Ticket to Work Evaluation Reports

Ticket to Work Evaluation Reports

Disability Policy Briefs

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Evaluation Reports

Ticket to Work Evaluation

For information on the Ticket to Work (TTW) program, visit The Work Site.

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-170) requires the Commissioner of Social Security to provide for independent evaluations to assess the effectiveness of the Ticket to Work program and submit reports to Congress with findings and recommendations to improve the program.  We completed the evaluation in July 2013.

Please see below for links to the Ticket to Work evaluation reports, policy briefs summarizing key findings from the reports, and the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) evaluation reports (which we examined as part of the Ticket to Work evaluation).

We initially conducted the National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) as part of the Ticket to Work evaluation.  For more information on the NBS, please continue to the NBS page.

SSA started a new evaluation of the TTW programs in 2023. For information on the new evaluation, visit the TTW Program Evaluation page.

Ticket to Work Evaluation Reports

TTW Evaluation Report #7

This report consists of seven studies comparing TTW program experiences before and after we implemented the revised regulations in July 2008 and updating information about the general employment efforts of working-age SSDI and SSI beneficiaries.  One of the studies re-estimates the impact of the original program (before the regulatory changes) on beneficiary service use and employment using new methods intended to improve the precision of those estimates.

TTW Evaluation Report #6

This report consists of four studies focusing on the employment efforts of working-age SSDI and SSI beneficiaries and the Social Security program features designed to encourage beneficiary employment.  Two of the studies specifically concern TTW participants and program issues, while the other two cover more general topics.

TTW Evaluation Report #5

This report consists of nine studies examining the work activities of SSDI and SSI beneficiaries and the challenges they face in returning to work at levels that lead to exit from the disability rolls.  Three of these studies specifically concern TTW participants and program issues, while the other six are studies on more general topics.

TTW Evaluation Report #4

This report updates and extends the work presented in earlier evaluation reports to cover the first four years of the TTW program, examining how well the TTW market functions and the extent to which the introduction of TTW changed beneficiary enrollment in employment-support services, employment, and receipt of SSDI or SSI benefits.

TTW Evaluation Report #3

This report examines program operational issues as well as the impact of TTW on beneficiaries.

TTW Evaluation Report #2

This report provides an interim look at the program during its second two years of operation, 2003–2004, in order to facilitate the program refinement process.

TTW Evaluation Report #1

This report examines early implementation issues of the TTW program and sets the stage for the more comprehensive reports to follow.

Disability Policy Briefs

Starting with the fifth evaluation report, we have selected the most interesting findings from the TTW evaluation reports to highlight in disability policy research briefs.

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Evaluation Reports

We have evaluated the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program as part of the Ticket to Work evaluation.  These reports provide information on beneficiaries served by WIPA projects, services provided, and program costs, as well as employment-related outcomes for a cohort of WIPA enrollees.