State Takes First Step in Strengthening Working People with Disabilities Program

Florida Medicaid recipients started receiving letters from the Department of Children and Families in August, as promised in the Working People with Disabilities Program legislation passed this year. This legislation strengthens the program by making it easier for many Floridians with disabilities to earn and save more money.

The program significantly increases employment income and asset limits for those on Florida’s Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers. According to Disability Rights Florida, in 2026 individuals on Working People's can earn up to $5,467 and couples can earn $10,934 monthly. Annual asset limits increase to $13,000 for individuals and $24,000 for couples.

Often referred to informally as “Working Peoples” or WPD, the program was first approved by the Florida legislature in 2019 and began enrolling clients in 2020, offering them the ability to move out of poverty by removing one of the most significant barriers to competitive employment that people with disabilities experience – low Medicaid income limits.

Unfortunately, the 2019 approval was a regulation rule change that did not include language requiring state Medicaid administrators and servicers to inform their employees or clients about the new income limits. As a result, many people trying to take advantage of WPD were met with confused responses from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when they tried to sign up.

The new law requires DCF to be proactive in informing people on the Medicaid waiver about the program. The letters arriving in August are a requirement of the law. The letter informs people that the Medicaid program in Florida is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) but the Department of Children and Families determines Medicaid eligibility for applicants on AHCA’s behalf.

The legislation, formally titled the Medical Assistance Eligibility for Working Individuals with Disabilities act, requires the following

• DCF must provide written notices about WPD to all new Medicaid waiver enrollees and then again annually.

• DCF has 90 days to provide written notice to current HCBS recipients of their eligibility to enroll in the program.

• DCF should provide the name of a person or office to contact for information about WPD, which the letter does include.

According to DCF, requirements for Working People’s are as follows:

• Be at least 18 years of age

• Have a developmental disability

• Be enrolled in an eligible HCBS Medicaid waiver

• Be working and earning income

Working Peoples is true systems change in Florida! It revolutionizes competitive employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, enabling professional advancement, increased financial security, and job satisfaction. WPD empowers individuals to seek raises, work more hours, pursue promotions, apply for higher-paying jobs, and save for both disability-related expenses and personal goals like vacations.

The letter explains that if someone qualifies for WPD, they will be automatically enrolled. It also explains that you can choose to opt out of the program by contacting DCF. The letter cautions that WPD does not apply to people who are on Medicaid through SSI. You can read the entire letter here.

If you received this letter, we recommend that you save it for your records and keep both paper and electronic copies where you can find them easily. The letter can help explain WPD to your employer, family members, support coordinator, or other support staff. It may also be useful if questions come up during your annual Medicaid renewal or if someone working with your case is still not familiar with the new law. Ask for an email address and send them a copy of the law, referring to it by name, and/or your letter. Documentation is always useful to support your case.

As self-advocates, our ability to work and earn to our potential is stronger today because of the new law! Conventional wisdom behind income limits for all Medicaid recipients – not just people with disabilities-- is that once they are trained, and able to acquire stable, full-time employment, they will start purchasing reduced-cost health insurance from their employers. But because most private health insurance plans do not include personal care assistance and other long-term care benefits, people who need those services in order to work and live independently were stuck.

There are trust programs that enable waiver recipients to surpass earning and saving limits, but they can be difficult to set up for people with limited support and most people do not know about them. WPD is automatic. However, trusts should be explored when your earning and asset limits exceed WPD’s limits or you are not eligible for WPD.

The strengthening of WPD is a victory in the advancement of people with disabilities in Florida to work without the fear of losing essential services. It is the hard and consistent work of self-advocates that helped make this happen for everyone. Now it is time to take advantage of the opportunity to earn and save more income.