SSDI: How do most Employment Networks (ENs) decide if you are making timely progress?

An example and/or specifics would be excellent. My research has been unsuccessful even after contacting some ENs. So now I'm interested in YOUR understanding and experience.

The one I went to was based on Ticket to Work's guidelines and my understanding they all are based on this; their pay reimbursement is based on you hitting these goals. You can get a copy of this at the Social Security office or may be available online but have not found it there yet (not to say it isn't there though somewhere), but definitely available at Social Security. They are very specific though and can be a helpful guide, setting goals for each year.

I could not meet the goal the one year and ended up not being able to work with them: my disability would only allow me to go school part-time that year and could not work; it required that year I increase to full-time school or working so many hours. However, this was several years in though so you don't think you have to do this right off. You will see this when you get this list. I just could not do it so I couldn't continue in the program with them. I eventually got there in my own time just not by that route. Others though have found it helpful to set goals to work towards each level and used it to their advantage.

Thanks for your reply.

Do you know what happens if someone required to make "timely progress" wants to quit school or a job to look for another job or to apply for a different degree program?

While they're looking for a job or applying to different degree programs, they wouldn't be employed full time. Could they do that and still make "timely progress?"

(I ask on here because SSDI reps don't seem all that competent.)

They don't get paid until they can prove (usually with your paycheck) that you are "working", have completed "certain milestones" (as the Social Security brochure below words it). You get to choose to work with them and they get to choose to work with you so I would ask whichever network you decide on, the specifics of how it all works:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10065.pdf