It is common to have fears about your ability to work. You may be nervous about leaving your house, finding transportation to and from work, and handling your new work schedule. It is normal to have these concerns, but there are many resources and laws that will support you.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

This law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against people with disabilities if they are qualified for a job. This includes all areas of employment such as interviewing, hiring, firing, training, promotions, and benefits. With reasonable accommodations, you can often be successful at more jobs than you may have thought possible. Employers are required by law to provide reasonable accommodations, but these accommodations will be different depending on each individual and each job setting.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) can help you prepare for, find, and keep a job. The services can be different depending on the individual. The VR will work with you to determine which services you will need and a VR counselor will develop a plan with you to help you reach your work goals. If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), VR is also an example of an Employment Network at which you can use your Ticket to Work. Visit the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for more information on VR eligibility and the application process.

Job Coach

A job coach is a person who provides specialized on-site training to help you with learning and performing the job, and adjusting to the work environment. This person can help you with work-related concerns such as how to talk to your boss about questions you have on the job and what accommodations you may need. You might have a job coach through your Ticket to Work program, Vocational Rehabilitation, or through another agency.

Disability Disclosure

People with disabilities often wonder if they should tell their potential employer about their disability at the interview, when the job is offered to them, after they are hired, or at all. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the only reason to disclose your disability is if you need to request a reasonable accommodation from your employer to perform an essential function of your job. There are many reasons you may want, or not want, to disclose your disability—this will be different with each person and each situation.

You may not have the option to not disclose your disability (for example, you may need to ask if the interview location is accessible or you may need an interpreter for the interview). If so, you will need to carefully write a disclosure statement to the employer. Remember to focus on your abilities, not your disabilities. You may want to Chat with a Hub expert for more information on disclosing your disability.

It is common to be concerned that if you start working you’ll lose your SSI and/or SSDI checks and that you might not earn enough to pay for all your expenses.

Both SSI and SSDI have rules that allow you to try working without worrying about losing your benefit payments. Some of these rules are the same for both programs, but most of them are different. It is important to know if you are on SSI, SSDI, or both. If you are not sure, you may want to request a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from your local Social Security office. You can also Chat with a Hub expert or click here for more information.

Losing your health care benefits can be a huge concern if you are thinking about work. However, there are several programs that can help you keep your health care benefits when you go to work. Some jobs will offer employer-sponsored health care benefits. But for some people that will not be enough. Some people may also want to keep their Medicare or Medical Assistance (MA) benefits. The information below will explain several different options for health care benefits.

Medical Assistance (MA)

Keeping MA is a big concern for people with disabilities who want to work.

Eligibility for MA is based on your income and, depending on your situation, on your assets. There are a couple of common ways you may qualify:

• If you are under 65 years old, don't get Medicare, and your family's income is at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($20,783 per year if you are single; $43,056 for a family of four). There's no asset limit if you meet these rules. This way to qualify for Medical Assistance (MA) is explained in DB101's MA article.
• If you have a disability or are 65 or older and your countable income is at or below 100% of FPG, which is $15,060 for a single person. Your assets must also be less than $3,000 if you're single ($6,000 for a family of two), and you must approve the use of the Account Validation Service (AVS) so that MA can make sure your assets are below the limit. Money in an ABLE account does not count against these limits. Note: Countable income is not the same as total income. See DB101's MA for People with Disabilities article to learn more about how MA counts your income.

If you work and your income is low enough, you should be able to qualify in these ways for Medical Assistance (MA). But $20,783 per year or less is not a lot of money to live on and $3,000 is probably not enough money in the bank to meet your needs. And what if you want to save money to buy a car or a house or go on vacation? There are several other ways you can keep your Medical Assistance (MA) while working and earning and saving more.

If you have a disability, you may have to pay a spenddown to keep your MA coverage. However, that can be very expensive. SSI's 1619(b) rule and Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) are both better options than paying a spenddown for MA coverage. To learn more, read below or Chat with a Hub expert.

SSI’s 1619(b) Program

If you are working, you can continue to get Medical Assistance (MA) coverage even if your earnings are too high to get an SSI cash payment. If you are on 1619(b), you can earn up to $79,483 annually and keep your MA coverage without having to pay a spenddown.

For 1619(b), your assets need to stay under SSI's asset limit as well: $2,000 for an individual, $3,000 for a couple. One way to keep your assets below the asset limit is to put your money in an ABLE account. The first $100,000 you have in your ABLE account won’t affect your SSI eligibility, which means it won't affect 1619(b). Learn more in DB101's ABLE accounts article.

Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD)

MA-EPD is another great program for Minnesotans with disabilities. The MA-EPD program lets working people with disabilities qualify for MA coverage no matter what their income is or how much they have in assets. To be on MA-EPD, you have to pay a premium. The premium is based on your income and the size of your household.

For more information, read DB101's MA-EPD section. To see if you might qualify for the program and what your premium would be, use DB101's MA-EPD Estimator.

Employer-Sponsored Health Care Benefits

If you’re working, you can enroll in your company’s employer-sponsored health care plan and still keep your 1619(b) coverage, Medicare, or MA-EPD. In fact, if the employer-sponsored plan requires you to pay for a share of the cost, the state may pay for some or all of that for you (if they figure out that it is cost effective for them to have you covered under both health care plans).

You can read more about employer-sponsored health coverage and other types of private coverage in DB101's section on Private Health Coverage.

Medicare

If you continue to receive your SSDI when you work, your eligibility for Medicare simply continues. You can also keep your Medicare even if earnings cause your SSDI check to stop, as long as Social Security still considers you disabled. If your SSDI stops due to work, you can keep your Medicare coverage for at least 7 years and 9 months from the end of your Trial Work Period. After that, if you still have a disability and would like to keep Medicare, you can maintain it by paying a monthly Part A premium.

If you have any questions about this, Chat with a Hub expert or read Social Security's FAQ for more details.

You may have heard that if you are working Social Security will assume you do not have a disability anymore and then you will not be eligible for any of their programs. This is not true. Although they may review your case, they will not automatically stop your benefits just because you are working.

Social Security will periodically review your case to decide if you still meet their definition for a disability and if you will be allowed to keep getting benefits. This is called a Continuing Disability Review (CDR). Social Security does not conduct these reviews just because you started working. CDRs are routinely scheduled for everyone who receives Social Security disability benefits. Social Security will probably do a CDR about once every three years unless they expect your condition to change sooner than that. If they expect changes sooner, they may do a CDR more often. If they do not expect your condition to improve, Social Security can wait longer to do a CDR.

However, if you are using the Ticket to Work program, and you are meeting Timely Progress Requirements, Social Security will not do a medical Continuing Disability Review while your ticket is still valid. Read DB101's article on Ticket to Work for more information.

It can be difficult looking for and finding a job if you think you have to do it all on your own. Actually, there are several excellent state and national resources that can help you. These organizations can help you prepare for your job search, find a job that’s right for you, and provide advice and support services to help you keep your job.

Chat with a Hub expert

Chat with a Hub expert is a way for Minnesotans with disabilities to get free, statewide information and referral services. Hub experts can answer disability-related questions and connect you with the supports and services you need. You can call 1-866-333-2466, or use the Live Chat or Secure Email options to use this service.

CareerForce Locations

Minnesota CareerForce locations provide tools, resources, and services to assist you with employment, training, and other work related needs.There are about 50 locations around the state with knowledgeable staff to help you. Almost all services are provided for free. Visit the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to learn more, or call 1-651-259-7500.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation can help you prepare for, find, and keep a job. To be eligible for VR services, you must have a physical or mental disability that makes it difficult for you to find and maintain a job. If you are eligible for SSI or SSDI based on your disability, and you are not at retirement age, you are eligible for VR services.

The services VR provides can vary depending on the individual. VR will work with you to determine which services you need and a VR counselor will develop a plan with you to help you reach your work goals. Visit Positively Minnesota for more information.

Ticket to Work

The Ticket to Work program is designed to help people with disabilities find and keep a job. If you are 18 to 64 years old, and are getting SSI or SSDI, you can use a Ticket to Work from the Social Security Administration. With this program, you can access employment-related services and supports from Employment Networks, including training, job placement, job coaching, and vocational assessments from an Employment Network. Read DB101's Ticket to Work page to learn more.

You can also read our Next Steps page for more information on finding a job.

You may need to pay for transportation to get to and from your job, or you may need to buy special tools or equipment. The following programs can help you with these and other costs.

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs)

Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs) and Blind Work Expenses (BWEs) are disability-related expenses you pay for out-of-pocket so that you can work. Some examples are assistive technology, specialized office equipment, and transportation expenses. You may be able to deduct these expenses when calculating your income so that your countable income is lower. And by lowering your countable income you may be able to get a higher SSI benefit, or keep getting your SSDI check when you are earning more than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level ($1,620 in 2025 ; $2,700 if you're blind). If you have questions about this, Chat with a Hub expert.

Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)

If you get SSI and/or SSDI and have a specific work goal, you may be eligible for the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program. This program allows you to save money from your earnings and/or your SSDI check to pay for expenses related to your work goal. While using a PASS, you will be getting an SSI check to pay for living expenses. PASS funds have to be kept separate and you have to keep records of your PASS expenses.

Social Security employs special staffers called "PASS Cadre" to help you set up and understand your PASS. For more information, read DB101's PASS section or Chat with a Hub expert.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Sometimes Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) can help pay for the costs of assistive technology, tools, and equipment related to your new job. The VR can work with you to determine which services you need, and a VR counselor can develop a plan with you to help you reach your work goals. You can read more about VR services at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development website.

If you are not able to continue working, or if you need to work fewer hours, you might be worried about having to go through the long process of applying for benefits again. Luckily, there are some helpful rules that allow your benefits to be start again without your needing to reapply for benefits.