question about SSD & SSI
 

I am receiving SSD and just recently applied for SSI; should this process take as long as it did for getting approved for SSD? Also, my SSD monthly benefits are very low and earlier this year I had more than the $2000 that a single person is allowed to be approved with; (I have alittle less than the $2000. now tho) do they go by what you have now or do they go back 3 months (or 6 months) or any certain time period? thank you for any help.

SSI applications are not retroactive any further than the month of application. Payment can begin with the first month AFTER you meet all requirements including filing a claim. So if you filed a claim in 8/10, the first month you can possibly be eligible is 9/10.

Unless the DDS is in the middle of a Continuing Disability Review (CDR), the finding of disability can be adopted. So all that is needed is to verify income, resources and living arrangements and that should be done in less than 30 days.

If you gave away money in order to qualify, you can be penalized for 1-36 months of non-payment. Remember that any financial transactions that you have done in 2009 or 2010 may generate an IRS form 1099 and SSI will be notified - often months later. And this will be ongoing for as long as you are on SSI. Anything the IRS can find out about you can be reported to SSI.

It is your job to make sure that SSI knows about all your income and resources and living arrangements for today and every day you are on SSI benefits. If there is a change next month, it has to be reported the following month (not six months later) in order to be reported timely. The $2000 limit applies for every month in the future. It includes money in the bank and money you have at home. First of the month balances matter. Save bank statements because you may have to show them next year.

SSI can be invasive into your personal life. You have to learn to accept that as the price of getting the benefits. But it is also a great help to many people.

No; didn't give any money away & I have no problems with showing them my bank statements and all reciepts.

I'm "already" approved for SSD; I was asking about the process for SSI. If it should go quicker since I'm already on SSD than if I was just starting to apply for both. TY.

Maximum SSI payment
 

The maximum SSI payment is $637 a month. I don't know if that is in addition to SSD payments or includes SSD payments.
As an example let's say your SSD payment was $400, would you get and additional $637 to toal $1,037 or would it be the maximum of $637. Some states, like CA, add an additional amount of money to the maximum SSI payment. It depends on where yoou live.

benefits
 

SSI and dissability do want to know everything. There is a confusing trust in my family. I disclose all, and ahead of time in case there is any thing for them to ask me. I could not close an account because of severe penilties, so had to wait until Nov when I can do this transaction. I tell them everything, and make copies of the letter I write. I need my benefits, and would jump through just about any hoop. Ginnie

Well, that account leaves a paper trail. The interest generates a 1099 every year whether or not you access the funds. The IRS reports all of this to SSI. You may think you are hiding it, but SSI will probably find out and you may be asked to pay back every penny SSI has paid you since you filed your claim if this account has been over the $2000 limit. You can end up with an overpayment that exceeds the value of of the fund. And since this is willfull withholding of information, it is doubtful you can be found to be without fault in connection with the overpayment. It is even possible that you could be referred for fraud and face sanctions. Neither happen very often, but the policy and procedures are available if SSI chooses to use them.

But you are willing to jump through hoops...

Re: truth
 

I was told by my attorney to disclose everything about the trust from the very beginning. I was trustee, and as such by law must carry out obligations as such. I have given account for everything, and of course left a paper trail, because there isnotnhing to hide. I had this trust in medicades hands when I was granted my dissability. They had the trust and so did all the other agiencies. I will finish what my mother wanted me to do by law. If my government cuts me off from doing the right things, I wouldn't care to be here. I would not go through what I have gone though to get my dissability over again for all the tea in the world. I know these agiencies look for any little thing to dump people from their lists. If abiding by the law, and if doing the right thing, causes them to deny me benefits cause they don't know which end is up, I would flat out not try anymore. I am a human who is trying to do the right thing, while I have a dissability. Being executive of a trust does not negate the fact I have to follow conditions of the trust. And oh one other other thing, The trust said in particular, that I may use no portion for my medical conditions. The government didn't care and said no to me, until all the monies I had saved for and all my parents saved for was gone. You may have a document that says you can't, but the government does not allow you to keep what your folks set up for you to keep your home. The money was suppose to be to keep a roof over my head and pay my taxes. It was to protect me, from this very thing that has happened. I am in danger of loosing my home now, for non payment of my taxes. I receivenot enough to cover my taxes and expenses to live here. This house is in the trust. I am stuck with a place I cannot sell, nor have moneies to live here. All my parents carefull planning did not help. They didn't have an attorney smart enough to tell her how to help me, her only child, and negate the medicare, medicade, SSI system. I lost all, risk loosing my home, face fusion C3-7, have two other dissabilities, and like I say if they took away all else, it would be my home, and I would be on the streets in this condition. I have nothing to pay them back with eithor. I only have my life, and a kitty on my lap. ginnie:confused:

Obviously your trust is a complicated document so I cannot even begin to determine whether or not it is a resource for SSI. Some of these documents become so complicated, the local office has to send the documents up to Regional Office to have an attorney render an opinion.

And you are absolutely correct that SSI is very invasive into your personal financial business. The employees are entrusted with carrying out the law and regulations that are mandated by Congress. And with any government program, anytime a regulation creates a line between qualifying and not qualifying, the ones who don't qualify can feel that it is unfair to them. You have a choice of accepting government assistance and all the red tape attached to it or not. Sometimes I think it helps to compare the rules of SSI to working at a job that you really don't like. You are stuck with SSI and regulations in order to get the check just like a person who has job duties that they hate. You have to fit your life into the rules, the rules do not bend to fit you.

The SSI employees also have abide by the law. I do find it a bit odd that your parents wanted you provided for so they left money in a trust but then restricted your ability, their disabled daughter, to use the money for necessary medical expenses. Don't get it.

Re: trust confusion
 

I had four attorneys when I had money look at the trust. NOBODY agreed to all of its meaning. It was abigitious, very poorly written. Moms ideas was to protect me from the government coming after hers and dads assects that they put aside for me, knowing I was sick. They wanted me to be able to have a paid for home, with money for the taxes, so I could keep it with very little income. I cannot sell the house, big problem, I dont have the money to stay here. Uncle sam did not let me keep those funds for my ability to stay somewhere. They would give no help until I used all the funds that were mine by the conditions of the trust. The trust didn't want me to use any money for my medical conditions. I knew if I ran out of money I would not be able to take care of myself. Even my son tried to help me, taking out a loan on his home to help me keep monies I was suppose to distribute. I had no health insurance, never qualified, pre-existing conditions. I neededthe money to pay for the experts, they require money up front, and people with no health insurance are at the bottom of the totem pole. My son is not obligated to keep the conditions of the trust, I am, he should not be punished for helping me. By closing the account, I repay, and complete the terms and conditions placed there by my mother. She did not understand this trust, and what all its implications are. Sean my son, helped me to keep going for a short time so I could get all these agiencies to listen. It has been very difficult. Medicade actually asked me, what some of it meant. They don't even know. So I did the best I could, went to my church when I went broke, and started the proceedures to get additional help. Oh, I could not even close the account because of penilities at the time I was applying for my extra help. The account itself would not let me do this until the coming nov. So I have told all this and alot more to these agiencies. I have gotten all the help I could to do the right thing. It turned out to be a big mess, and maybe in the end, mom should have giving the money to my children to start with, not put me in a trust, that could affect my ability to get dissability. I should have not been executive on some trust when I was drowing in medical bills, and dissabilities. I hope I do not get in trouble. AT least I told them all I could based on what I knew. They are the expert to figure this out arnt they?

clarify more
 

Mom and dad wanted their money to keep me alive in this paid for home. They paid for this house. They did not want me to use it for medical conditions at all, as this would quickly reduce what they could save for me. They wanted the government to grant me dissability when the time came, and they thought, I would be allowed to keep these monies. By putting that in writing, they hoped I would get to keep it for my roof over the head, and they thought the government would help because I did work for 30 years.I did pay into the system as much as I could. My parents really thought this would work, that I could still receive medical benefits, and keep money to stay in my home for life. It didn't work...Ginnie I now have the benefits, but no way to pay for living here. I do not recieve enough, an artist doesntpay enough into the system, and I became disabled young. Monday coming I have fusion C3-7.

thank you
 

You are the first human being that has listened to me. This trust stuff nobody wants to hear about, but it controlls my life. I was hopeing somebody someday would kinda understand what this trust did. People should not have to loose all they have in order to receive health aid. I did loose all, and it is kind of you to respond and tried to understand this lonely mess I am in. Thank you ever so much for your resonces. ginnie

I am guessing that you are thanking me even though I haven't been a pillar of support, if so, you are are welcome.

But now I am confused again. If you worked 30 years and paid FICA/SS taxes while working and then became eligible for disability benefits, it should have been SSDI and then you would also have Medicare after 24 months. With Medicare, you have premiums, deductibles and co-pays but the bulk of your medical bills would be covered. This would be SSDI not SSI. Something is missing in your explanations.

However, at this point, you need to stay calm and not get agitated before your surgery. Do good things for yourself. A nice meal. A walk or drive in a pretty area. Talk to a good friend. Watch children play. Read a good novel.

Stay away from this site for awhile.

Yes, it is you, and thanks
 

Truely, from the beginning, this trust has been confusing. I know right now, I get two checks, one is from disability SSD, and another that started just a few months ago, from Social Security income. The SSDI together, I was not told about. I didn't have any help to get the government help. I did use all the moneis that were mine, I ran out of money. I could not get any SSI intil all the money was gone. The social Security income one is the one that is not getting it very well, even though they have the document, telling them what I am suppose to do. I can't spend what isn't mine, I must fulfill what mom said. It is so very hard to find help for yourself, knowing full well that the money you have is down to nothing. I was granted dissability first, I had to pay the 20% of what I owe for my medical care. That came out of the trust, Sean my son had to OK this each time I drew money out for my care.As long as that money was in there, I was told I could receive no more help. I ran out of money that was mine to use last year, and then started with my church to find out how I can get more help. I was granted medicade/medicare duo. Then I got the SSI very quick after that. All these agiencies have their heads spinning over the trust, and they come to me asking what it means. I also found out while I had medicare, that you must pay your 20% or you could loose your dissability. So I was a good girl and paid the doctors the 20%. What is left in the trust belongs to a beneficiary of the trust,my son. He should not have to pay for my dissabilites. They money left belongs to him. I must do as my mother asked and distribute what she said. I cannot access this account ever. It is my sons call on what happens. So I actually cannot use what is left anyway. He had to sign as c0-trustee every thing that happened. We tried to hold on to the money as best we could, but my mothers money was not really that much considering what hospital costs are. I had six surgerys in 4 years, now another this monday. Mom didn't want me to spend it on medical cause she knew it would run out very quickly, in fact that is exactly what happened. She wanted me to keep my home, a soft place to fall. Nothing has been easy for me. I will get through the surgery on monday, but I am shakey, cause I know there will be pain for awhile. Thanks for all you did in listening to me, these agencies sure don't very well. Its been a long journey, and it is time I closed this ridiculas document, do what I can to be free of it. I am grateful for the help I get now, but I am always worried they will take it away, and put me out of here altogether. I would have to walk away from the house if I received nothing. The 20%'s and the cost of living, did indeed cost all my folks had. thanks again, ginnie