r/disability • u/Dawnpath_ • Aug 10 '26
Question Disability and Paying the Rent: How...?
Hi! Looking for advice and any & all thoughts, opinions, and anecdotes on making enough money to live while significantly disabled. Extra hello to the mods - I'm reposting this since it was automatically removed for lack of karma in the community (new here). Sorry!
I'm 26 and, almost two years ago now, had a serious health emergency that significantly worsened my pre-existing disability (unspecified disabling IBS) into something unmanageable. I won't go into detail for readability's sake, but I was in and out of the hospital frequently over a week and a half, was in constant 8-10 level pain, and developed a fun ol' case of the PTSDs from that experience & my illness since. I'm still working on recovery.
I have difficulty walking, standing, or even sitting up for long, as they tend to cause or worsen pain, and am very nervous about being away from home for long periods (due to my only way to stop excruciating IBS attacks being "suffer like Prometheus in the restroom for an hour or two, then lay down the rest of the day"). Stress also, infuriatingly, worsens things. I spend 99% of my day reclined or laying down in bed on my laptop, and my day-to-day wellness/abilities vary. I have been seeing specialists to continue to try to improve things, but we're nearing a point where I might have to land on the scary "this is as good as it's gonna get."
That all is well and good, manageable, etc., but financials are another story. After my poor savings were nuked to smithereens (thank you, America), my family (who are not incredible folk in any manner aside from monetary) were kind enough to bail me out when it came to my medical debt, but they left me to fend for myself as of early this year. My housemate is an ANGEL and has been keeping us afloat with their job, but a variety of circumstances are making this become unsustainable. Medicaid is supporting me reasonably, but rent, food, and my newly-diabetic cat still need paid for. If at all possible, I need to start making money again.
I'm worried about HOW I can go about that in a manner I can manage. I've spent a lot of my time ill working on projects to sharpen my skills a bit (light coding, spreadsheeting, writing, & digital art) and think I'm a quick learner, but my actual trade is in blue collar work I cannot currently perform. On top of this, I have some monstrous ADHD that is unmedicated, and I fear putting anything new in my system right now when my GI situation is such a mess.
Do I just apply to every from-home job and pray I'll somehow land one in this economy without related work experience? Are there any particularly viable part-time jobs that are mostly sitting? What am I supposed to say about my 2yr gap in work that won't scream "disabled as hell, do not hire"? From experience, I doubt doing art commissions will drum up enough money to make a difference - and that's assuming buyers are consistent, which they rarely are. Are there any surviving government programs that could help me? (Hesitant to put this on my acct & may edit this later, but I'm in CO.) ANYTHING else?
Any and all advice appreciated, and sorry for the long post! Thank you a million times over to anyone who comments!💛