Moderate Support • Early Career • Goal 6:
Identify Benefits Available to You
Action step 1.
Determine how income could affect your eligibility for benefits.
Any time you start a new job or your income changes, it could affect the benefits you receive going forward. If you earn more than the income limit, you could experience a decrease or even loss of benefits or services, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Home and Community-Based Services or Ticket to Work services. Talk with your benefits counselor or service coordinator to ensure you understand how these changes could affect you.
Resources
Words to know
Action step 2.
Explore options for health insurance.
Since health insurance is a complex issue, it’s important to plan ahead.
- As a disabled adult, you may be covered by your parents’ health insurance plan beyond the usual age limit of 26.
- You may be able to purchase private health insurance through your employer.
- If you purchase insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you might qualify for financial assistance.
- Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state.
Resources
Words to know
Action step 3.
Keep records of key documents, such as contracts and pay stubs.
Establish a system to keep track of employment and financial documents. Some companies use specific online systems for employees to input information like hours and time off requests. These programs also often save important documents, like paystubs or tax forms, in one place. If your company does not have such a system, create a folder on your computer where you can save all of this information in one place.
If you receive benefits or services, you will be asked to submit proof of income. If you have an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account, you will need to show receipts for your deposits and spending. So, it is important to keep this information as organized and accessible as possible.
