Tons of adults live with a disability, and the financial needs and constant access to medical care required by their condition only create a bigger burden. When things get even more difficult, Americans living with disabilities have a particular set of resources that become available to them, such as financial assistance that can help them with their day-to-day living.

These programs help people with disabilities to cover most of their food and housing expenses, pay for health care and prescriptions, and assist with tax filing. Veterans that are left with disabilities can even qualify for special benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you want to find out a bit more about your options, learn here how to take advantage of them:

1. Income, loans, daily expenses

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

People with disabilities are eligible to get free assistance with food, thanks to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program lays out multiple ways to qualify, such as receiving disability or even blindness payments from federal and state agencies.

Disabled railroad workers, veterans, and even disabled spouses and the children of veterans can qualify for free food assistance. Every state has its application process, so if you want to apply, you have to contact your state agency.

Social Security Disability Income

Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) is a well-known federal program that provides cash for people who need to meet basic needs, including food, clothing, and shelter, out of which disabled people are also included. If you suffer from a condition on the SSDI Compassionate Allowances list, there could be a reduced wait time for deciding your eligibility.

The monthly SSDI payment depends on your lifetime average earnings, which are covered by Social Security. You can easily check the Social Security Administration’s online benefits calculator, to see what’s the exact amount of money you would qualify for, or you can easily make an online Social Security account to get your Social Security statement.

Federal Disability Retirement Benefits

Federal employees who ended a minimum of 18 months of federal civilian service are eligible for disability retirement offered by the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). To check if you qualify, you have to meet six requirements, such as:

• the disability appeared while you were still employed in a job that paid into this retirement system
• The disability is expected to last more than a year
• Your agency can’t give you any job that would accommodate your disability.

Work Incentives

People who have disabilities and who receive Social Security or SSI can work and still receive monthly payments, besides Medicare or Medicaid. These “work incentives” will allow you to transition to employment, but also keep a couple of other benefits.

SSDI recipients can easily take advantage of a nine-month “trial work period”, where they can test their ability to work before losing benefits. You could reinstate these benefits if they were previously paused, but you’re no longer able to work because of your disability.

Temporary Assistance for Families In Need

With the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, also known as TANF, states can help families, by giving them financial support for child care, job preparation, and even work assistance. As the program is managed by each state differently, you have to be a resident of the state you want to apply to. Disability isn’t a specific part of the eligibility criteria, but you must be unemployed or underemployed and have low or extremely low income.

2. Health care

Medicaid

Medicaid gives free and low-cost medical benefits to those people who suffer from a disability. There are two ways through which you can apply there: Contact your state Medicaid agency, or contact the health insurance marketplace and fill out a form. You have to be a resident of the state where you apply.

Children’s Health Insurance Program

In case your income is too high for Medicaid, your child can still qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The program takes care of medical and dental care for children and teens that are above 18. There are two different ways through which you can apply for CHIP. You can either contact your state Medicaid agency to see what are the eligibility requirements, or you can easily apply through your health insurance marketplace.

Medicare

Right after getting your disability benefits from Social Security for 24 months, you also get Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) and Part B (medical coverage). The same applies to the benefit from the Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months.

Housing

People that have disabilities are eligible for ANY public housing program, rental assistance, and subsidized housing, but also for Section 8 vouchers. Plus, those with disabilities might also be eligible for a Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) voucher, which might help disabled people who aren’t seniors access affordable housing.

If you would like assistance when you buy a home, the Housing Choice Voucher program can easily provide monthly financial assistance for homeownership expenses. They might ask you about a specific income requirement that you need to qualify for, such as completing a housing counseling program.

3. Benefits for Veterans living with disabilities

Veterans who got honorably discharged and now have a service-caused disability are eligible for various veterans’ options.

Career counseling

The Veteran Readiness and Employment program is in charge of helping veterans with career counseling. If you qualify for that, you are also eligible to receive many services, such as job training, résumé development, special practice, postsecondary training, and even special employer incentives. The program also has many independent-living services for veterans who have their ability to work limited because of their prior service.

Disability Compensation

Veterans who suffer from a disability that happened during their service worsened because of their service, or is related in any way to their military service might be eligible for disability compensation. Disability compensation is a tax-free debt, and it’s available to you if you have been honorably discharged.

Home Loans

Veterans, no matter their disability status, are eligible for the VA’s home loan program to purchase a home, a manufactured home, a lot for a manufactured home, and even a condo. You can easily use a VA loan to build, repair, and even improve a home. VA loans have all kinds of favorable terms, which can oftentimes include no down payment or mortgage insurance premiums.

Health Care

You could be eligible for health care benefits through the VA, as long as you served in the active military and have been honorably discharged. Those with service-connected disabilities or those who were discharged because of a disability that took place in the line of duty are prioritized.

Business Loans

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has loans to all sorts of business owners that could qualify. If you are a disabled veteran and a business owner, you can easily work with the Office of Veterans Business Development to apply for SBA loans.

If you enjoyed reading this article, we also recommend reading: Renovation Doesn’t Have To Cost You A Fortune – Here Are 7 Tips How