Hello posters .. I'm here because there seems to be a lot of experience when it comes to disability matters here. More specifically though .. I was awarded a fully favorable decision at my hearing on May 29th! I got my letter describing exactly how they came to this decision and it says I will get SSDI and SSI benefits along with insurance benefits and all the other goodies. Well of course it's taken a while .. and I'm just wondering what's next. My lawyer was great but now that the hard part is over he doesn't seem to like calling me back anymore .. heh. So I know it's a 60 day waiting period until I get a letter describing exactly what I'm going to get paid .. and 20 of those days are up now .. so what can I expect in terms of when I'll finally start getting my benefits, my back-pay etc?

Also, I have a bigger question as well. I am looking at a LOT of back-pay. My date of onset goes back three years - so I'll get paid (ssdi) going back to THEN. Well, what has me worried though is the fact that I've discovered you can't have over $2000 dollars in assets if you want to keep your SSI. I don't want to just blow thousands of dollars. Furthermore, I don't even know how I could legally even DO that without having more than $2000 in assets accumulated FROM SPENDING the money... LOL. So what's the deal with that? How can I keep my money (I want to save it and buy a house with it down the road) .. and not lose my SSI benefits?

Thanks so much for your help in advance!
Steve H

I just want to clarify something, btw .. I will be having to spend a decent bit of my back-pay on various necessities of life over time. However I'm blessed enough to be in a situation where I won't have to spend a big chunk of that money until I'm ready to. My family wants me to be able to buy myself a home down the road so I can survive on my own without havnig to pay .. monthy rent for one example. If I'm gonna be in a spot where I can buy a dang home why would SSI tell me I cant have that money in savings where I can hopefully do that when I'm ready to? Thats all that's about. I don't want anyone to think I'm just gonna have all this money to spend on random crap. I just live with my elderly grandparents and they want me to have a home of my own when they're gone .. so I'll get to keep a big portion of my back-pay thanks to their generosity.

Hi, I understand your frustration and I really don't know about the back pay part of SSDI and SSI. What frustrats me is that I have worked all my life and had to retire because of RSD..I was also turned down for SSI because I had over $2200.00 in the bank...I can understand that part BUT I actually know someone who is on disability and NEVER WORKED a day in his life who also gets SSI every month. He also has two credit cards that SSDI and SSI pay his bill every month. So he can charge anything he wants and they pay his bill, but I can't save any money. I just don't see the logic in their findings. He also get his medical completely paid, no co-pay, and I have no insurance now and won't for two years. The insurance comes with the SSI from what I understand. If I wanted Cobra insurance from my job, it would have cost me $1200.00/month...the lowest is $600.00 but doesn't cover anything. I'm sorry I vented and I hope everything turns out good for you but I'm sure you would agree with everthing I vented about. Good Luck

So, what's next in the process though? I've been waiting since the 29th of May and they said I'd hear something within 60 days when it comes to a notice of benefits letter. What can I expect once I get that letter? As in how long will it be until I get my frist SSI check? Also how long till I get my first SSI back-pay check? I know nobody can give me a definite answer but I just wonder how long it's taken some of you to get all of this waiting over with after being approved. Heh .. after waiting for two and a half years, I just want the waiting and wondering to be over with!

According to the SSDI website, all income OTHER THAN SSDI is counted. You could always call them and ask, however.

Well, I just did some research on the SSA's site and it seems I have nine months to spend my money and then if I still have it after that period I will not get SSI benefits until I get rid of those resources.

I don't understand this. Seems like they would give you some leeway if you're trying to save back to buy your own home or something. I dunno .. maybe I need to just try to get a place now while the housing market is down. I could probably find something nice for cheap and get out on my own. Hmm ... something to think about. Still I would like to do that on my own terms and not be .. kinda pushed into it. Heh I am bipolar and all .. so I feel like I'm in a situation now. Not exactly a bad one to be in but I kinda feel pressured. Bleh ...

Well it's not so bad for me now that I think about it. I could save my backpay and get myself a nice lil trailer out away from the city .. and maybe buy a cheap car .. and I'd be set, really. I just wonder if I'm ready to live on my own. It's kinda scary to think of all the free time I'd have living alone like that. It's nice living with my family because I have everyone around and they can kinda keep me under control if I go off the deep end manic (thank GOD that hasnt happened in a long time) .. so I dunno. Maybe I could get a place and live there most of the time but still have a place to sleep here incase that DID happen so I can kinda have someone to keep an eye on me. I know I need it.

Still it sucks that SSI would limit someone like this. I understand why they'd do it but there should be like some clause in the deal where you could like open up a certain type of savings acct or something where you can save .. assuming you're in a position to do so. I mean I suppose I could buy a vault and keep cash in it but that would not only be illegal but dangerous. Grr! I guess the best thing to do for now is wait and see what I'll get exactly .. and then hopefully I can get in touch with my lawyer to see if there's a loophole in this whole thing that I can climb thru.

Anyways thanks for your replies.

I just wanna ask this again now that that's kinda cleared up. Once I get my letter showing how much they're gonna pay me and everything how long will it be until I like.. get my first check and then my first back-pay checks and everything? I really need this money ASAP. It's been so long and I've been letting important stuff go forever so I'm real anxious to get that first check .. heh .. if for no other reason than to know its FINALLY OVER! It's almost unreal that I'm almost finished with everything and my new life is about to start!

can you buy your grandparents home from them and have them continue to live there with you? just a suggestion.

Well I couldn't afford their house. Thanks for the ideas though, guys and gals. I appreciate your trying to help me out very much. I really should try and stop worrying over this though. If I have to spend my money within 9 months or so I will just buy a nice double wide trailer out away from the city and start my new life a bit ahead of schedule. I intend on spending my first lil bit of money on getting braces for my front teeth, getting new glasses and my eyes examined, and getting a laptop. Otherwise everything else goes towards buying myself my own place to live. That's my main goal whether it's soon or whether I can wait awhile and save up .. either way that's what I want to do. I wanted disability so I could actually have something and have a good future. Thank GOD I was granted this and I am on my way to starting over and hopefully having a real life and making it so my family dosen't have to keep spending so much on taking care of me and supporting me anymore. It's just a blessing bec now I can .. thanks to this great country .. be independent again and live a bit more .. normal .. (if thats possible for me! LOL) life.

I do wish I could find some way to save my money though still. It seems like there would be some way for me to put that up into some special kind of account to save for my first house or something. Actually ... I'm going to call social security now and see if they can tell me anything. I'll let you guys know what they say!

Well just as I expected .. they say you have nine months after each payment to do something with your funds.

I wonder how many people just keep their money in a safe or a safety deposit box lol. I am not gonna do that because I'd rather not lose my SSI and get in trouble. Still I bet people do that to get around it.