We all face challenges in our day-to-day lives, whether they’re financial, health, or family-related, but disabled Americans have it just a bit harder than the rest of us.
Living with a disability is tough, and between knowing that a single thing is preventing you from contributing to the workforce and actually dealing with the difficulties that come with said disability, the life of a disabled person is nothing to sneeze at.
In general, disabled Americans struggle financially more often than not, and we’ve put together a list of some of the most effective government resources to help disabled Americans get back on their feet.
Debt is the biggest issue, as it’s easy to accumulate and it can spiral out of control lightning fast, leaving low-income families with a permanent issue that they have no means of repairing.
Keep reading to learn more about how you can lower your debt with the help of government programs.
The data
While the number varies from year to year, on average, every 4th American is living with a disability, one that causes them to face significant financial difficulties.
What this means is that 61 million Americans have a hard time meeting all of their monthly payments, usually resulting in even greater financial difficulties as the responsibilities pile on.
Thankfully, the federal government is more than willing to help these individuals and families, and they’ve been doing so for decades on end, providing government assistance programs and resources for those who need them the most.
This help is available to any disabled American with a qualifying disability, ranging from disabled war veterans to children struggling with a disability.
At times, the help comes in the form of a grant, which doesn’t have to be paid back, whereas other times, the government will try to help an individual through affordable loaning opportunities.
ABLE Savings accounts
Reaching retirement age usually means that you’ve got a sizeable amount of money that will help you deal with living expenses even when you’re no longer generating income.
Unfortunately, the sad reality for a lot of American families is that their elderly members are far from having enough money to put them through several decades of retirement.
With the help of ABLE, disabled individuals can gain access to tax-advantageous savings accounts, effectively increasing the amount of savings they’ll have at their disposal when the time comes.
Contributions to these accounts can be made by anyone, whether it’s the account owner, their family, or a trust that is devoted to helping disabled individuals and households with disabled members.
The income received through these accounts is not taxable, and it can directly be used to cover the expenses of food, education, or housing for disabled individual and/or their family.
SSDI
Through the Social Security Administration, individuals dealing with a qualifying disability can apply for an additional benefits program, which is essentially emergency health insurance for those who can’t work to afford it on their own.
While the application process may be tough and fairly lengthy, you can increase your chances of getting approved by bringing a written statement from your physician confirming your condition.
With this, even individuals that haven’t completed their social security tax payments can receive benefits through the SSA, although it may be for the best to hire a disability lawyer just to clear up any misconceptions about the program you may end up having.
Getting professional help should always be your first choice, and if you get a good lawyer to explain how SSDI works, your elderly loved ones are bound to have an easier time receiving benefits.
Medicaid for disabled children
Originally designed as a program that solely focused on making healthcare affordable for low-income individuals and households, Medicare has long since expanded into a much more inclusive program.
With the help of Medicaid, disabled children can receive money for health treatment if their family’s income is limited enough to prevent them from receiving treatment.
In some states though, the child’s income will be what determines whether they’ll qualify for benefits, rather than the income of the entire household, making it much easier to receive help.
This waiver, called the TEFRA waiver, was originally signed into law back in 1982, and it’s helped provide millions of children with the help they need.
Make sure your state supports this law by visiting KidsWaivers.org to learn more about how this works and whether your current income level can qualify your child for Medicaid benefits.
Final word
The life of a disabled person is anything but rainbows and butterflies, and most of them have to deal with issues the average American usually can’t even envision.
Government assistance programs exist for every problem and demographic, and disabled Americans aren’t excluded, so long as their condition qualifies as a disability.
Get all the help you can get and don’t be ashamed to reach out for a helping hand.