Virginia Disability Benefits in 2026: State Programs and How to Apply
For Virginians with a disability. Your disability income and Medicare come from Social Security. Virginia adds Medicaid under the Cardinal Care name, the CCC Plus Waiver for people who would otherwise need nursing-facility care, three Developmental Disability Waivers reached through your local Community Services Board, consumer-directed personal assistance, DARS vocational rehabilitation, independent-living centers, assistive technology, and a free disabled parking placard. This page covers the Virginia programs and links you to the official site to apply. Reviewed July 2026. We are an independent information site, not a government agency.
Not sure which disability benefits you can get?
SSI, SSDI, Medicaid and Virginia 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.
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If you are not sure where to begin, these four actions cover most Virginians with a disability. Each one opens the official state site — applying is always free.
Medicaid and health coverage
Virginia Medicaid is administered by the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) and is branded Cardinal Care. Virginians who are aged, blind, or disabled can be covered through the ABD coverage category. You can apply online through CommonHelp, by phone with the Cover Virginia Call Center at 1-855-242-8282 (TTY 1-888-221-1590), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., or in person at your local Department of Social Services. See the official how to apply page and the Medicaid for people who are aged, blind, or disabled page.
How your care is managed: on October 1, 2023, Virginia combined its two managed-care programs — Medallion 4.0 and Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus — into a single program called Cardinal Care Managed Care. If you read older material referring to “CCC Plus” as your health plan, that is the program that became Cardinal Care Managed Care. The CCC Plus Waiver is a different thing and still uses its own name — see the next section. A step-by-step walkthrough is in our guide to applying for Medicaid in Virginia.
Medicaid waivers and community services
Waivers let people who would otherwise need care in an institution get that care at home and in the community instead.
- Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) Waiver — for older adults, people with physical disabilities, and people who are chronically ill or severely impaired who would otherwise require nursing-facility care. Access starts with an LTSS Screening, arranged through your local Department of Social Services. CCC Plus Waiver.
- Consumer-Directed Services — instead of an agency choosing your aide, you become the employer of record and hire, train, and supervise your own attendant. It is available for personal care/personal assistance, respite, and companion services under both the CCC Plus Waiver and the DD Waivers. Consumer-directed services.
- EPSDT for children under 21 — children enrolled in Virginia Medicaid can receive services such as personal care, private duty nursing, hearing aids, and assistive technology beyond standard plan limits when they are medically necessary. EPSDT.
Developmental disability support
Virginia runs three Developmental Disability (DD) Waivers, jointly overseen by DMAS and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). All three are active:
- Building Independence (BI) Waiver — for adults 18 and older who can live mostly independently and do not need supports all the time.
- Family and Individual Supports (FIS) Waiver — for children and adults who live with family or friends, or in their own home.
- Community Living (CL) Waiver — for children and adults who usually need supports in their home all the time.
How to get one: your local Community Services Board (CSB) is the entry point — the CSB completes the diagnostic and functional screening and adds you to the statewide waiting list. There is a waiting list, and slots are assigned based on urgency of need, so the date you apply is not what decides your place. Ask your CSB about case management and other support while you wait. Questions: DBHDS at (804) 786-3921 (Voice TDD (804) 371-8977). Official: DD Waivers (DMAS) and DBHDS waiver information for individuals and families.
In-home and personal assistance
Beyond Medicaid, DARS runs a Personal Assistance Services program — self-managed attendant care for people with significant disabilities who direct their own help with daily activities. DARS also operates Brain Injury Services, which connects people living with a brain injury to case management and community supports. If you are on a waiver, the consumer-directed option above is usually the route to attendant care; if you are not, start with DARS.
Employment and vocational rehabilitation
- DARS vocational rehabilitation — helps Virginians with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job: counseling, training, assistive technology, and job placement. You can refer yourself with the online referral form or through a local rehabilitative services office. Questions: 1-800-552-5019 (TTY 1-800-464-9950).
- Students age 14 and up — DARS pre-employment transition services help students with disabilities move from school to work. DARS for students.
- Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) — Virginia’s state rehabilitation center in Fishersville, offering vocational evaluation and training. WWRC vocational services.
- If you are blind or have vision loss — the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) is a separate agency from DARS with its own services. Apply through DBVI request for services or call (804) 371-3140 / toll-free (800) 622-2155.
Independent living and assistive technology
- Centers for Independent Living (CILs) — consumer-controlled, community-based organizations run by and for people with disabilities, offering peer support, skills training, advocacy, and transition help. Virginia has a statewide network; find the one serving your area on the DARS list of Centers for Independent Living.
- Assistive technology — the Virginia Assistive Technology System, administered by DARS, lets you try devices before you buy and connects you to device reuse and exchange. DARS assistive technology.
- Not sure who to call? Virginia Easy Access is the Commonwealth’s official no-wrong-door finder for disability and aging services.
Housing and transportation
- Housing for people with developmental disabilities — DBHDS administers rental assistance and housing supports, including the State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP), for individuals with a developmental disability. DBHDS housing resources.
- Affordable and special-needs housing — the Department of Housing and Community Development funds affordable and special-needs rental housing across Virginia. Virginia DHCD housing. For the federal voucher program and your local housing authority, see our Virginia Section 8 housing voucher guide.
- Medicaid rides (NEMT) — Virginia Medicaid covers non-emergency transportation to covered appointments. If you are in a managed-care plan, call your health plan using the number on your member ID card; fee-for-service members use the state’s transportation broker. DMAS transportation services.
Tax, utility, parking and vehicle benefits
- Real estate tax relief for permanently and totally disabled homeowners — this is a local benefit, not a statewide one. Virginia law lets any county, city, or town, by ordinance, exempt or defer real estate tax for homeowners who are at least 65 or who are permanently and totally disabled. Each locality sets its own income and net-worth limits, so there is no single Virginia figure — and some localities may not offer it at all. Check with your local commissioner of the revenue through the Virginia.gov local government directory. The enabling law is Va. Code § 58.1-3210. (A separate, statewide exemption applies to veterans with a 100% service-connected permanent and total disability — see our Virginia veterans page.)
- Disabled parking placard — apply with Form MED 10, certified by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, podiatrist, or chiropractor. Per Virginia DMV, temporary and permanent placards for citizens are free of charge. Plates showing the International Symbol of Access are also available. Virginia DMV disabled parking.
- Help with energy bills — Virginia’s energy assistance program (fuel, crisis, and cooling help) is applied for through the same CommonHelp account you use for Medicaid. See our Virginia energy assistance guide.
Federal disability programs (handled nationally)
Cash disability benefits and Medicare are federal — they are the same in Virginia as in every other state, so we keep them in one place instead of repeating them:
Good to know: if you receive SSI in Virginia, you are generally enrolled in Medicaid. Virginia-specific walkthroughs: SSDI in Virginia and SSI in Virginia.
How to apply or get help
- Health coverage: apply at CommonHelp, call Cover Virginia at 1-855-242-8282, or visit your local Department of Social Services.
- Long-term care at home: ask your local Department of Social Services for an LTSS Screening (CCC Plus Waiver).
- Developmental disability: contact your local Community Services Board to be screened and placed on the DD Waiver waiting list.
- Work: send yourself to DARS with the VR referral form, or DBVI if you are blind or have vision loss.
- Not sure: use Virginia Easy Access, or call 988 if you are in a mental-health crisis.
Gather your documents first — our Benefit Document Checklist builds a personalized list.
Official Virginia resources
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. Virginia’s Centers for Independent Living, Virginia Easy Access and the assistive-technology program are already linked in the sections above.
Services and eligibility can vary by county. Confirm current hours and service areas before you visit or send documents.
Keep going
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: Virginia DMAS / Cover Virginia (dmas.virginia.gov, coverva.dmas.virginia.gov, commonhelp.virginia.gov), Virginia DBHDS (dbhds.virginia.gov), Virginia DARS (dars.virginia.gov), Virginia DBVI (dbvi.virginia.gov), Virginia DHCD (dhcd.virginia.gov), Virginia DMV (dmv.virginia.gov), and the Code of Virginia (law.lis.virginia.gov). Reviewed July 2026. Waiver waiting lists and local tax-relief limits change — confirm the current details on the official page before you apply.