My name is Jodi Hansen.
I am from Eagle Mountain with my incredible husband of 25 years and 2
incredible boys. Brendon is 15 and Jacob
is 12. I started my venture in the world
of special needs when Jacob was born. He
was in NICU for 2 months. While there he
contracted spinal meningitis. Later we
learned that this caused him to have Cerebral Palsy. We also learned that he has Cystic
Fibrosis.
I was lucky enough to find friends that helped me in this
endeavor. We learned about all the
different systems. As he grew and went
to school I decided I would like to work with families that also had children
with special needs. I was extremely
lucky to get the job at Utah Family Voices as a parent consultant. I love working there and there is nothing
more exhilarating than knowing I have helped someone navigate the system.
We will be adding resources to this blog. We hope you will find it useful and that you
will share it with others.
The first resource I want to share what SSI and how to apply
What is
Social Security Income? (SSI)
SSI makes monthly payments to people
who have low income and few resources and are:
- Age 65 or older;
- Blind; or
- Disabled.
How do I qualify?
Whether you can get SSI
depends on your income and resources (the things you own). The amount of income you can receive each
month and still get SSI depends partly on where you live. You can call SSI to
find out the income limits in your state.
If you are married, then also include part of
your spouse’s income and resources when deciding whether you qualify for SSI.
If you are younger than age 18, we include part of your parents’ income and
resources. And, if you are a sponsored noncitizen, we may include your
sponsor’s income and resources.
What resources count in
deciding whether I qualify for SSI?
Real Estate, (does not
count home you live in and land it is on), bank accounts, cash, (cannot exceed
$2000, $3000 if married) stocks and bonds.
To get SSI, you
must live in the U.S. or the Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen or
national. In some cases, noncitizen residents can qualify for SSI. For more
information, ask for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) For Noncitizens (Publication No. 05-11051).
How do I apply for SSI?
If you are
applying for SSI, you can complete a large part of your application by
visiting our website at www.ssa.gov on the right hand side it
says SSI, click on that and you can start the application. You also can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to ask for an appointment
with a Social Security representative.
You should bring certain
items when you apply. Even if you do not have all of the things listed below,
apply anyway. The people in the Social Security office can help you get
whatever is needed. Please bring:
- Your Social Security card or a record of your
Social Security number;
- Your birth certificate or other proof of your
age;
- Information about the home where you live, such
as your mortgage or your lease and landlord’s name;
- Payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies,
burial fund records and other information about your income and the things
you own;
- The names, addresses and telephone numbers of
doctors, hospitals and clinics that you have been to, if you are applying
for SSI because you are disabled or blind;
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen
status.
You also should bring
your checkbook or other papers that show your bank, credit union or savings and
loan account number so we can have your benefits deposited directly into your
account. Direct deposit protects benefits from loss, theft and mail delay. The
money is always on time and ready to use without making a trip to the bank.
If you disagree
with a decision made on your claim, you can appeal it. You can do that with or
without an attorney of your choice. You
can find out more about how to appeal at www.socialsecurity.gov Many people do not qualify the first time so
don’t be discouraged and appeal it.
What ideas do parents have that have received
SSI benefits?
It is great to have the extra income to help
with my child’s needs. Be sure to keep
records of all money coming into the household.
If they have overestimated your income and
have paid too much SSI, you will need to pay Social Security back—even if the money
has been spent. Send in paystubs every
month. Sometimes SSI will say they gave
you a overpayment. If you have already
sent in paystubs then you can appeal the decision. Problems can arise when parents forget to
send in paycheck stubs, assuming,” If Social Security sent the money they must
know what they are doing; it belongs to my child.” BE CAREFUL! NEVER ASSUME! Many intelligent
parents have found themselves owing thousands back to Social Security. I can be a mess if you are not careful!
Write down
the name and phone number (including extension!!!) of the Social Security
employee assigned to your case so you can reach them with questions. Establishing a good relationship with this
employee can help nip potential problems in the bud.
Keep a detailed
log (include date!) of each conversation you have with a Social Security
employee, local or on the toll-free number.
Keep very
accurate records of your income, and always remember to mail the original
paycheck stubs into Social Security at the end of each month. They will provide postage-paid envelopes for
this purpose and will return your documents.
You may want to keep copies of your records before sending them to the SSI
office.
Keep
accurate records of how the SSI is spent.
You can
always appeal a decision made by Social Security. But we recommend doing all you can to prevent
problems in the first place!
It is important to note that the Utah Social
Security Office has new hours M-F 9-3
Starting January 2, 2013 Wednesdays it will close at noon.
