Texas Disability Benefits in 2026: State Programs and How to Apply
For Texans with a disability. Your federal disability income and Medicare come from Social Security, but Texas adds its own Medicaid coverage, long-term services, waiver programs, job support, medical rides, a homestead tax break, and a disabled parking placard. This page covers the Texas programs and links you to the official site to apply. Updated for 2026. We are an independent information site, not a government agency.
Not sure which disability benefits you can get?
SSI, SSDI, Medicaid and Texas state programmes each have different rules, and most people who qualify for one qualify for more. Answer a few questions about your household and see which of 14 programmes are worth applying for, what documents to gather, and exactly where to apply.
Check what I may qualify for in Texas
Free · no sign-up · about 2 minutes · nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere
Federal benefits (handled nationally)
Cash disability benefits and Medicare are federal. Start or check those first, then use Texas’s state programs below:
Good to know: if you receive SSI, you are generally automatically eligible for Texas Medicaid.
Texas Medicaid & STAR+PLUS
Texas Medicaid covers Texans who are aged, blind, or have disabilities, including through Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities. STAR+PLUS is the managed-care program for adults 65+ or adults with disabilities — it combines health care with long-term services and supports (in-home help, home modifications, respite) and gives each member a service coordinator. Apply for Medicaid at YourTexasBenefits or by calling 2-1-1 (press 2); HHSC benefits line 1-877-541-7905. STAR+PLUS details: Texas HHSC.
Medicaid waivers (interest lists)
Texas runs home- and community-based waivers with interest lists (waitlists). You can be on several lists but enroll in only one waiver at a time, and being on a list does not affect your other benefits — so it is worth signing up early.
- HCS and Texas Home Living (TxHmL) — for people with an intellectual disability or related condition. Contact your Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority (LIDDA) to be added to the list. HCS (HHSC).
- CLASS — for people with a related condition (a disability other than intellectual disability that began before age 22). Call HHSC at 1-877-438-5658. CLASS (HHSC).
- DBMD — for people who are deaf-blind with a third disability. Call HHSC at 1-877-438-5658. DBMD (HHSC).
In-home care without a waitlist
Some attendant services do not have an interest list. Community First Choice (CFC) is a Medicaid state-plan entitlement that provides attendant and habilitation services to members who meet an institutional level of care, delivered through your managed-care plan. Primary Home Care / Community Attendant Services provide non-technical personal help (bathing, meals, housekeeping). Ask your Medicaid plan’s service coordinator, or call 2-1-1. Info: Texas HHSC Medicaid.
Jobs — Texas Vocational Rehabilitation (TWC)
The Texas Workforce Commission’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services help people with a disability prepare for, find, and keep work — counseling, assistive technology, training, and job placement, plus a track for students. Use “Start My VR” online or visit a Texas Workforce Solutions office. Phone 800-628-5115. TWC Vocational Rehabilitation.
Rides, housing, tax, and parking
- Free medical rides (MTP): non-emergency transportation to covered care for Medicaid clients with no other way to get there. Schedule at 877-633-8747. HHSC MTP.
- Disability housing help: the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs lists rental and supportive-housing programs. TDHCA disability tools (800-525-0657).
- Disabled homestead tax exemption: homeowners who meet the Social Security disability definition can get an added school-district homestead exemption. File Form 50-114 with your county appraisal district. Texas Comptroller exemptions. (Disabled-veteran exemptions are separate — see our Texas veterans page.)
- Disabled parking placard: have your doctor complete Form VTR-214 and submit to your county tax office. TxDMV placards.
Local disability help, advocacy and independent living
Your state and federal agencies decide whether you are eligible for a benefit. These organizations do something different: they help you understand your rights, apply, appeal, and live independently — and most cost nothing to use. Some are government agencies and some are independent nonprofits designated under federal law; each card says which. Share personal information only with an official agency or an organization it designates.
Services and eligibility can vary by county. Confirm current hours and service areas before you visit or send documents.
Texas disability program details
Keep going
Related Texas programs: Texas IDD Medicaid waiver waiting lists and the Texas Medicaid Buy-In program.
GlobalBenefits.org is an independent information website. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with any federal or state agency. We link to official government sites so you can apply directly and for free. Program amounts and rules change — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
Official sources: Texas HHSC (hhs.texas.gov), TWC (twc.texas.gov), TDHCA (tdhca.texas.gov), Texas Comptroller (comptroller.texas.gov), TxDMV (txdmv.gov), YourTexasBenefits (yourtexasbenefits.com). Reviewed July 2026. Dollar amounts for tax exemptions change with state law — confirm current figures with the Comptroller and your appraisal district.