Resources to better understand how to manage your finances including supportive programs and services available to individuals and families.
Administered by the State's , NJ WorkAbility offers people with disabilities the opportunity to receive full Medicaid coverage while working and earning salaries of up to about $65,000 / year.
Recently enacted legislation ( ) will expand eligibility for Workability to more individuals due to the removal of income caps.
With , qualified individuals with disabilities can save for disability related expenses in tax advantaged savings accounts without losing eligibility for certain assistance programs like and Medicaid. is administered by the .
If you are interested in creating an ABLE account in the state of NJ you can do so through . However, although the original law passed in 2014 did stipulate that an individual had to open an account in their state of residency, this provision was eliminated by Congress in 2015. This means that regardless of where you might live, and whether or not your state has decided to establish an ABLE program, you are free to enroll in any state's program provided the program is accepting out-of-state residents.
The Family Resource Network's New Jersey Work Incentives Network Support (NJWINS) program assists Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries to start, continue or increase work efforts while maintaining benefits for as long as they are needed.
The New Jersey Department of the Treasury sponsored free access to NJ FinLit an online education tool that explains the basics of personal finance.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is administered by the and is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is administered by the Social Security Administration and it pays benefits to you and certain family members if you are "insured." This means that you worked long enough – and recently enough - and paid Social Security taxes on your earnings.
Many additional support programs are available to individuals and families to better navigate employment
County Boards of Social Services
The County Boards of Social Services offer a variety of services and programs to help low income families.
New Jersey's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, NJ SNAP, provides food assistance to families with low incomes to help them buy groceries through a benefits card accepted in most food retail stores and some farmers markets.
There are multiple programs that assist with utilities.
Lifeline & Affordable Connectivity Program
The Lifeline program and the Affordable Connectivity Program help make phone and internet service more affordable for low-income individuals. Eligible individuals also qualify for a free smartphone through the Lifeline program. If you participate in certain assistance programs like Medicaid, NJ SNAP or SSI, you automatically qualify for both federal programs.
Tax Benefits
There are tax benefits on both the and level for individuals with disabilities.
Planned Lifetime Assistance of New Jersey (PLAN|NJ), a nonprofit organization, helps the families of people with disabilities plan for the care of the individual in the future.