🇺🇸 US support for starting a business on benefits: 2026
Starting a business on unemployment or disability benefits in the US: the federal figures, 2026
30 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.
Read, but no figure published (2)
These sources were checked and do not state the figure. Who publishes is itself a finding.
- SBDC, SCORE and Women’s Business Centersthe official page does not state this figure
- State Vocational Rehabilitation: self-employmentthe official page does not state this figure
The sentences as published
- Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), New York: Self-Employment Assistance (New York): weeks:
You are only entitled to a maximum of 26 weeks of Unemployment Insurance benefits.
(September 26, 2026, sha 4e3f8aeeae9d2c8a) - Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), New York: Self-Employment Assistance (New York): maximum weekly benefit:
The new maximum benefit rate is $869 per week.
(September 26, 2026, sha d8922fcf98127059) - Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), New York: Self-Employment Assistance (New York): weeks left to apply:
Eligible for at least 13 weeks of Unemployment Insurance benefits when the application for the SEAP is received, and;
(September 26, 2026, sha 09123e7ad02657ad) - Self-Employment Assistance Program, Mississippi: Self-Employment Assistance (Mississippi): weeks:
The maximum duration for SEAP benefits is 26 weeks.
(September 26, 2026, sha ae721d8433734bf1) - Self-Employment Assistance Program, Mississippi: Self-Employment Assistance (Mississippi): weekly benefit range:
The Weekly Benefit Amount, however, cannot be less than $30 or more than $235.
(September 26, 2026, sha 657c5832fbcb9196) - Self-Employment Assistance Program, Mississippi: Self-Employment Assistance (Mississippi): hours:
Because you will be spending 40 hours or more per week either preparing to start your own business, working at that business full time or attending training, you will not have to be available for or seek other full-time employment while participating in SEAP.
(September 26, 2026, sha ae721d8433734bf1) - Self-Employment Assistance, Oregon: Self-Employment Assistance (Oregon): weekly benefit range:
Unemployment Insurance $204 → $211 per week $872 → $902 per week
(September 26, 2026, sha 3169497cd26cfe2e) - Self-Employment Assistance, Oregon: Self-Employment Assistance (Oregon): business plan deadline:
Your business plan is due 45 days after we accept your application.
(September 26, 2026, sha 033587242e7f1886) - Pathway to Work (self-employment), New Hampshire: Pathway to Work (New Hampshire): weeks left to apply:
(d) Has, at the time the application is filed, a balance of regular benefits equal to at least 18 times the individual's weekly benefit amount and at least 18 weeks remaining in the individual's benefit year;
(September 26, 2026, sha 2ce376d5f3e93898) - Pathway to Work (self-employment), New Hampshire: Pathway to Work (New Hampshire): application deadline:
(c) Has filed an application for participation in a self-employment assistance program within 60 days of filing an initial application for regular benefits and has provided such information as the commissioner may prescribe;
(September 26, 2026, sha 2ce376d5f3e93898) - Pathway to Work (self-employment), New Hampshire: Pathway to Work (New Hampshire): weeks:
A. You can receive up to 26 weeks of total payments during that 1-year timeframe.
(September 26, 2026, sha 537594b8de232f7a) - Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), Washington: Self-Employment Assistance (Washington): profile score:
To qualify for SEAP, you need to have a score higher than 30.6 if applying in 2026 or 31.1 if you applied in 2025.
(September 26, 2026, sha b1ecfb15de0094a3) - Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), Washington: Self-Employment Assistance (Washington): hours:
If you work 40 or more hours in self-employment in a week, we do not consider you unemployed.
(September 26, 2026, sha b1ecfb15de0094a3) - Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), Washington: Self-Employment Assistance (Washington): processing time:
We usually process applications in 3 to 5 weeks.
(September 26, 2026, sha b1ecfb15de0094a3) - SSDI trial work period (self-employed): SSDI trial work period: monthly threshold 2026:
In 2026, this monthly amount increases to $1,210.
(September 26, 2026, sha a8adf8572889ea77) - SSDI trial work period (self-employed): SSDI trial work period: months:
We do not consider services performed during the trial work period as showing that the disability has ended until services have been performed in at least 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) in a rolling 60-month period.
(September 26, 2026, sha a8adf8572889ea77) - SSDI trial work period (self-employed): SSDI: substantial gainful activity 2026:
For non-blind individuals, the monthly SGA amount for 2026 is $1690.
(September 26, 2026, sha 8abcdcbcfcdaa304) - SSDI trial work period (self-employed): SSDI extended period of eligibility:
The first 36 months of the EPE is the re-entitlement period.
(September 26, 2026, sha 696600a8a233084a) - SSDI trial work period (self-employed): SSDI trial work period: self-employment hours:
We also consider your work to be services for the TWP if you work more than 80 hours in self-employment in a month.
(September 26, 2026, sha 696600a8a233084a) - PASS: Plan to Achieve Self-Support (SSI): SSI earned income exclusion:
We do not count the first $65 of the earnings you receive in a month, plus ½ of the remaining earnings.
(September 26, 2026, sha 9235d82a2b0d119e) - PASS: Plan to Achieve Self-Support (SSI): SSI resource limit:
The limit for countable resources is $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
(September 26, 2026, sha 41c06d65616c7db3) - PASS: Plan to Achieve Self-Support (SSI): PASS for self-employment: first review:
The Cadre will complete a progress review within six months of the approval to ensure that the individual is following the plan and meeting the milestones.
(September 26, 2026, sha 420227495936f77d) - Unemployment insurance while you look for work: Unemployment insurance: weeks:
Benefits can be paid for a maximum of 26 weeks in most States.
(September 26, 2026, sha d26ee4c88a1ad4d6) - Unemployment insurance while you look for work: Unemployment insurance: fraud penalty:
the assessment of a penalty on the individual in an amount of not less than 15 percent of the amount of the erroneous payment
(September 26, 2026, sha a5fe9d08caf4208a) - SBA Microloan: maximum:
The microloan program provides loans up to $50,000 to help small businesses and certain not-for-profit childcare centers start up and expand.
(September 26, 2026, sha 57acc4663f46c24c) - SBA Microloan: maximum term:
Maximum repayment term allowed for an SBA microloan is seven years
(September 26, 2026, sha 57acc4663f46c24c) - SBA Microloan: average:
The average microloan is about $13,000.
(September 26, 2026, sha 57acc4663f46c24c) - Ticket to Work: ages:
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.
(September 26, 2026, sha 6eeea63c75c74a7f) - SNAP and Medicaid work rules when self-employed: Medicaid community engagement: hours:
An applicable individual demonstrates community engagement for a month if the individual meets one or more of the following conditions: (1) The individual works not less than 80 hours.
(September 26, 2026, sha 29c571ccaf194832) - SNAP and Medicaid work rules when self-employed: Medicaid community engagement: income equivalent:
Under this IFC, such adults would either (a) not participate in Medicaid, (b) work to earn at least $580 per month (= $7.25 x 80 hours), (c) satisfy community engagement in another way, or (d) a combination of each.
(September 26, 2026, sha 29c571ccaf194832)
Methodology
Every row is a sentence quoted word for word from the named official page, read on the date shown and pinned to a hash of the page text we read. 30 of the 32 sources we could read state the figure; 2 do not and are listed as not published, never filled in. Each row is one figure from one scheme, taken only from the primary official page that states it (government, benefit agency, programme operator or legislation), and checked against what our own guides say.
Cite this data
Cite as: "US support for starting a business on benefits: 2026", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/us/datasets/us-startup-support/ (Read September 26, 2026)
Embed
<figure style="margin:0;padding:16px;border:1px solid #d0d4da;border-radius:12px;background:#ffffff;color:#0b0c0e;font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif"><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-weight:600;background:#ffffff">US support for starting a business on benefits: 2026</p><p style="margin:0;background:#ffffff">30 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.</p><figcaption style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;background:#ffffff">Source: <a href="https://pontia.xyz/us/datasets/us-startup-support/" style="color:#0b0c0e">Pontia</a></figcaption></figure>Cite this page
"US support for starting a business on benefits: 2026", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/us/datasets/us-startup-support/ (updated September 25, 2026)
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