Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Articles
SSA is committed to expediting claims and quickly issuing payments for the most serious conditions and for claimants that are in dire need. When working with an applicant that is experiencing or at risk of homelessness, SOAR providers should be aware of the following SSA initiatives and practices.
This article describes two types of living arrangements, "A" and "B." Living arrangements can impact the amount of benefits an applicant receives. Loan agreements can also impact living arrangement categories.
Once SSA receives all of the non-medical information, the process of establishing basic eligibility (in SSA terms, “non-medical eligibility”) begins. In the SOAR process, the case manager provides SSA with a packet containing all the necessary information. If the person does not qualify at this step, the application goes no further. Be sure to address all non-medical criteria thoroughly and accurately.
Living in an institutional setting will affect SSI benefits. There are differences between state institutional settings and non-state institutional settings.
There are two SSA disability programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). People often confuse them. Both programs are federally funded and administered by the Social Security Administration.
The SSA-8000 is the form used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to gather all the non-medical information for the SSI application.
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By Kate Baasch, M.A., ATR-BC, L.P.C., Senior Case Manager & Art Therapist at Miriam's Kitchen in Washington, D.C.
Miriam's Kitchen is thrilled to share this recent SOAR success. Disability Determination Services (DDS) decided a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claim for us in 4 hours and the number of days from application submission to decision was 35! Here's how it happened:
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Disability Determination (DDP) Small Grant Program, which provided $10,000 research stipends to graduate students in the area of disability, has successfully concluded. In total 55 research projects were completed, designed to assist SSA with its disability determination process. Research was conducted on the process itself, the Compassionate Allowance program, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) program, to name a few.
By Elizabeth Pivonka
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Albany, New York
By Everett Lo, Social Security Administration’s Regional Public Affairs Office in the New York Region
National Social Security Month is celebrated in April and is dedicated to educating you about Social Security programs and services. From programs that help support you through life’s journey, to services that help put you in control, to systems that help protect what’s important to you, Social Security is committed to helping secure today and tomorrow for you and your family.
By Elizabeth Pivonka
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Albany, New York
Happy New Year from Social Security! Put down the champagne and ring in the New Year with a COLA! And we don’t mean the soda. In 2015, nearly 64 million Americans who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase to their monthly benefit payments of 1.7 percent.
Photo: Jen Elder and the panelists from the National Conference on Ending Homelessness' "Increasing Access to Income and Benefits: Strategies for SSI/SSDI" panel. Left to right: Pamela Fischer (SAMHSA), Lindsay Knotts (USICH), Jen Elder (SOAR TA Center), and ML Jordan, Jr. (SSA).
By Elizabeth Pivonka
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Albany, New York
Question: How does Social Security decide whether I am disabled?