SSI - the scoop and a bit about SSD

[Guest guest]

Greetings:

A while back someone asked about SSI and I heard another

referral to it asking about work. I am a Clinical Social

Worker and I help a lot of people apply for disability so I

know many of the rules/requirements.

Unless someone has almost never worked or has no assets to

begin with, most of us probably DON " T WANT SSI. SSI is a MEANS

TESTED program - this means that it is only for people with NO

other source of income as a last resort. As a result, it is

VERY RESTRICTIVE. If someone is on SSI, their benefits don't

exceed approximately $550 per month and they are not permitted

to earn over $86.00 per month; if they do, benefits are stopped

and you often have to pay them back. In addition, they won't

give you SSI if you have any assets to speak of - for example,

cars of any worth, a house, savings, etc. I do believe the

rules are much different for children, however (eg. you can

have a child receive SSI and have other income).

Basically, I explain it to people often like this. SSI is for

folks who are disabled but did not earn enough quarters from

work to be eligible for SSD. This may occur for someone who is

seriously disabled as a child, developmentally disabled as a

child or say, if someone was 18 or 20 years old and was

seriously disabled by a car accident before they had worked for

many years. Sad thing is, the program is so restrictive as to

seem inhumane (at least to me). I've worked in programs where

you had to have " spend downs " so that a client wouldn't have

too much savings and lose their SSI - thus once on SSI, it

seems you can never move beyond poverty on top of disability.

SSI is not sufficient for most adults that I know of to live on

alone. Some can do okay if they get SSI and also get Section

8 or public housing - since this housing has wait lists years

long, this isn't an option for most.

SSD, on the other hand, is less restrictive as it is thought

that recipients have earned it by contributing through their

work over the years. SSD does let folks work part-time (I am

told the cut off is $800 a month avg. earnings but I think it's

safer not to exceed $600 or $700).

I have not personally seen any cases where SSD was stopped and

a person had to pay back all their earnings for working PART

TIME within the guidelines. I have, however, seen SSD stopped

and people have to pay them back, when they tried to work

full-time and get SSD at the same time, or when they exceeeded

income limits.

I work with homeless veterans and I can attest that Social

Security is NOT at all compassionate (not in my experience).

The reality is that they are VERY rigid and restrictive and

don't care if folks lose their homes and cars or are thrown to

the streets while disabled just to wait for benefits. They

also don't care that disability benefits are usually not

sufficient to live the lifestyle many Americans are able to

live while working.

Knowing what I know about Social Security, I am trying hard to

begin a sound financial plan so that, in the event I need to

apply, I'll have back-up income for a while. I am 33 and have

tens of thousands in student loans and just bought a house. I

am hoping though, with a house that appreciates, I'll at least

have some asset now amongst all the other liabilities.

Comparatively speaking, my CMT is now mild, but who can say

what the future will bring?

Hope this helps. Peace, Marti