Help me with SSI information
April 5, 2013 8:20 PM Subscribe
A relative of mine is on SSI (and has been for a decade). He has always lived with family members until recently. He just moved to a different state (WA) and rented a room in a house occupied by a couple. The rental house owners put him on the lease. Of the couple, only the female is on the lease. When he went to the SSA office to change address, the worker wants the couples income and expense information before they will approve his SSI transfer. Is this normal?
My relative is developmentally disabled, but high functioning; does have some speech impediment and difficulty in communication, but generally gets by. I am in another country and cannot help out in person. There are no nearby friends or relatives to assist.
To be clear, he rents a room, has a shelf in the kitchen, and one in the fridge, prepares own meals, rented the room through Craigs list, never met the roommates before, and has no association or dependenc on them other than being a roommate and on the lease.
What do I tell him to do on Monday when he returns to the SSA office?
My relative is developmentally disabled, but high functioning; does have some speech impediment and difficulty in communication, but generally gets by. I am in another country and cannot help out in person. There are no nearby friends or relatives to assist.
To be clear, he rents a room, has a shelf in the kitchen, and one in the fridge, prepares own meals, rented the room through Craigs list, never met the roommates before, and has no association or dependenc on them other than being a roommate and on the lease.
What do I tell him to do on Monday when he returns to the SSA office?
Best answer: I'll add that what you should tell him to do when he returns to the SSA office is to be sure to clearly communicate to them everything you've said here: that he pays rent, buys his own food, is not related to his roommates, and that they don't pay any of his expenses. If he has trouble communicating he could write all of that down in a letter. Or he could have his roommates/landlords attest to these facts in a letter (and maybe have it notarized).
But really this is not a problem. A relative of mine also gets SSI and has been living in my parent's home for years. He pays rent and pays for his groceries and it doesn't affect his SSI. They do understand that people that are disabled sometimes need to live with others instead of getting their own place.
posted by katyggls at 8:31 PM on April 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
But really this is not a problem. A relative of mine also gets SSI and has been living in my parent's home for years. He pays rent and pays for his groceries and it doesn't affect his SSI. They do understand that people that are disabled sometimes need to live with others instead of getting their own place.
posted by katyggls at 8:31 PM on April 5, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: katyggls --thank you very very much, will do!
posted by batikrose at 8:38 PM on April 5, 2013
posted by batikrose at 8:38 PM on April 5, 2013
I did have a problem with SSA when my former foster son had a roommate for a short time -- they cut his benefit. When the roommate left, the benefit was restored. Agree that it should work the way katyggls says. I'll try to find the SSA web page on this.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 4:39 AM on April 6, 2013
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 4:39 AM on April 6, 2013
Best answer: Here's a web link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi/text-living-ussi.htm.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 4:45 AM on April 6, 2013
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 4:45 AM on April 6, 2013
Best answer: Here is a link to SSA's Program Operation Manual concerning living arrangements and in kind support and maintenance, which is SSA speak for the Agengy'c concern here. POMS
posted by pasici at 4:48 AM on April 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by pasici at 4:48 AM on April 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by katyggls at 8:24 PM on April 5, 2013 [2 favorites]