One of the horrible things about SSI qualification rules is that they consider your ability to access credit the same as actual "cash-on-hand".

A person that I know was getting SSI for several months (he got about $800/month for 4 months), and when Social Security determined that he could get a home equity loan (HELOC), he was forced to pay all of it back.

Social Security considers a Home Equity Line of Credit the same as having real money.

In other words, until you tap-out (and probably default on all available loan possibilities), you will not qualify.

I sure hope that Social Security just made a mistake and should not have included a home equity line of credit as actual assets. After all, it is a loan against your home,..., a loan.

If this is wrong, please let me know so that I can pass the word since the Social Security Department has not helped him.

-Vic