Financial Resources You Might Not Be Aware of if You Qualify for SSD

If you qualify for SSD benefits you may be eligible for the discounted Amazon Prime membership. If you are receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and are given the option to use the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system which allows CalFresh, CalWORKs, and other program recipients to use a card, which works like a debit card, to buy food and get cash benefits. 

An EBT cardholder can use the benefit card for online purchases at Safeway, Amazon and Walmart. SNAP/EBT holders may also get 50% off Amazon Prime standard membership. This discount offers $6.99 a month membership fee but every 12 months you have to verify you are still eligible. Amazon now accepts SNAP/EBT for eligible grocery items. The benefits of SNAP/EBT and the discounted Prime membership are:

• access to quick delivery options;
• the chance to buy standard, pantry staples such as canned, jarred & packaged foods, condiments & salad dressings, dried beans, lentils & peas, dried grains & rice, nut & seed butters, olives, pickles & relishes, pasta & noodles, soups and stocks & broths.
• access to Amazon Fresh products;
• access to Amazon grocery home delivery options;
• ability to purchase organic food from Whole Foods.

Amazon Pharmacy

If you are a Prime member you cannot use your EBT card to buy pharmacy items at the moment. It is generally only to be used for food. However, as a prime member you can get your pharmacy items delivered by Amazon Pharmacy.

Tax Preparation Help

Doing your taxes while on disability benefits can be complicated. Luckily, the government has a few resources to help alleviate that stress. To qualify for this benefit program, you, or a member of your household, must be disabled, or you must be providing care for a disabled person. You should also be a taxpayer who wants to receive tax return preparation assistance.

To see if you are eligible, follow this link and fill out the form on Benefits.gov. If you would like to call to check your eligibility, dial 800-829-1040.  

Cost Plus Drugs

The Cost Plus Drug Company is an online pharmacy which eliminates the need for middlemen by offering hundreds of common generic medications at wholesale prices. It is not just for those people who qualify for SSD. You can search for your medication on the Cost Plus Drug website. If you can find your drug you should talk to your doctor about Cost Plus Drug Co. then download and provide the prescriber cover letter to your doctor. Ask your doctor to write out a new prescription that includes ALL of the information below:

• your name;
• your email address;
• your date of birth;
• your list of your medications.

Give your doctor the above information for use by the Cost Plus Drug Co. pharmacy. You can expect fast delivery of your prescriptions at competitive prices.

There are many resources out there for those on disability benefits. We will keep updating when we find more that may be of use to you.