Leona

I enjoy being a mother and grandmother and caring for my cats, but I wanted more. I wanted to be out in the community. I have had lots of jobs in retail, call centers, and other faster-paced environments, which resulted in gaps in my employment.

When I started my job search in December 2024, I reached out to the Ticket to Work helpline, where I was referred to Work Without Limits. This is where I met Work Incentives Counselor Diane Ricker. She has been a big help and continues to be a support with Social Security (SSA), checking in on an as-needed basis. Diane helped me understand:

  • My SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and connected me with the claims representative at the Social Security office, which is never an easy task
  • How much money I can make before my Medicaid is affected – which in my state, is quite a bit
  • When my Trial Work Period is over
  • When I needed to stay under Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) to maintain my benefits

Work Without Limits especially helped me with:

  • Reporting my wages to SSA
  • Awareness of work incentives
  • Submitting necessary documents
Business people having a meeting.
Leona’s Advice

For persons with disabilities:
“Be honest with yourself about your disabilities and limitations.”

For employers:

"Treat all employees with respect and accept people for who and what they are."

My challenge was explaining my disability and employment gaps, which I overcame by valuing myself and persevering to find the right environment for me.  I learned that I needed to be honest with employers when being interviewed about my social anxiety. I knew I was looking for a workplace that appreciated differences.

Hired: I was hired by Century 22, a temp agency that found me a work placement at the New York Department of State. I can see myself happy here for quite some time. My employer is understanding and flexible and doesn’t micromanage me. At work, I feel comfortable talking a little bit about my life circumstances, which has helped me to connect with others.  I’ve come to value myself and others through working.

My Motivation: Independence and financial freedom. I can bring in a weekly wage without losing my social security disability payments and still have money at the end of the month before my monthly deposit from my social security disability benefit hits my bank account.

It has been very hard to make ends meet and rely solely on my SSDI benefit, but most of all, I am just happy to be working.