Disabilities Programs: SSI, SSDI, and other programs

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Monthly Benefit Payments (SSDI and SSI)
Benefits for Children with Disabilities – additional background
Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI) – additional background
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – additional background
(The following are organized alphabetically.)
ABLE Accounts: Saving for the Future without Losing Benefits
Americans with Disabilities Act and other Major Laws
Education Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (IDEA)
Employment for People with Disabilities
Food Assistance for Low Income People with Disabilities
Healthcare for People with Disabilities
Housing for Low Income People with Disabilities
International Issues, Agreements, and Developments
Long-Term Care for People with Disabilities

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Monthly Benefit Payments for Children and Adults with Disabilities

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) monthly benefits for nonelderly (1) disabled workers and for (2) nonelderly adults who have been disabled since childhood. There are 2 types of benefits:
1. Workers who become disabled: SSDI provides benefits to nonelderly insured workers who experience long-term, work-limiting disabilities and to their eligible spouses and children, provided the workers accrued a sufficient number of earnings credits during their careers in jobs subjec to Social Security payroll taxes. Generally, there is a 5-month waiting period and Social Security pays your first benefit the sixth full month after the date your disability began. Benefits usually continue until you can work again on a regular basis. There are also several special rules, called work incentives, that provide continued benefits and health care coverage to help you make the transition back to work. Click here for additional details.
2. Non-working adults with disabilities since childhood — the Adult “Child’s Benefit”: An adult who has a disability that began before age 22 may be eligible for benefits if their parent starts receiving retirement or disability benefits or is deceased. Social Security calls this a “child’s” benefit because it is paid on a parent’s Social Security earnings record. The Disabled Adult Child (DAC) must be unmarried, age 18 or older, have a qualified disability that started before age 22, and meet the definition of disability for adults. It is not necessary that the disabled adult ever worked in order to receive this benefit, since benefits are based on the parent’s earning record. For a disabled adult to become entitled to this “child” benefit, one of his or her parents must be receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits; or must have died and have worked enough to qualify for Social Security. SSDI disabled adult “child” benefits continue as long as the individual remains disabled. Click here for additional details.
3. As of February 2023, there were nearly 9 million SSDI beneficiaries receiving an average monthly benefit of $1,341.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly benefits for low-income adults and children with disabilities: SSI is a need-based public assistance program that provides monthly cash payments to aged, blind, or disabled individuals (including blind or disabled children) who have limited assets and little or no Social Security or other income.
- The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides monthly payments to to cover basics (e.g. food, clothing, housing) for low-income adults and children with a disability or blindness (and low-income seniors without disabilities).
- Even if a child wasn’t eligible for SSI before his or her 18th birthday due to parental income, they may be eligible for SSI at age 18.
- The basic federal SSI payment is the same for all recipients and is reduced by the amount of other income that an individual receives.
- Some states supplement the federal SSI payment with state funds. Unlike Social Security which is financed by payroll taxes, SSI is financed from general revenues. Click here for more information and how to apply.
Definition of Disability: “Most claimants are considered disabled for SSDI and SSI eligibility purposes if they are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death.” Background.

Benefits For Children With Disabilities – additional background

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – additional background

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – additional background

ABLE Accounts: Saving for the Future w/o Losing Benefits

CRS Background Report
What Are ABLE Accounts? Congress authorized ABLE accounts in the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014. Supporters of the law pointed out that the U.S. tax code provided significant tax benefits to parents who save money for their children’s college education in 529 plans, but parents of people with disabilities had no similar way to save for their children’s future needs, such as occupational therapy or assisted living. Further, families that did try to save money for such things ended up costing their children access to government assistance.
A key feature of ABLE accounts is that the first $100,000 in an account is not treated as personal assets of the account’s beneficiary. This is important because federal law generally bars individuals from receiving assistance such as Medicaid, housing aid and Supplemental Security Income if they have more than $2,000 worth of financial assets. Severely disabled individuals often need these government services, especially after their parents die or can no longer care for them. Advocates for the disabled have long argued that the $2,000 cutoff effectively punished those whose families planned ahead.
The ABLE Act amended Section 529 in an effort to correct this. ABLE accounts allow the families of disabled young people to set aside money for their care with special tax benefits. Contributions to an ABLE account are not tax-deductible, but all investment earnings remain untaxed as long as money taken from the account is used for “qualified disability expenses,” including: medical treatment; education, tutoring and job training; special-needs transportation; assistive technology; housing; legal and administrative fees.
ABLE accounts operate like “529 accounts,” with States administering the investment accounts.
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Americans with Disabilities Act and other Major Laws

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides broad nondiscrimination protection in employment, public services, public accommodations, services operated by public entities, transportation, and telecommunications for individuals with disabilities. A Brief History

DoJ: ADA Update: A Primer for State and Local Governments
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014
Autism CARES Act of 2014 CBO Summary and Cost Estimate Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000:
- Programs authorized by the DD Act and overseen by ACL’s Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities include:
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Education Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (IDEA)

Wrightslaw.com: A comprehensive resource providing legal and explanatory information on your child’s special education rights.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Funding: A Primer
Students with Disabilities Graduating from High School and Entering Postsecondary Education: In Brief
Laws Affecting Students with Disabilities: Preschool Through Postsecondary Education
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B: Key Statutory and Regulatory Provisions
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C: Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
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Employment for People with Disabilities

Food Assistance for Low-Income People with Disabilities

Healthcare for People with Disabilities

Medicaid health coverage:
- Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that pays for primary and acute health care services, and long-term care for 85 million low-income Americans (near or below the Federal poverty level) including individuals with disabilities. Unlike Medicare, premiums are generally prohibited Medicaid, although states can impose nominal copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles. For most enrollees, cost sharing is limited to 5% of income.
- CRS Report: Medicaid Eligibility – Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities
- Link to Medicaid page
Medicare health insurance: Persons under the age of 65 who receive cash disability benefits from Social Security for at least 24 months are entitled to Medicare Part A. Eligible individuals who are not entitled to premium-free Part A may obtain coverage by paying a monthly premium. All persons entitled to Part A may enroll in Part B by paying a monthly premium ($144.60 in 2020). Beneficiaries with high incomes pay higher premiums, and those with low incomes may qualify for premium assistance through their state Medicaid programs.
- Link to Medicare page.
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for low-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.
- Link to CHIP page.
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Housing for Low-Income People with Disabilities

International Issues, Agreements, and Developments

Long-Term Care for People with Disabilities

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