{
 "id": "us-startup-support",
 "cc": "us",
 "lang": "en",
 "kind": "table",
 "title": "US federal support for starting a business in figures, 2026",
 "h1": "Starting a business on unemployment or disability benefits in the US: the federal figures, 2026",
 "question": "What federal support is there in the US to start a business while on benefits, and how much?",
 "computedAt": "2026-09-26",
 "coverage": {
  "named": 7,
  "read": 7,
  "published": 6,
  "notPublished": 1,
  "unreadable": 0
 },
 "headline": "6 federal figures for starting a business while on unemployment, SSDI or SSI, each quoted word for word from the official page that states it, read on September 26, 2026.",
 "rows": [
  {
   "label": "SBA Microloan",
   "url": "https://www.sba.gov/loans/microloans",
   "group": "Loan",
   "display": "Up to $50,000",
   "sentence": "Use them when you need less than $50,000 to start and/or grow your small business.",
   "readAt": "2026-09-26",
   "sha": "57acc4663f46c24c"
  },
  {
   "label": "SBA Microloan: average",
   "url": "https://www.sba.gov/loans/microloans",
   "group": "Loan",
   "display": "About $13,000 on average",
   "sentence": "The average microloan is about $13,000.",
   "readAt": "2026-09-26",
   "sha": "57acc4663f46c24c"
  },
  {
   "label": "SSDI trial work period (self-employed)",
   "url": "https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.1592",
   "group": "Income support",
   "display": "As many as 9 trial work months",
   "sentence": "During this period, you may perform services (see paragraph (b) of this section) in as many as 9 months, but these months do not have to be consecutive.",
   "readAt": "2026-09-26",
   "sha": "79ac7c3280a0a4f5"
  },
  {
   "label": "Ticket to Work",
   "url": "https://choosework.ssa.gov/about/how-it-works",
   "group": "Advice and support",
   "display": "Ages 18 through 64 on SSDI or SSI",
   "sentence": "Everyone age 18 through 64 who receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits because of his or her disability is eligible to participate in the Ticket to Work Program.",
   "readAt": "2026-09-26",
   "sha": "6eeea63c75c74a7f"
  },
  {
   "label": "SNAP and Medicaid work rules when self-employed",
   "url": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-03/html/2026-11094.htm",
   "group": "Advice and support",
   "display": "$580 a month = 80 hours at $7.25",
   "sentence": "In 2026, the Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour,\\41\\ which multiplied by 80 equals $580.",
   "readAt": "2026-09-26",
   "sha": "29c571ccaf194832"
  },
  {
   "label": "SBDC, SCORE and Women’s Business Centers",
   "url": "https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance",
   "group": "Advice and support",
   "display": "Free or low-cost counseling",
   "sentence": "Get local assistance SBA and our network of partners offer free or low-cost counseling and training in your area.",
   "readAt": "2026-09-26",
   "sha": "68ea150956645c42"
  }
 ],
 "notPublished": [
  {
   "label": "PASS: Plan to Achieve Self-Support (SSI)",
   "url": "https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500870001",
   "reason": "read in full; the page does not state this figure"
  }
 ],
 "methodology": "Every row is a sentence quoted verbatim from the named official page, read on the date shown and pinned to a hash of the page text we read. 6 of the 7 sources that could be read state the figure; 1 do not and are listed as not published, never filled in. Each row is one figure from one scheme, taken only from that scheme’s own official page. Where a page does not state the figure we plan with, the row is listed as not published and the figure is not filled in from anywhere else.",
 "url": "https://pontia.xyz/us/datasets/us-startup-support/",
 "citation": "\"US federal support for starting a business in figures, 2026\", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/us/datasets/us-startup-support/ (read 2026-09-26)",
 "license": "https://pontia.xyz/terms/"
}