Types of Federal Government Assistance for Disabilities

A 20-year old worker has a 30 percent chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age, according to SocialSecurity.gov. To meet this continued demand for assistance required by a certain segment of society, the federal government continues to fund and maintain a variety of programs for those with disabilities, ranging from monthly cash benefits to health insurance programs to help securing federal jobs. These types of assistance programs, like Social Security and Medicare, go by names quite familiar to the American public.

Social Security

• Social Security provides nationwide assistance for people who are physically or mentally disabled. Perhaps the best known of all federal government assistance programs, Social Security Disability (SSD), provides a monthly payment, currently by check or direct deposit, though paper checks are in the process of being phased out. Apply for this disability through your local Social Security office. It might take months or more than a year for your case to wind it's way through the bureaucracy, but don't hesitate to file if you are disabled.

Supplemental Security

• Disability often comes with diminished job prospects, resulting in low income, sometimes too low to meet basic food, shelter and medical needs. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) works in conjunction with SSD to provide cash benefits for the elderly, blind or disabled with little money or income. The primary difference between the two programs is funding. Whereas a particular tax called FICA goes to support SSD, SSI is funded by general tax revenues. More information about SSI can be found at your local Social Security office.

Medicare

• Medical expenses are high and the income of the disabled is normally low, a disastrous situation considering many disabilities require long-term, frequent medical attention. To fill this gap, the federal government created and maintains the Medicare program. If you qualify for SSD you automatically qualify for Medicare health insurance. Medicare provides hospitalization, doctor's office and prescription drug coverages to varying degrees.

Federal Employment

• The reality of the world is that employer's are often reluctant to hire an applicant with a disability. Though this is against the law -- if they can perform the functions of the job -- it still happens. In an attempt to lead the way towards equalizing employment opportunities for the disabled, the federal government has created various methods by which a qualified disabled person can bypass certain aspects of the process of applying for federal jobs. The OPM.gov website maintains a list of resources for disabled persons seeking federal work.