That's exactly what I am doing--telling the truth.
I was advised to say that I will be paying rent.. and I will be. There's no lie in that.
I haven't been able to pay rent because I have no income.. but my mom and I have already made an agreement that I would stay here for free, but as soon as I had a source of income, that I would pay rent and some of the bills. It's just me and her here, and my half would be about $300. While I won't get that much from SSI, I was told to suggest $200 as an amount, and asked my mom if it would be okay if I gave her the $200 a month and then paid one of the big bills. Our two biggest are the internet/cable bill and the electric bill. Both range from $100-150 a month. So I would be paying less than half of the mortgage, and half of the major bills (not including her personal bills, such as her cell phone and credit cards).
If I wasn't going to give her the rent, or if I wasn't going to pay for a bill, I wouldn't tell them that I would. I would never lie about all of this because I know you can get in a lot of trouble--and there is absolutely no reason to lie.
But I am just taking what was suggested by the lady I spoke with and using that as a guide as to how to split up the major bills (mortgage, electric, and internet/cable).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janke
I personally think you should give an honest answer, not one designed to fit what you think fits a regulation. I think you should come to an agreement with your mother who provides the food and shelter and your mother should determine what she thinks is a fair amount to pay, regardless of how it affects SSI benefits.
SSI does consider free food or free shelter to be a form of in-kind income but places a maximum dollar value on that which is 1/3 of the federal benefit rate, currently $244 and some cents. So if the value of your free food or free shelter exceeds the maximum value, then the only countable portion is the maximum value.
One way to determine your fair share of your mother's household expenses is to pay your pro-rata share of the household rent, food, and utility bills.
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0500835001
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0500835160 |
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My name is Sarah and I am 25 years old. I have a lot of chronic health problems. Peripheral neuropathy and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) keep me bedridden the majority of the time. I also struggle with degenerative disc disease, disc desiccation, spondylolisthesis, arthritis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with insulin resistance, allergies, sound sensitivities, and other health problems.