SSI | Autism PDD

Kelly here are some links about SSI. Usually most people are turned down in the beginning. The amount you receive if any is based on your income, and it depends on what you consider to be much... Also with SSI you can not have savings or resources over 00 I believe it is. To apply you go to your local office and fill out the tons of paperwork.

CHANGES IN SSI   http://www.clsphila.org/abc_for_advocates_files/training_mat erial.htm

Supplemental Security Income / Social Security Administration  http://autism.about.com/od/ssissa/

DISABILITY BENEFITS  http://www.bizdir.org/index.phtml?browse=/Home/Personal_Fina nce/Retirement/Social_Security/Disability_Benefits/

How do you apply for SSI? does it help alot, meaning do they give you much?

I want to start ABA but it is way to expensive.

 

Kelly

                                       Nita

http://s3abaca.ssa.gov/pro/fol/fol-home.html 
Social Security Online Office locator

If you are navigating using only the keyboard or using an assistive device and need help, visit our "Instructional page for alternative views and navigation."
Warning: If you select this link, you will leave this site and go to a new browser window. You will automatically return to this page when you close the new browser window.

If you live in the United States and you want information and directions to the Social Security office nearest you, just enter your U.S. Postal Service five-digit ZIP Code below and select Locate. You’ll get information about your local Social Security office and other agencies in your area that may be able to help you.

Enter your ZIP Code

 

you can go to ssa.gov and apply on line. when i called, they gave me an appt w/in 3 days, and i printed the ap and filled everything in and brought it w/ me. we make almost 13,000 too little for a family of 7 in my state, and do no qualify for medicaide for keith, but if i qualify for ssi under keiths "disability" he will get the medicaid and food stamps for HIM. my dh has exclusions in his insurance policy for the autism and will not provide or pay for therapies to bring him to his chronological age skills.  i am told, in my area it is about 569.00 per month, but even if we did not get that, having the medical help would be a HUGE relief, and it would let my kids get reduced lunch fees.  We could also get keith into the aba and other therapies that we need to help cope.....

it is worth trying for, even if you get denied, you would know. if takes 3-4 months for the application to go throuh and to begin receiving $ BUT, it would be retroactive to the date that you applied, if you get it. so if it takes 3 months, you would get 3 months $ immediately.  also, the 00.00 limit was explained to me by the interviewer, that that was Keiths money, like bonds he may have, and stuff in his name. so my 4 year old did not come close to that.

hth.

kate

 

Actually here it is next to impossible to get in touch with the local office.  Call the I 800 number and tell them you want to apply for SSI and they should send the paperwork to you.  It would help if you have more than one specialist that has diagnosed your child or will be diagnosing your child.   There are alot of people that get it on the first try.  But if you have any savings bonds or a savings account under your name or your childs name, transfer it out of those names before you apply.  They will be checking not only your child's social security number but also your social security number and if you are married, your spouse's social security number.  Now true it is based on the amount of income the whole house has.  You might not get that much if your income is closer to 2 grand a month but you might also be able to get medical assistance , as it is called here, or a spenddown type insurance.

Tammy

i agree that it is almost impossible to get in touch with the local office.

i have no income, but my SSI is next to nothing. they cheated me out of a great deal of money the first year i was getting it, and they have lied to me about what counts against my assets.

ever try to raise a child with autism on only 0 a month? they seem to think its reasonable.
I also receive SSI for my son, Nathan. He is 6. We g et around 546 a month- and that doesnt help much, but we were told that as long as his check is for at least 1.00 he will receive medicaid- That helps BUNCHES! I went to the web site and downloaded the SSi children's packet for disabilities- filled it out and had everything ready for my appointment- it took maybe 2 months to get our first check.  It is annoying at first- but it is worth it in the long run.OH MY GOD SUNNY, SO SORRY.. TIME FOR PRESIDENT BUSH TO RECEIVE A LETTER FROM ALL US PARENTS..OK WELL LETS GO REBUILD IRAQ AND GIVE THERE KIDS FOOD AND LEAVE US U.S. CITIZENS WITH NOTHING ESPECIALLY THE AUTISTIC OR DISABLED KKIDS WHO ARE TRYIN TO RECEIVE BEHAVIORIAL THERAPY ,SPEECH N OT...THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY IT MAKES ME WANNA CRY...

Tammy

how do you get 546 a month??!?!?!?! with NO INCOME, i get a lot less than that! and i'm a single parent!!!

you know whats really messed up? last xmas, my daughter got as a gift to spend how she wanted. SSI found out about it and deducted off our next check!!! THEY TOOK DOUBLE THE AMOUNT BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER GOT A GIFT!!! i was so mad. i called the lady at the office and she basically said "thats how it goes. too bad."

i wish i could live without that small amount of money they give us, but unfortunately i cant. i wish i could get a job, i'd have A LOT more money than i do now. not to mention i might actually have friends and a social life!
[QUOTE=MrsRachel71]

Sunny,

You get less than I do because you are a single parent, I have a household of 4. They take into consideration our rent, utilities, and car payment. My husband cannot work over 40 hours a week because it wold take off the money, but it takes 2 months for it to effect the SSI check, ie- he works overtime in July, SSI deducts the money from Septmeber's check. We have learned to keep cash instead of accounts, and when his truck was paid off, we turned around and refinanced it so it would not be an asset. It takes planning and luck. And trust me, I know all about the social life- I used to have friends galore- they have all disappeared now.  Keep your head up, it will get better!

 

[/QUOTE]

That is not true on the single parent bit.  I am a single parent.  I live in an apartment and I get 9.00 per a month for each child.  Which by the way is the max amount you can get from Social Security for SSI.  Now in Sunny's case, she lives in a mother in law apartment in her parenst house, which I still say SSI took into account when determining how much she got.   Here I am allowed one vehicle.  But it might also help me that the only family member up here just happens to have bipolar and he lives in a Veterans Treatment Home.

Tammy

tabitha38574.5134953704

Sunny,

You get less than I do because you are a single parent, I have a household of 4. They take into consideration our rent, utilities, and car payment. My husband cannot work over 40 hours a week because it wold take off the money, but it takes 2 months for it to effect the SSI check, ie- he works overtime in July, SSI deducts the money from Septmeber's check. We have learned to keep cash instead of accounts, and when his truck was paid off, we turned around and refinanced it so it would not be an asset. It takes planning and luck. And trust me, I know all about the social life- I used to have friends galore- they have all disappeared now.  Keep your head up, it will get better!

 

Wow! See, I did not know all of the information! I assumed they took household size into consideration, my fault.

 

 

 

They do take household size into account....

Zach is on SSI also and we get 482.00 dollars a month.... that is because Jaydin was born just in time ... we started recieving payments a week later.  Before Jaydin was born we would of only recieved a lil' over a hundred dollars. 

My very close friend who has the 8 year old autistic boy ... She is married, her husband and her both work (although not a lot) and they have 3 other childeren, and own a home.  They get 579.00 a month too. 

It's very dependant on your circumstances i think.   Pretty much i think they take EVERYTHING in your life into account. 

i think the whole "living with my mother" thing is crap. yes, i live with my mother. but i live in an apartment SEPARATE from the rest of the house. i have two bedrooms, one bathroom, family room, rec room, and kitchen area. i also have my own separate entrance. i live independently. i pay rent. i pay my own bills. i do my own grocery shopping. i have my own phone line. even my case manager is apalled that i'm not getting more from SSI. she said that i SHOULD be getting the max amount.

but yeah, they took "living with my mother" into consideration. the first year i was getting SSI, they had me down as living "rent free." I WAS SO MAD! i had been paying rent since the day my daughter was born! they assumed i was getting a free ride from my mom, and the money they gave me was fun money or something. ha. that was the point where i was raising a four year old on 0 a month. my case manager told me that i am entitled to back pay for that year, but i know i'll never see a dime of that money.

they also told me that I COULD NOT OWN A VEHICLE. not even ONE. my case manager disputed that, but they wouldnt budge. even at my last review, the lady told me "do you own a vehicle? if you do, i need to know, because you will no longer qualify for SSI." i know that one vehicle is exempt from that, and another vehicle has to be valued at less than what your asset limit is (00), but when i tried to explain this to her, she wouldnt listen to me.

*sigh* its such a joke. i wish i could just get a job and tell SSI to screw themselves. although i'm grateful that i'm at least getting something. its just so frustrating. right now my friends are helping to buy my daughter school clothes and supplies, and are donating money to me because they know i cant afford it. last night i had a friend call me up to ask what size my daughter wears because she'll be in town next week and wants to bring some stuff over. do you know how embarrassing that is? or at xmas time, when my siblings are giving gifts to my daughter and me, but i tell them "sorry i didnt get you anything...." and they say "oh, its ok. we know you cant afford it." or when i was actually going to buy some new clothes for my daughter so i mentioned to my mom that i was going to Target and Kmart. she said "dont bother. i'm going to buy her some clothes out of a catalog. i dont want all her clothes to get GENERIC." its so humiliating.

blah. its a rainy day today and i'm a little depressed. venting session over.

I also receive 579.00 for my son.  The social worker at his school helped me with it.  Wants I had my appt. I started receiving my checks the next month.  However we were homeless at the time so that problably made a difference.  We have since gotten back on our feet but my husband lost his job 2 weeks ago so here we go again.  Keep your head up it will all work out

I am happy with whatever as I am a single parent and I have never received child support but .16 cents worth.

 

Stephanie

 

they do take all of the house hold into consideration. in fact, i had to declare the 300.00 per month my son is making at a summer job. i told them that his money does not contribute to the house hold but they said that it is money that he has so that if he wants to buy a pair of shoes, it is a pair of shoes that i don't have to buy, therefore, saving the household money. i told him that we do not let my son play with his money, and it is all put in his account to save for college, and he said it did not matter.  so by my 16 year old working, it will probably take away from what i will get, but we are a family of 7, making less than 4,000 per month = less than 52,000 per year, technically we are below the poverty level. so we will see, but they do check you from a- to appetite.

kate

no they will not give you money to pay your car payment and insurance.... but you are allotted ONE car that they don't count against you, if you have a second car it has to be UNDER 2000 dollars.  Because our kids often need transportation to Dr. appointments that is why they allow the one car.  They do take into consideration your bills though... so if you have a car payment to make they take that into consideration as far as how much you will get... but like Tammy said... 579.00 dollars a month is the highest you can get per kid who's on SSI.   if i were to get a car, i wouldnt want a car payment. my youngest brother is a mechanic and is trying to find me a cheap car that he can fix up. the payment wouldnt be an issue. my biggest worry is not being able to afford insurance, maintanance, or repairs. the price of gas is outrageous!

i dont have any money for a car right now anyway, unless my brother buys it for me out of the goodness of his heart. he really should. after all, he's the one that blew up the last car i owned, which is the reason i have no vehicle now!

i guess i'm really just angry that they told me i couldnt even own one vehicle.

I know I can own a vehicle, have had one before.  Even had two in my name at one time.  But the second vehicle had been sold months before so I didn't have possession of it but the guy had not transferred it into his name.    In my case they took into account that all of my family lives in Arkansas.  Minus my brother, who is in a VA Treatment Home and who has bipolar with schizophrenic type episodes, epilepsy, ptsd, and a alcoholic.  I get no financial support from my family.  My father is deceased.  My mother is on limited income.  I get no child support whatsoever, never have, never will.  I have no friends to give me financial support.  Now I do and can use mass transit and metro mobility.  They also took into account how much I pay for rent.  And no, I don't get section 8 either.  Alot of landlords in the good areas here don't accept section 8.  Also I do not work at all.  Unless you call redirecting my kids, doing the IEP's, etc. as work.  Sure don't get paid much for that, lol.  Even if your brother gave you a vehicle they would  attach a monetary value to it.  Whether they would go by the blue book value or not I don't know.

Tammy

[QUOTE=andysmama]

Andy just got approved for SSI presumptive.  We got 5 although with what California adds it is over 0 normally.  I live with my mom and my brother who are both on SSI.  I pay 1/3 rent and they consider my car payment and insurance.  I just lost my job. . . .

I am happy with whatever as I am a single parent and I have never received child support but .16 cents worth.

 

Stephanie

[/QUOTE]

sooo....... if i were to actually get a car, they could give me more money to help cover a car payment and insurance?

why was i never informed of any of this before? i feel like they've really been cheating me!

I don't think they will give you money to cover a car payment.  Having a car is not a necessity.  It is a want. 

Tammy

they do go by the blue book value. and i am told that if keith gets the ssi, he will also automatically get medicaid and food stamps, the fs would be JUST 4 him. but hey, every little bit helps....

kate

 

And you wont get that much in food stamps either.  My kids get .00 a month for food stamps.  And that is for each kid.  Every time SSI goes up the food stamps will be cut.

Tammy

Food Stamps??? I don't know about that! Nate gets SSI and medicaid, but we don't qualify for food stamps. (I don't hink so anywayz) But something tells me that Monday I will need to make sure. Like you said- every bit helps!

I live in california and ssi is the 579 and california adds a state payment making it close to 0.  In california you do not qualify for foodstamps because the state payment added to ssi is consider a cash out.  Even though I am a family of two and my son is on ssi I am now considered a family of one.  I am on calworks (welfare) and once I start my job on monday which will make barely over 1,000 a month.  I will no longer qualify for cash aid.  I think the whole system sucks I want to work full time but as I am getting everything together with diagnosis and my son it has been next to impossible.  Thanks to the wonderful school district.

Heck our rent is 00 plus 0 for utilites. 

 

Average rent for a two bedroom apartment in the twin cities is 900 to 1, 000 bucks.  And that doesn't include the utilities, which during the winter the gas can be pretty high.  Now here there is such a thing as MFIP, but if your child gets ssi, they will deduct 5.00 per a child on ssi.  And there is a five year limit on it.

Tammy

tabitha38577.9315740741

In California we pay too much for utilities in the summer.  I miss the twin cities I have a good friend who I use to know lived there.  I have not spoke to him in years. . . .I used to live in clear lake iowa about 35 miles from ALbert Lea????  MFIP seems the same as Calworks in california.  But the thing is cal does not work.  I am getting off of aid for the second time this time I have only been on it three months.  I have only used a 11 months of the five year limit.  I am just barely going to get by once I start this job but it will give me time to find a better job and hopefully I'll figure out what I'm doing with my son.

 

SSI has been a mixed blessing for me.  In order to make it right now my son needs it.  It meant going through the diagnosis.  I don't get child support never will receive much I have received .16 cents twice as I refuse to cash the check.  This .16 has cost the government more.  If I receive it and cash what will SSI do. . . .

 

Srephanie and Andy

 

Stephanie and Andy

 

 

I know under ssi you can receive so much cash a month.  Here it depends on how you get the support.  Does it go through the county or does it go directly to you?  If it went through the county first then to you, it shouldn't count against you.  After all, what can you really buy for a .16 now?  Sure can't be a gallon of gas.  Oh yeah I have been thru Albert Lea before.  Actually off of the crosstown freeway there is a sign for Albert Lea, even though it is 200 miles away.  Go figure.

Tammy

tabitha38577.9841435185

The thing to remember is this:  The Social Security Administration has a LOT of idiots working there.  I'm not being mean.  It's true.  When someone screws up, they don't get fired, they get promoted so the next boss has to deal with them.  So, (as I was told by a good friend who is in the business of helping people get SS benefits) if you are on the phone with someone who happens to be an idiot, simply hang up and call back.  It may take a good portion of  your day, but you never know which state will answer your next call, as they are ALL connected to one number, and the next person you talk to may be much more knowledgeable and helpfull. 

We get around 450.00 per month per child.  They receive medicaid, and only foodstamps if I'm NOT working.  I can only make up to 400.00 a month before it affects the SSI.  Since I'm not working right now, It will go up to 546.00 in a month or 2.  I will then get around 70.00 in foodstamps starting next month.  My husband is disabled and he gets a different type of benefit known as SSDI.  He gets 824.00 a month plus medicare.  As his dependents, the kids and I get 103.00 each per month.  He is allowed to earn no more than 800.00 a month before it interferes with HIS benefits, but it would still cut off the kids benefits.  So, as you can see, it is all very confusing and litterally different for everyone.

Sunny, if I were you, I would report to the higher ups about the car situation and about the gift situation.  Both are something I know can't be correct.  PM me if you want and I can email you a number to someone who might be able to answer a few of your questions.

Rachelle

yeah, i think i really need to do something about this. the more i read in this thread, the worse i feel about how i may have been cheated. i'm not going to do anything drastic right now, because i have a review coming up next month. i think i'll try to get things straightened out then.

but i do have another question. exactly how does child support affect SSI? court ordered vs. non-court ordered, and the amount.

How to Apply for SSI http://autism.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Apply_For_SSI09637248 04.htm

How to Apply For SSI Benefits For Your Child
From your Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorders Guide

Many parents are confused by the paperwork used to apply for SSI. Here are some hints to make the application easier.

Difficulty Level: Easy    Time Required: 1-2 hours

Here's How:

1. Contact your local Social Security Office or call 1-800-772-1213.
2. Tell the Service Representative who answers that you want to apply for Childhood Disability Benefits for your child. They will mail you forms to complete.
3. After you receive the forms in the mail complete them and return within 10 days. Photocopy the forms first and use one copy as a working copy so you can make the final one perfect.
4. Notify all doctors and other medical sources that you listed on the forms that they will be receiving requests for medical records from Social Security.
5. Notify teachers that SSA will be requesting school records. Tell them the importance of describing your child's disability and compare it with ALL in his/her age group, not just with those in Special Education.
6. Notify anyone listed as "Others who know about your child's condition", that they were listed and ask them to complete the forms they receive from Social Security as soon as possible and as accurately as possible.
7. After about 21 days from when you mailed the forms to the Disability Determination Service in your state, call the examiner handling the case and find out what records, reports, etc. have been received.
8. Call those sources of information that have not been received, and insist that they comply with your request for records.
9. Comply with any requests the Disability Examiner makes of you promptly and courteously.
10. If you have problems, ask the Examiner for help or better yet, contact a qualified Disability Attorney or Disability Advocate. You can find them in your phone book under Disabilities or under Attorneys.
    

Tips:

1. Prepare everything in advance.
2. Order a copy a copy of the child's birth certificate. It must be certified!
3. Have your earnings records, tax returns, W-2s, etc. handy.

What You Need:

Child's Birth Certificate	Info/Shop
Parental earning records	Info/Shop
Forms provided by SSA	Info/Shop
Healthcare provider names	Info/Shop
Doctor's Addresses	Info/Shop
School Addresses	Info/Shop
Teacher's Names	Info/Shop

Copyright Autism-PDD.net