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Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support WorkThe Basics
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The Basics1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money3) Your Child Can Save More4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSINext Steps

Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

  • The Basics
  • 1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
  • 2) A Job + SSI = More Money
  • 3) Your Child Can Save More
  • 4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
  • Next Steps

Try It

    updated January 31, 2025
    Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

    The Basics

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    Your child can work, even if he or she has a disability and gets benefits like Medical Assistance (MA) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In fact, MA and SSI are designed so that people who work end up better off.

    With a job, your child can:

    1. Keep MA health coverage no matter how much the job pays
    2. Have more total income and keep getting SSI
    3. Save up some money and keep getting benefits
    4. Get back on SSI if it stops and is needed later

    You can help your son or daughter plan for work. Get started by understanding these four ways benefits programs and a job can work together.

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    Learn more

    Benefits for Young People

    Find out how benefits support young people who work.

    Parent Focus: Work is Possible

    A disability shouldn't stop your child from working.

    School and Work Estimator

    If you're under 25, see how working and staying in school can help you.

    Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
    OpenClose
    The Basics1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money3) Your Child Can Save More4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSINext Steps

    Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

    • The Basics
    • 1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
    • 2) A Job + SSI = More Money
    • 3) Your Child Can Save More
    • 4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
    • Next Steps

    Try It

      Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

      MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work

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      People with disabilities who work can get Medical Assistance (MA) no matter how much they make.

      MA Rules that Help Young People who Get Jobs

      These rules mean your child can keep MA even while making a lot of money at work:

      • SSI 1619(b) helps people stay on MA if they got SSI before starting a job. If your child keeps getting SSI while working, MA will continue because your child’s income will still be low. But if your child makes enough money that SSI benefits end, the 1619(b) rule lets MA continue even if your child makes up to $79,483 per year.
      • Another option is Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD). MA-EPD lets people pay a small monthly premium to get MA coverage. MA-EPD has no income limit, so your child could make $100,000 per year and still get it. Note: There’s no asset limit for MA-EPD; they can save as much as they want.
      The bottom line

      Your child can get MA coverage after getting a job.

      Learn more about MA-EPD and SSI 1619(b).

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      • Previous
      • Next

      Learn more

      Benefits for Young People

      Find out how benefits support young people who work.

      Parent Focus: Work is Possible

      A disability shouldn't stop your child from working.

      School and Work Estimator

      If you're under 25, see how working and staying in school can help you.

      Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money
      OpenClose
      The Basics1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money3) Your Child Can Save More4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSINext Steps

      Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

      • The Basics
      • 1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
      • 2) A Job + SSI = More Money
      • 3) Your Child Can Save More
      • 4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
      • Next Steps

      Try It

        Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

        A Job + SSI = More Money

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        Getting a job doesn’t mean your child will stop getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. SSI makes sure your child will be better off when working.

        SSI Rules that Help Young People who Get Jobs

        SSI is based on financial need. That’s why people worry that if they get jobs, they’ll lose their SSI benefits. These rules show why you don’t need to worry:

        • The Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) means that if your child gets a job while in school, his or her SSI benefit probably won’t go down. That means your child will get money from work and SSI at the same time.
        • With the SEIE, anyone under 22 and regularly attending school can make up to $2,350 per month up to a total of $9,460 in a year, without having that money reduce their SSI benefits at all!
        • If your child doesn’t qualify for the SEIE, working is still a good idea, because SSI counts less than half of what a person earns at a job when calculating his or her benefit.
        The bottom line

        If your child is in school and under 22, he or she can work at a part-time job and keep getting as much SSI as ever. For every additional dollar your child earns that is not excluded by the SEIE, your child’s SSI benefits amount will only go down by 50 cents.

        Learn more about the SEIE.

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        • Previous
        • Next

        Learn more

        Benefits for Young People

        Find out how benefits support young people who work.

        Parent Focus: Work is Possible

        A disability shouldn't stop your child from working.

        School and Work Estimator

        If you're under 25, see how working and staying in school can help you.

        Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work3) Your Child Can Save More
        OpenClose
        The Basics1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money3) Your Child Can Save More4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSINext Steps

        Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

        • The Basics
        • 1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
        • 2) A Job + SSI = More Money
        • 3) Your Child Can Save More
        • 4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
        • Next Steps

        Try It

          Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

          Your Child Can Save More

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          As your child makes more money, he or she can start saving for bigger goals, like college, a car, or someday buying a home. Building assets will be a key to comfort and security for your child’s entire life.

          SSI and MA Rules Help People who Work and Save

          Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has a $2,000 asset limit and disability-based Medical Assistance (MA) has a $3,000 asset limit for people 21 and older. However, your child can save way more money than these limits if he or she gets a job.

          SSI asset rules for people who work:

          • Not all assets are counted, so your child can own a car or get certain types of financial aid for school that won’t be counted against the asset limit.
          • ABLE accounts will let you and your child put money into a special account where the first $100,000 will not count against the asset limit.
          • Savings in a Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) or Individual Development Account (IDA) are not counted. These special types of accounts let your child save for specific expenses, like school tuition.
          • Assets in a Special Needs Trust or Pooled Trust do not count.

          MA asset rules for people who work:

          • The SSI asset rules also apply to MA.
          • If your child is under 21, there is no asset limit for MA.
          • If your child is older and has income from a job, he or she can pay a small premium to get MA coverage through the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) program, which doesn't have an asset limit.
          • There is no asset limit for income-based MA, no matter how old your child is.
          The bottom line

          Saving money for the future is important. Chat with a Hub expert to figure out which asset-building strategies will let your child keep getting benefits.

          Read more about asset-building strategies.

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          • Previous
          • Next

          Learn more

          Benefits for Young People

          Find out how benefits support young people who work.

          Parent Focus: Work is Possible

          A disability shouldn't stop your child from working.

          School and Work Estimator

          If you're under 25, see how working and staying in school can help you.

          Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
          OpenClose
          The Basics1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money3) Your Child Can Save More4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSINext Steps

          Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

          • The Basics
          • 1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
          • 2) A Job + SSI = More Money
          • 3) Your Child Can Save More
          • 4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
          • Next Steps

          Try It

            Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

            Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI

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            The more your child works, the more money your child can make. If he or she makes enough, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits may stop, but overall your child will be much better off!

            SSI Has a Safety Net for People who Lose Benefits and Need Them Later

            Even if your child makes a lot more money than he or she ever got from SSI, you will probably worry about what would happen if the job ended. Would your child be able to get back on SSI if needed?

            Yes.

            SSI’s 1619(b) rule helps people who stop getting SSI get back on it easily. If a job ends or earnings go down, your child can just report the change to Social Security and SSI benefits will start up again. He or she will not even have to reapply.

            1619(b) is for people earning less than $79,483 in a year. If your child earns more than that, other rules can help your child start getting SSI benefits again.

            The bottom line

            If your child stops getting SSI benefits due to work income and then that income goes down, he or she can get back on SSI.

            Learn more about getting back on SSI.

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            • Previous
            • Next

            Learn more

            Benefits for Young People

            Find out how benefits support young people who work.

            Parent Focus: Work is Possible

            A disability shouldn't stop your child from working.

            School and Work Estimator

            If you're under 25, see how working and staying in school can help you.

            Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support WorkNext Steps
            OpenClose
            The Basics1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work2) A Job + SSI = More Money3) Your Child Can Save More4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSINext Steps

            Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

            • The Basics
            • 1) MA Covers People With Disabilities Who Work
            • 2) A Job + SSI = More Money
            • 3) Your Child Can Save More
            • 4) Your Child Will Stay Connected to SSI
            • Next Steps

            Try It

              Parent Focus: Four Ways Benefits Support Work

              Next Steps

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              Learn More on DB101

              Use DB101’s School and Work Estimator to get a sense of how work could impact your child’s benefits.

              For more about these and other ways benefits support work, read DB101’s articles about:

              • Benefits for Young People, including details about many different benefits and how rules change as your child gets older.
              • Parent Focus: Turning 18, which looks at how your child's benefits might change at age 18.
              • Supplemental Security Income, which covers SSI’s rules in detail.
              • Medical Assistance: Overview, which introduces the different ways a person may qualify for MA.
              • Building Your Assets and Wealth, an introduction to asset-building strategies.
              • Plans to Achieve Self-Support, an in-depth look at the ways a PASS can help.
              • Individual Development Accounts, a detailed look at IDAs and how to set them up.

              Learn About Work and Benefits - Chat with a Hub expert!

              When you have questions or need help, use Chat with a Hub expert. This feature connects you to a DB101 Expert using live chat, phone, or secure email. Anything you talk about is private.

              Chat with a Hub expert to:

              • Understand your current benefits
              • Get help using DB101.org
              • Connect to resources
              • Plan next steps

              Free Legal Help

              Minnesota Disability Law CenterThe Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) provides free assistance to people with civil legal issues related to their disability. Call the MDLC Intake Line at 1-612-334-5970 (Twin Cities metro area), 1-800-292-4150 (Greater Minnesota), or 1-612-332-4668 (TTY).

              Find Local Services

              You can use MinnesotaHelp.info to find social services near you, from benefits applications to job counseling.

              MinnesotaHelp.info

              Try these searches:

              • Health Insurance Information/Counseling
              • Medical Assistance (MA)
              • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
              • Benefits Counseling and Screening
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              • Previous

              Learn more

              Benefits for Young People

              Find out how benefits support young people who work.

              Parent Focus: Work is Possible

              A disability shouldn't stop your child from working.

              School and Work Estimator

              If you're under 25, see how working and staying in school can help you.