Government Benefits
Government benefits are some of the most important resources available for parents of children of disabilities. In general, government benefits programs can be grouped into two broad categories:
Social Insurance Programs
Social Insurance programs are entitlement programs meaning that they are available to people with disabilities regardless of income or property. Examples of social insurance programs are Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare.
Needs-based Programs
The second category of government benefits are needs-based programs. These programs are available to persons with disabilities who may qualify because of low income and limited savings. Examples are Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Food Stamps, Medicaid and rental subsidies.
