I've been on SSD since 2003 & then just this past Aug. (2010) I needed to apply for SSI. I was denied because of my resources being too high. (I had to get a statement from my former employer that I could not draw from my retirement plan until I was 65 -- 9 yrs yet; I mailed it to my local office as requested) After that I should of been approved for SSI. But; for some reason unknown, I never heard nothin. So I started calling my local office; but my caseworker was never in, so I left messages. I called every few days & never no return call; so I called the 800 # and they said I applied & then I was denied but nothing after that. So he sent me a "request for reconsideration". I did it & mailed it along with another copy of my pension plan statement on Nov.12, 2010 to my local SS office. Then about 2 weeks later, I started my calls again to my local office & again no return calls. After I left a message at the main desk THEN I got a call from my caseworker. But only to do ANOTHER application! (Jan 4, 2011); & she also requested my banking statement. So I mailed the statement certified mail & then started calling her again last week . NO return calls --- so I called the 800# today.
The guy said the application was being processed! I said I did the application last year in Aug 2010. He said I did it on Jan 4, 2011 is all he sees!!!

I don't understand this at all---- My only income (SSD) is soooooo low & after I pay my rent I have $10.00; I applied for HUD (been on a waiting list for 6 months) . I recieved Heating asst. & today I applied for electric asst (PCAP here in Pa). I'm on foodstamps too.

But I just don't understant this problem with my caseworker. To me it just doesn't seem like she's doing her job. I'm at "my wits end". I'm soooo depressed right now (my son passed away just 3 months ago) & I'm having financial problems.
I'm gonna write to my congressman tomorrow, hopefully he will help.

Sorry this so long. Any help from anyone would be very much appreciated. TY.

Hi Jaycojade,
Sounds to me like you’re getting that all too familiar SSA run around. I would highly recommend contacting your congressman or congresswoman. Go here to find which one you need to contact. Just type in your zip code and it will show the one for your district. If your caseworker is located close enough to you and you are able to get there, I would gather up your bank statement, your bills and the retirement plan you got from your former employer. Go to that office and demand to see the caseworker or better yet, the caseworker's supervisor. Being persistent with them and letting them know you can't just go away and forget about it will be helpful. I know very little about SSI as you can read in some of the other threads. It's just that I know what you are going through as I am in the same boat with SSDI. There are a lot of people in this forum that may be able to offer better advice. Legalmania and kallixenia are very knowledgeable in this.

Have you tried to reach your district manager yet? Their job is to make sure the caseworkers are doing their job. I would call my local office and ask them for your district managers name and number. It should be a different number. Sometimes they try to put you with someone in the same office, don't buy it. I don't understand how you went from SSD to SSI. Or well, give it a shot you have nothing to lose at this point.

I am curious about your pension plan. Does your letter say that you cannot withdraw AT ALL, even if you pay a penalty, before age 65? Does your employer offer a disability retirement plan that can pay benefits?

There are fewer and fewer defined benefit plans these days, except for school employees, government employees, union members. Is your pension plan a form of a 401k that is a retirement savings account? Or is it designed to pay you an annuity for a monthly pension amount from a certain age for the rest of your life? If you can cash it in with a penalty then it is a countable resource and you may still be over the resource limit so this is may be a waste of time. If you can possibly get an early payment of a monthly pension, then you will have to file for it.

Unfortunately for you, using the mail for an appeal hasn't turned out to be the best solution for you. Do you have evidence that you submitted the Request for Reconsideration in November?

I suggest you do two things. First, either get an appointment or walk-in to your local office (early in the day and bring a book to read) and ask to speak to an SSI claims rep. The SSI staff first takes care of the people who walk in the door and often run out of time to work on other cases. That is their reality. Tell your story again. Bring any documents you have to back it up. If the CR can substantiate your statements by physically searching for documents in the office, it may be possible to find the request for reconsideration and it may be possible to have the first claim reopened. You may need to ask to speak to a supervisor if the claims rep can't help you. Generally you don't get to speak to the district manager without going through the channels.

If you are then still dissatisfied contacting your congressperson may be the next step. But you need to be sure that your do have a valid case - that this pension fund money is TOTALLY unavailable to you under any circumstances for the next nine years.

Also, is there a state supplement for the $674 federal benefit in your state? And is your SSDI benefit under that limit?

It seems like someone should have sent a letter or told you why you were denied the other times...

I was wondering about the pension plan also , that might be one of the sticking points..

Are you sure you fit all the criteria for SSI?

[To get SSI, your countable resources must not be worth more than $2,000 for an individual, or $3,000 for a couple. However, you may be able to get conditional payments if you agree to sell some of your countable resourcesresources.]

but-
[If you give away a resource or sell it for less than it is worth in order to reduce your resources below the SSI resource limit, you may be ineligible for SSI for up to 36 months.]

http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-eligibility-ussi.htm

Hi Jo*mar, what does countable resources mean? Is that your income or what you own, like a vehicle or household items?

It means assets.

You may need to hire an attorney that handles ONLY SS cases or like someone else already suggested, take a trip down to your local SS office.

Strange about your pension. I would call your pension plan rather than your employer. If disabled, you should be able to receive it prior to age 65.
I took an early retirement & was able to get my pension at age 53.

Good luck



P.S. Have you tried going to your local food bank? http://www.philabundance.org/

rlj1959,

[WHAT ARE "LIMITED RESOURCES"?

Resources are things you own such as:

cash;
bank accounts, stocks, U.S. savings bonds;
land;
vehicles;
personal property;
life insurance; and
anything else you own that could be converted to cash and used for food or shelter.


NOTE We do not count all kinds of resources for SSI. For more information, see SSI RESOURCES.]

this page explains more in detail with clickable links to more info-
http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-resources-ussi.htm

I checked out the link you posted. This is spooky as hell; I have never asked SSA about SSI before mainly because I didn't know anything about it. My SSA case worker calls me today to tell me that my SSDI was being reviewed because of all the recent medical records the lawyer sent them. This is the spooky part, I have never mentioned SSI to anyone outside this forum and my mother. My case worker out of the blue tells me the reason I don't qualify for SSI is because of the amount of my VA check each month. That made my hide crawl a little. Who asked her about SSI for me?