Can someone clear up my confusion on SSI?

[Nomad]

I get my retirement Social Security and since we have a minor child I get an amount in addition to that. They take that amount and divide it between my wife and daughter. Of course it all really goes to my wife because the daughter is a minor and can't manage her own money. Okay, now it starts to get confusing. My 19 year old daughter was finally determined to be disabled and will now get X amount of money per month. Then they also put her back on my account and they took the money my wife and younger daughter were getting and added it together and divided it by three with the wife and two daughters sharing that amount. Of course it all goes to the wife because neither of them can manage their own money. Here's the part I really don't understand...they then subtracted the amount of her third from her monthly disability money which reduced her check by about 42%. So instead of giving her the full amount they just shuffled the money that was already coming and then took away 42% of the disability money she will be getting. I can't understand how that can be. If they say she is eligible for X amount of money, how can they then take so much away? The woman tried to explain it, but she only made it worse. Supposedly the 19 year old is responsible for 1/4 of our monthly living expenses. So the woman said that's why she was put back under my account. The third she receives is her share of the bills. But we were getting the same with just one daughter and the money divided by two. They didn't change anything except who gets what, the total stayed the same. Then they took some of her disability money equal to that amount. I hope I explained it enough that it can be understood. It is so messed up that it's hard to explain it clearly. Can anyone enlighten me at all? Thanks.

Nomad

[Bearfootfarm]

I'd talk to a lawyer

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

I'd talk to a lawyer

Unless they are free, I can't do that.

Nomad

[mare]

sometimes a lawyer will give a free consultation, at least you know if something isnt right.

[mekasmom]

I have an aunt who went through the same type of thing. Her husband died leaving three children for her to raise alone. When child one was 18 her check was cut by more than half. They has some excuse for doing that, and she complained, but it was what it was. She wasn't able to get it upped back so that only one/third of the check had stopped.

[Chixarecute]

Check with the office of one of your federal legislators. They are in DC to help their constituents, and this is one of those matters that they should be aware of, and may be able to get straightened out.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by mare

sometimes a lawyer will give a free consultation, at least you know if something isnt right.

That's the problem, it may be right and I just don't know it. It seems a bit underhanded the way they did it, but maybe the rules are written that way. I think I'm going to call over there tomorrow and see if I can talk to the first lady who did the disability part. The second lady we saw is the one who took it away. I liked the first one better.

Nomad

[Pink_Carnation]

The rule that is most likely changing this is that there is a maximum amount that can be received. On the paper they send out...$500 per dependent child $500 for someone taking care of dependent children with a maximum of $1000. The ratios might not be right but the amounts will vary based on contributions and such anyway.

[SherrieC]

Yes, there is a max amount that is allowed for Your case, and that is all that will be alloted, so when your younger child reaches the age 18? if not disabled then the money will be split again, say they each get $500 your Max being $1500, and individual max for one person might be $ 700, (pulling numbers out of the air here) then when she reaches 18 and drops off the pay roll, the other two would get the $ 700 each or a total of $ 1400. I was widowed with 3 children and one of mine still gets ssi for disablity.

[Maura]

Could it be that DD was getting social security until she attained her major, then was cut off. Then, she got disability, which replaced the other social security? So, instead of getting nothing, she now gets disability.

[Joshie]

OK, yes they can do this. If you have questions go to the SS office. They're very helpful.

First of all, I'm assuming your adult disabled daughter was disabled before the age of 22. To protect yourself, open a bank account with the name Mrs. Nomad representative payee for Miss Nomad. Have DD's SS deposited into that account. You need to be able to prove that you're using her SS money for her, and not the rest of the family.

DH is retired so he gets SS retirement benefits. Before I started working, we had two minor children. The three of us split $440/month in SSI payments. After I started working, each child received $220 and I received nothing. When DS turned 19, DD received the total $440/month.

When DS turned 20 he started receiving benefits as an adult disabled child.The total amount was somewhere south of $700 (highest amount of SS you can get here.) He started receiving half of that $440 (or $220) he used to split with his sister.... only for him that was called SSD. The difference between the $700 total and $220 SSD is now called his SSI. After DS was approved for SS, he received back pay. We then had to repay the extra $220 we'd received for DD during the time SS was deciding whether DS was disabled or not. Two years later we're still paying back for DD's overpayment. DS started receiving Medicare on his 20th birthday, two years after the date of his disability (per SS but they didn't care that he'd been disabled for years).

Fast forward: I became disabled. During the six month waiting period I had no income so I again became eligible for 1/3 of that $440. They didn't give it to me until last month when I got a back payment for several months (I was eligible for one month). So.... now DD and DS have to repay the difference between the 1/3 of the $440 and the 1/2 of the $220 they received. I have to repay the amount they gave me for the extra months.

When I worked I made more money than DH. Because I made more money than DH the kids are eligible to receive more money under my account. You can collect only under one account. Both kids will now get $440/month (counts as SSI for DD and SSD for DS). We'll be able to pay back DD's overpayment pretty quickly. DS will have to repay his overpayment over the next year. Even though DS's SSD changed when I became disabled, his total payment didn't change at all. He still can receive only the just short of $700 he started out getting.

Charge your DD rent. If she's not getting just under $700/month that might increase her payments to that. If there are four people in the house you can charge her 1/4 mortgage, utilities, food (but she should be able to get food stamps), transportation to MD visits, clothing, phone, cable, etc.

Clear as mud, huh?

I cannot believe how much money SS wastes. Before I was disabled I'd receive notices that said I was ineligible to receive benefits and I received $0 in benefits. Somehow I already knew that. Remember....... our government is very inefficient and rather stupid.

Nomad, if you've got any questions send a message my way.

[Wendy]

SSI will deduct a certain amount if the person is receiving help with household & food expenses. Make it clear that you expect your of age child to pay her share of the household expenses & she should get the full amount. Once they reach the age of 18, other family members income do not count towards their resources. I am legal guardian of my son. He can not handle his own money so I am representative payee. He gets the maximum SSI allowed because he is paying his share of the household expenses. The rest is used for other things he needs. I was a little confused about your post, so not sure if this helps.

[where I want to]

It wasn't clear exactly what happened but maybe this?? Your adult disabled daughter actually is eligible for SSI (a Federally administered progam based on income and resources) and Disabled Adult Child's benefits (SSA benefits) on your record. If she was getting just SSI, she would be eligible for a certain amount but, since SSI benefits are reduced for other income she receives (even though your wife actually administers the money,) the amount of the SSI check is reduced by most of the Disabled Adult Child's benefits so that the combination of SSI and DAC together is just a little more than the SSI alone. Your daughter can not choose to forego the DAC so that more can be paid to your wife and other child- the law doesn't allow that.

[10kids]

Social Security is different than SSI...Supplemental Security Income. Social Security means that someone - you - has paid into the system and is now drawing on that. SSI is for folks that have not paid into the system and it is based on other income. Because she is eligible on your SS now, that is reducing the amount that she can draw on SSI.

[Chris in PA]

Many counties have lawyers who volunteer their time to people like yourself. Call the local bar associ and see if they do and if you qualify. IT seems to me that you would. The trick is - do they have one?

[Nomad]

Thanks for all the assistance. I think I have it now, but I have a call in to the lady we spoke to and I'll make sure I have it right. I think the maximum thing is what is causing the problem. Now that I think about it I believe I heard the second lady say something about maximum amounts. I really should take notes.

Nomad

[ELOCN]

I'm glad your oldest daughter is finally receiving some money. What did her diagnosis turn out to be?

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by ELOCN

I'm glad your oldest daughter is finally receiving some money. What did her diagnosis turn out to be?

They didn't say. I filed either online or by phone, I don't remember. Then after a few months we got a letter saying her claim was approved. It didn't say anything else. I'm still trying to get the state to approve her claim, so she can get health care and continue to see a therapist.

Nomad

[dragonfly65]

My oldest son has MD and receives SSI. We could not charge him "rent" when he filed because we are his parents, but we could charge him for his share of the household expenses (mortagage, utilities, insurance split by the number of people in the household). Now, while he "officially" pays that amount it is more than we were chargeing him in "rent" before so we slip him the difference "under-the-table" so-to-speak. Didn't see any reason he should pay more than the other adult kid just because the government said he should. It took us a long time to convince our morally upstanding son that you can not be completely forthcoming with the government. They reward the spenders and punish the thrifty. They are bound and determined to keep you dependent. I have a savings account that he uses for his savings because he can't save anything or they will deduct that from his checks. He is very frugal with his money and pays his bills, gives tithes and offerings to the church, buys his toiletries, pays for the gas to take him places, pays for his class tuition each month, budgets for gifts, etc. and still puts a few dollars in savings. I am constantly amazed at what he can do with so little. I wish my able bodied children with paying jobs were as good with their money. He would love to make his own money, but knows that there is no way (short of becoming suddenly wealthy) that he could ever afford to pay for his own medical needs - way too much medical equiptment and expensive medicine involved. I think they told us the max he could earn without losing medical care was around $20,000, but that probably has changed by now.

Now it took them explaining it to us several times to understand why we couldn't charge him "rent". They just make everything complicated and word it so it is very confusing.