The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is the centerpiece of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 and has been incorporated as part of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative, according to Boston-based Liberty Mutual.

Placement "is what Liberty Mutual does every day for our own claimants," said Ms. Kaufman. "We heard about it and thought of it as another avenue to help get people back to work."

She explained that to qualify, Liberty Mutual filled out a 100-page application providing "proof of our ability and agreeing to the terms of the program."

The national program was designed to provide Social Security Administration beneficiaries with disabilities more choices for receiving the employment, vocational rehabilitation and other support services they need to obtain and maintain employment.

Another part of the program is to increase provider incentives to serve these individuals, according to Liberty Mutual. Under the program, the more than 2.6 million individuals who receive Social Security disability income benefits are eligible to receive these and other important employment services.

As a service provider of the Ticket to Work program, Liberty Mutual said it will help participating individuals set realistic work goals and provide personalized rehabilitation, training, and job placement services.

"Helping a disabled individual return to the labor force unites the interests of all three players in the disability process?the worker, the employer and the Social Security Administration," Barbara Mountain, Liberty Mutual manager of Social Security assistance programs said in a statement. "Most importantly, employees return to a productive lifestyle, regaining their former economic independence and potential."

She added that employers are better able to manage their disability costs under the program. "The Social Security Administration is able to meet the needs of other disabled individuals. We are delighted to be the first insurer selected by the Social Security Administration for the Ticket to Work program," she said.

The Ticket Program is now in operation nationwide according to the SSA. Tickets will be staggered, based on the last digit of a beneficiary's Social Security number.

Individuals may take their ticket to any of the employment service providers that offer services in their communities. A list of participating networks can be found at