Allsup®. As he explained, "we develop a system that’s video driven and it takes complicated questions and breaks them down into simple questions." Staff also use artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the process of organizing and managing claim information, which helps make claims preparation and review faster. Claimants who may recover enough to return to work are introduced to the Ticket to Work Program. The platform makes them aware that support is available if they decide to go back into the workforce.

Medical Advances Create New Opportunities

The interview covered how better medical treatments are changing disability outcomes. Jim Allsup noted that "Due to today's medical science, this program has changed, so you have people that will qualify for benefits at one point and two or three years later they can go back to work."

The current system doesn't always account for this. The process also can be so slow that Allsup pointed out "you literally have people who die waiting to get their claims processed." This creates a gap between how the system works, what individuals need depending on their particular medical circumstances, and what modern medicine can achieve for people who eventually stabilize and can work again.

Ticket To Work: A Bridge Back To Employment

The TTW Program helps fill this gap. If you are receiving SSDI or SSI, you automatically qualify for TTW. The program offers vocational support services for returning to work, such as resume development, job search assistance and interview preparation. Allsup mentioned that his company is "the lead provider" in getting people back to work through this program.

He emphasized that "what's more important is they want to go back to work." The program lets you explore work options while keeping your safety net of SSDI/SSI and Medicare during the transition.

Planning For Today And Tomorrow

Allsup described an approach that looks at both current disability and future work possibilities. His system includes messaging that, as he says, tells applicants, "we believe you're eligible for benefits for these reasons, but also, barring complications, we believe you're going to be able to go back to work."

This "dual-pathway" model recognizes that you might qualify for benefits today but be able to work again later. It matches what many people actually experience in receiving SSDI then utilizing TTW to return to work.

What's Next For Disability Benefits and Work

The interview ended with thoughts about the future. Newer technology like empower and AI could make the disability benefits process easier and faster. For people using TTW, these changes could mean clearer information and better coordination between benefits and work goals.

The full conversation on HELLO FUTURE with Kevin Cirilli provides more details about how technology and medical progress are shaping the future of disability benefits and employment.

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 (866) 540-5105.