Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

What is Supplemental Security Income?
How to apply for Supplemental Security Income
Your income and Supplemental Security Income
Your responsibilities and Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income Appeals
Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS)
Your Assets and Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Income

What is Supplemental Security Income?

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a federal program that provides monthly cash payments to people who are age 65 or older, or are blind, or have a disability, who have little or no resources or income. A child who is disabled or blind as well as an adult may be eligible for SSI. The age of a person who is blind or disabled makes no difference.

Currently for 2003, the maximum SSI is $552 per month for an eligible person and $829 per month for an eligible couple. Your first SSI payment is made for the first full month after you apply. The amount may not be the same every month. The amount depends on your other income and living arrangements. Your will be notified of any changes in the amount of your payment.

Your SSI benefit will increase each year in an attempt to keep up with the cost of living. These increases generally will be in your January payment, which you will receive at the end of December.

In addition to cash payments, you may be eligible for other services if you are an SSI recipient. If you receive SSI, you are also eligible for Medicaid, which can pay for health care expenses. You may also be eligible for services from the Family Independence Agency (FIA), (formerly the Department of Social Services), which include adult home help funds and food stamps. The Social Security Administration can help you apply for these services as well as SSI.

How to Apply for Supplemental Security Income

You can apply for Supplemental Security Income or SSI by visiting your local Social Security office, or by calling your local office and making an appointment to meet with a Social Security Representative. To find out the phone number of location of your local office, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

You, your parent, advocate, guardian, children, or any other interested person can apply for SSI on your behalf. The Social Security Administration can also help you apply. You will need the following information when you apply:

1. Your social security number or card
2. Your birth certificate or other proof of age
3. Information about the home in which you live, such as your mortgage, lease or landlord's name
4. Payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, car registration, burial fund records, and other information about your assets and income
5. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have treated you
6. Proof that you are a US citizen

You should apply for SSI even if you do not have all of the information necessary. The Social Security Administration can help you get whatever is needed.

If you have questions about applying for Supplemental Security Income, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

Your Income and Supplemental Security Income

Under Supplemental Security Income or SSI, the term income means anything you receive that can be used to meet your needs for food, clothing or shelter. Income is divided into two categories, earned income and unearned income. Earned income includes wages, net earning from self-employment, and income form working in a sheltered workshop. Unearned income includes all income that is not earned such as Social Security benefits, workers or veterans compensation, pension, annuities, rent and interest.

In general, for the 2003 benefit year, if you have unearned income of less than $522 a month, you should qualify for an SSI payment. A couple can qualify if their unearned income is less than $829 a month.

If you are applying for SSI, you cannot earn more than $500 a month. However, a large portion of earned income may be disregarded, so an individual could earn up to $1,073 a month or a couple could earn up to $1,567 a month, and still retain some portion of an SSI payment.

Your first and second monthly amounts will be based on your first month's income. After that, your SSI amount is usually based on your income from two months before.

If you have any questions about your income and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

Your Responsibilities and Supplemental Security Income

You or your Representative Payee are responsible for reporting changes that may affect your eligibility or your payments. You must report changes within 10 days after the month they happen. If you fail to report or you make a false statement and receive money you are not due, the Social Security Administration will make you pay it back, and you may have to pay an additional penalty.

All Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients must report the following:

1. Changes in income, assets, household or living arrangements and marital status
2. If you leave the United States
3. If you enter or leave an institution
4. If you change your address

If you are married and receiving SSI, you must report changes in your spouse's income and assets. If a child is under the age of 18 and living with their parents, any changes in the parent's income must be reported.

If you are blind or have a disability and are receiving SSI, you must let the Social Security Administration know if you go to work or become self-employed or if your condition improves.

If you are a student between the ages of 18 and 22, you must report if you start or stop attending school. The Social Security Administration should also be notified by either you or your Representative Payee if you cannot manage your money or in the event of your death.

Your or your Representative Payee can report any changes by phone, by mail, or in person at your local Social Security office.

If you have questions, or need additional information, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

Supplemental Security Income Appeals

You can appeal the Social Security Administration's decision regarding your eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Your can also appeal their decision regarding the amount you are eligible to receive.

You should file your appeal within 60 days of written notice from the Social Security Administration. You may extend this for up to two years if you can show that you had good reason to wait that long to appeal. You can write your request for appeal, or you can call your local Social Security office and ask for assistance.

There are four levels of appeal. They are:

Reconsideration - A complete review of your claim by someone who didn't take part in the first decision. All evidence submitted at the time of the original decision, as well as any new evidence will be considered.

Hearing by an administrative law judge - If you disagree with the reconsideration decision, you may request a hearing. The hearing will be conducted by an administrative law judge who had not part in the first decision or reconsideration of your case.

Review by the Appeals Council - If you disagree with the hearing decision, you may ask for a review by Social Security's Appeals Council. If needed, Social Security will help your request a review by the Appeals Council. The Appeals Council looks at all review requests, but it may deny a request if it believes the hearing decision was correct. If the Appeals Council does decide to review your case, it will either decide your case itself or return it to and administrative law judge for further review.

Federal court review - Finally, if you disagree with the Appeals Council's decision or the Appeals Council decides not to review your case, you may file a lawsuit in federal district court.

If you are appealing Social Security's decision to stop your SSI payments based on their determination that you are no longer eligible or your payments should be reduced, you may still receive your SSI payments during the time you are appealing if you ask for it within ten days of receipt of the letter from Social Security. At an administrative hearing, a judge will determine whether or not you can continue to receive your payments during your appeal. Please be advised that if your appeal is turned down, you may have to pay back any money you were not eligible to receive.

Many people handle their own Social Security appeals with free help from Social Security. However, the steps to the appeal process can be complex and confusing. Therefore, Social Security does allow you to choose a lawyer, a friend or someone else to help you act as your representative. If you would like more information about having a representative, contact Social Security or talk to a knowledgeable attorney or advocate to assist you through the appeals process.

For more information, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS)

Under a Plan for Achieving Self-Support or PASS, you can set aside income and/or assets for a work goal. The income and/or assets must be used to pay for things needed to attain your work goal, such as vocational training, education, purchasing work-related equipment or starting a business. The income and/or assets you set aside will not count in determining your eligibility or payment amount for Supplemental Security Income.

You must have a realistic goal, a specific savings or spending plan, and must be able to show that the money you set aside went towards your work plan.

Your vocational counselor, supports coordinator, employer, advocate, Social Security Representative or any other interested person can help you develop your plan for achieving self support. Social Security will then evaluate your plan to make sure it is acceptable.

It is important for you to remember that you may not need a plan for achieving self support right now. However, as your earnings rise, you may need it in order to remain eligible or to increase your SSI payment amount.

The steps to completing your PASS are complex and confusing, especially receiving approval form the Social Security Administration for the plan. You should ask your representative form the Social Security Administration or an advocate to assist you in completing your plan.

Your Assets and Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Income

If you are single and need Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, you must count up your available assets. If you have more than $2000 you are not eligible for Medicaid or SSI. However, there are some assets which are not counted in determining your eligibility for Medicaid and SSI. These exempt assets are:

1. Your home
2. Your personal belongings and household furnishing
3. Your car or van
4. Income producing real estate. The annual income must (less expenses) equal at least 6% of your equity
5. Burial space items, such as a casket, burial plot, vault, headstone, and opening and closing the grave site for you or members of immediate family
6. Up to $1500 designated as a burial fund. This fund is to pay for funeral expenses not covered by the burial space
7. An irrevocable prepaid funeral contract, which is for your expenses and is for less than $2000
8. Life insurance, if the cash surrender value is less than $1,500
9. Life insurance, if you permanently transfer ownership so that no one can use the money from the insurance for anything other than your funeral expenses. This arrangement is frequently made by permanently transferring ownership to an irrevocable trust when you purchased the insurance
10. Assets which you do not have legal right to dispose of
11. Assets which you are unable to sell. This type of asset must have been up for sale for at least 30 days during the last three months. The asking price must not have been more than fair market value. Your must not have received a reasonable purchase offer.

If you have questions regarding your assets and Supplemental Security Income, you can contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.