By Matt Silverstein, NENA Director
Director of Public Affairs
America Works of New York, Inc.

Can you believe that 2022 is already here? I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope you are staying safe and healthy, and that 2021 was a prosperous time for your organization. I am confident that 2022 is going to be a great year for the Ticket to Work Employment Program.

With a new year comes new hopes and dreams. Even though we are still in the middle of a global pandemic and a difficult economic time, now is actually a great time to go back to work. Many companies are hiring people. We at America Works of New York have found that there are actually more jobs out there right now than there are people to fill those jobs.

As a new NENA Director, I wanted to also take the time to introduce myself. I am the Director of Public Affairs for America Works of New York and I co-manage our Ticket to Work Employment Network nationally. I have worked at America Works for over 13 years and I have worked on Ticket To Work nearly that entire time. 2021 was an amazing year for me. The year ended with the birth of my daughter Abigail Hannah. My husband and I adopted her at the end of November in South Carolina. Our Ticket to Work program at America Works continues to grow. We currently have 21 Ticket to Work offices in 14 states and the District of Columbia. We were really encouraged by the growth of our program virtually in new areas. We were pleased to enroll people in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina and Texas. We are looking forward to continued growth in 2022.

I wanted to remind everyone that with the start of 2022 comes new Trial Work Level and Substantial Gainful Activity levels. In 2022, the Trial Work Level (TWL) has increased to $970.00, up from $940.00 in 2021. Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) has increased to $2,260 for blind individuals and $1,350 for non-blind individuals. Please remember these amounts when you are working with your clients. I also wanted to remind everyone about the importance of having your clients report their earnings to the Social Security Administration. We must do all we can to help our clients avoid overpayments.

If you ever have any questions or if you ever need advice, please reach out to me at msilverstein@americaworks.com. My door is always open. Remember that together we can make a difference!