Learned something new
 

Help me understand please....
Department of health n human service DHHS says I must seek work at a minimum of 30 hrs a week because I no longer receive disability. Um hello I have in home support 13 hrs a week to help me t and I have handicap parking and I cannot use my right arm often and my feet swell horrible and I have back problems but yes people I will actively seek work and get turned down everywhere because it makes me feel good about myself, only because I need insurance will I do this. Who are they to say if I'm disabled? My doctors letter isn't enough.

Yes, I am confused too...can you give a little more info if you are comfortable. There are different levels of disability services. Were you on private disability insurance that ran out? Is your in home help provided by DHHS? Dept of Aging and Disability Services in Texas does not require someone be on SSDI to be eligible for services. They make the determination based on functional capacity and financial need.

I'm thinking I am remembering the OP is from CA and that was state short term disability???

If I'm correct, did you receive the maximum allowed benefit of 1 year?

Ok see if this helps. I was receiving social security income. Ssi. But my husband is back working so we become over income to receive my 35.00 monthly they were sending, which was fine by Us. Dhhs is the Maine state programs such as foodstamps, mainecare, and welfare cash. I was receiving mainecare. Now they want me to work 30 a week. My disabilities have gotten worse not better, but because I'm no longer receiving the ssi they figure I can work. Told them it was because of income and so I reapplied but it'll be another 5 months or so before decision is made whether I qualify based on income.

Thank you for clarifying. SSI is a bit different than disability (SSDI), that's where I was confused.

There is a separate VR division in Maine, you can find it on the Maine gov site. I am receiving good leads/help from my VRC. I am not able to do the job I have been doing my whole life and they are helping me with training to do something else that accommodates my disabilities. Worth a try.

I understand the frustration with medicaid/mainecare. It took a few months for me to get approved as well. Then, it took from Nov to Feb before I actually was seen by a doctor. ACA really messed with the system.

Crossing my fingers for you.

Well, that shows how good my memory is! I must have been confusing you with someone else.

Some benefits are automatically awarded if you receive SSI. So even though your benefit was insignificant, it entitled you to Medicaid and services worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month.

So, it's not that they're forcing you to work. They expect your husband to pay for your insurance and other requirements based upon his income. If you are able to manage working, then you qualify for a special Medicaid program for the working disabled.

Problem is he is not offered health ins through work and to purchase ins for our family with my known disabilities it would be somewhere around 900 a month not including prescription coverage. So he wouldn't make enough to support family. Might as well quit working correct?

Well, you could always divorce him! ;)

I'm not saying I have a solution, or that I agree with the policy.

The reality of becoming disabled is that the financial hits often keep coming. As you are now finding, those that receive SSI and Medicaid often have access to services that are very valuable and not available to those that receive SSDI and Medicare. The cost of in home support services alone can cost more than many SSDI beneficiaries receive in monthly benefit...

Have you checked into your eligibility for Obamacare plans? Several people have posted about the low cost and high quality of the plans on another disability site I frequent. Since you just lost Medicaid eligibility, I believe this will allow you to qualify for a Special Enrollment.

http://obamacarefacts.com/special-enrollment-period/

http://www.healthcaremarketplace.com...w?on=OCF-inter

Hahaha yes we could divorce n live separately but I won't. I'm looking into all angles here every day. I just need to wait 4 months. I need to social security to say I'm medically eligible so I reapplied. Damn politics I say. I don't understand why my doctors letter isnt enough

You only lost eligibility due to your husband's income, correct? SS should have sent a letter stating benefits were being suspended due to an excess of resources. That should be sufficient to prove what you need to DHHS, perhaps?

I'm not understanding why you'd be reapplying? This is only for DHHS purposes? You would be eligible to reinstate your benefits without going through the application process for 12 months, if you once again meet the income and asset requirements:

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0502301205


SS won't determine if you're medically eligible if you reapply for SSI, since at step 1 they determine if you meet the resource requirements. They just don't move on to step 2, if you don't qualify due to income and assets.

I can try to research if there is anyway for you to retain eligibility. Perhaps with a PASS or something similar? It's probably a long shot but should be explored on the off chance.

Can I ask how much the excess resources were? And how long has it been since your benefits were suspended? You did not try to appeal the decision I'm assuming? (If you're not comfortable answering I understand. You can also pm me if you prefer.)

Our income changed dramatically due to husband being out of work on worker comp which is treated differently because it's unearned income, I had to wait til those benefits went down to under 100 week to reapply which was just recent. So the whole over income was screwed anyway. We went from weekly gross of 525 and monthly ssi of 700 to 350 weekly from workers co pin January of 2014 thru June of 2014. He still is unable to work 40 hours a week so workers comp sends 25 to 54 a week still. Does this help? And I never received the letter nod. Argued and ride o keep my things open but it didn't work

When did your SSI benefits stop? You didn't receive a letter when that happened? Since it was such a small amount, perhaps you didn't pay attention to it.