What Virginia offers people with disabilities

Virginia runs several programs for people with disabilities, but they operate separately and serve different needs. The largest is Medicaid, which covers medical care for low-income Virginians with disabilities. Virginia also administers Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of the federal government, runs a state-funded program called Auxiliary Grants for people who fall just outside SSI rules, and offers vocational rehabilitation through the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. Understanding which program fits your situation requires knowing what each one does and who runs it.

Unlike some states, Virginia does not run its own disability information process. The Social Security Administration (SSA) makes all decisions about whether you meet the medical definition of disability for SSDI or SSI. Virginia's role is to manage the money that flows to people already found disabled by SSA, and to fill gaps where federal programs leave people behind.

Key Takeaways

  • Virginia Medicaid covers medical care for people with disabilities earning under roughly $1,500 per month, and the state uses SSA's disability decision, not its own.
  • Auxiliary Grants add cash to SSI payments for people who are disabled but earn slightly too much or have slightly too many resources to may have access to for SSI itself.
  • The Department of Rehabilitation Services helps people with disabilities work toward employment through training, assistive technology, and job coaching.
  • Virginia's programs do not replace federal SSDI or SSI; they work alongside them, so you will need to understand how each one connects to the others.
  • The Virginia Department of Social Services processes Medicaid and Auxiliary Grants; the Department of Rehabilitation Services handles work incentives and employment support.

Virginia Medicaid for people with disabilities

Virginia Medicaid covers doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, and mental health services for people with disabilities who meet income and resource limits. To be found disabled for Medicaid purposes in Virginia, you must already be receiving SSDI, SSI, or have been found disabled by SSA through the SSI process process. Virginia does not make its own disability information; it accepts SSA's decision.

Income limits for Medicaid vary depending on which category you fall into. For SSI recipients, Virginia uses the federal SSI income limit, which is roughly $943 per month for an individual (the exact amount changes each January). For SSDI recipients, Virginia uses a higher limit called the "1619(b) threshold," which allows people to keep working and earning more than the SSI limit while staying on Medicaid. That threshold is roughly $1,550 per month, but it changes yearly and depends on your work history.

Resource limits also explore. For SSI recipients, you can have no more than $2,000 in countable resources as an individual (or $3,000 as a couple). Some resources do not count toward this limit—your home, one vehicle, and certain retirement accounts are excluded. SSDI recipients do not face resource limits, but they do face income limits if they want to stay on Medicaid under the 1619(b) work incentive.

To explore for Virginia Medicaid, contact your local Department of Social Services office or explore online through the Virginia Department of Social Services website. You will need proof of disability (usually your SSA award letter), proof of income, and proof of resources. Processing typically takes two to four weeks.

Auxiliary Grants: Virginia's gap-filling program

Auxiliary Grants is a Virginia-only program that adds cash payments to SSI for people who are disabled but do not quite meet SSI's income or resource rules. It exists because SSI's federal limits are strict, and some people fall just outside them. Auxiliary Grants can bridge that gap.

You can receive Auxiliary Grants if you are found disabled by SSA, live in Virginia, and meet one of these conditions: your SSI payment is reduced because you have income above the SSI limit, or you have resources above the SSI limit but below a higher Virginia threshold. The grant amount varies—it is designed to bring your total income closer to the SSI payment level, but it will not make you whole if you are far over the limit.

Auxiliary Grants are not automatic. You must explore through your local Department of Social Services office. You will need your SSA award letter, proof of current income, and a list of your resources. The program is small and not widely known, so staff at your local office may need to look up the rules; calling ahead to confirm they handle Auxiliary Grants can save time.

Vocational rehabilitation and work support

Virginia's Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) helps people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep jobs. The department offers vocational counseling, training programs, assistive technology, and job coaching. Services are free to people found disabled by SSA or who have a significant disability that creates a substantial barrier to work.

DRS also administers Virginia's version of the federal Ticket to Work program, which allows SSDI and SSI recipients to work without losing benefits when ready. Under Ticket to Work, you can work and earn above the usual limits for a set period (typically nine years) while keeping your benefits and health insurance. DRS can help you understand how work will affect your benefits and connect you with employers.

The Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) is a separate agency that serves people who are blind or have significant vision loss. DBVI offers similar vocational services plus orientation and mobility training, assistive technology for vision loss, and independent living skills training.

To contact DRS, visit the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services website or call your local office. To reach DBVI, contact the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired directly. Both agencies can tell you whether you meet their definition of disability and what services they can offer.

How Virginia programs connect to federal SSDI and SSI

Virginia's programs sit on top of federal programs, not instead of them. If you receive SSDI, you may also receive Virginia Medicaid (if you meet income limits) and can use DRS services. If you receive SSI, you may also receive Virginia Medicaid and Auxiliary Grants, and can use DRS services. The programs do not compete; they layer.

This layering matters for work incentives. If you work and earn money, your SSI payment may drop, but Medicaid may stay in place under the 1619(b) work incentive. Auxiliary Grants may also help fill the gap created by the SSI reduction. At the same time, DRS can help you find work that pays enough to make the trade-off worthwhile. Understanding all three programs together is more useful than understanding any one alone.

One important rule: if you are on SSDI and your earnings rise above the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level—roughly $1,550 per month in 2024, but this changes yearly—your SSDI payment will stop. However, you may stay on Medicare for a grace period, and you can use DRS to plan your return to work. Virginia Medicaid rules are different; they allow higher earnings before you lose coverage.

How to find your local office and explore

Virginia's disability programs are run by different agencies, so the office you contact depends on what you need. For Medicaid and Auxiliary Grants, contact your local Department of Social Services office. You can find yours by entering your address on the Virginia Department of Social Services website or by calling 1-800-552-3431.

For vocational rehabilitation and work support, contact the Department of Rehabilitation Services or the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, depending on your disability. Both have regional offices; you can find contact information on their websites or by calling the main office numbers listed on the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services website.

When you contact an office, have your Social Security number, proof of disability (your SSA award letter), and proof of income and resources ready. Most offices can schedule an appointment within one to two weeks. Some services, like Medicaid, can be applied for online; others, like Auxiliary Grants, usually require an in-person or phone interview.

Work incentives and how earnings affect your benefits

Virginia recognizes that people with disabilities want to work, and the state's programs include rules designed to let you test work without losing all your benefits when ready. The most important is the 1619(b) work incentive for Medicaid: if you are on SSI and you work, your Medicaid can stay in place even if your earnings push you over the SSI income limit. This means you can earn money and keep your health insurance.

SSI itself has an Impairment Related Work Expense (IRWE) deduction: if you spend money on things you need because of your disability to work—like transportation, medical equipment, or attendant care—that money can be subtracted from your earnings before SSI calculates your payment reduction. This can let you earn more and keep a larger SSI check.

For SSDI, the rules are stricter. You can earn up to the SGA level (roughly $1,550 per month) without losing your payment. Above that, your payment stops, but you enter a nine-month grace period where you keep Medicare. After the grace period, if you are still earning above SGA, your benefits end. However, you can use the Ticket to Work program to extend this timeline and keep Medicare for up to nine years while you work.

DRS can help you understand how work will affect your specific situation. The department has benefits planners who can show you what your income will be if you work a certain number of hours at a certain wage, and what benefits you will keep. This planning is free and can help you decide whether work makes financial sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be on SSDI or SSI to get Virginia Medicaid?

Yes. Virginia Medicaid for people with disabilities requires that you be found disabled by the Social Security Administration. You must be receiving SSDI, SSI, or have been found disabled through the SSI process process. Virginia does not make its own disability information.

What is the difference between Auxiliary Grants and SSI?

SSI is a federal program; Auxiliary Grants is a Virginia program that adds money on top of SSI. Auxiliary Grants exist to help people who are disabled but earn slightly too much or have slightly too many resources to may have access to for SSI. You cannot get Auxiliary Grants without being found disabled by SSA, but you do not have to be receiving SSI to explore.

Can I work and keep my Medicaid in Virginia?

Yes, under the 1619(b) work incentive. If you are on SSI and you work, your Medicaid can stay in place even if your earnings push you over the SSI income limit. You will lose your SSI payment, but you keep your health insurance. SSDI recipients can also work and keep Medicare for a grace period, and then for up to nine years under Ticket to Work.

How long does it take to get approved for Virginia Medicaid?

Processing typically takes two to four weeks from the date you submit a complete process. If you are already receiving SSI or SSDI, the process is usually faster because Virginia already has your disability information from SSA. Delays can happen if documents are missing or if the local office is backlogged.

What if I live in Virginia but work in another state?

You can still receive Virginia Medicaid and Auxiliary Grants as long as you live in Virginia. Your work location does not matter for these programs. However, if you move out of Virginia, you will lose both programs and will need to explore for Medicaid in your new state. DRS services are also tied to Virginia residency.