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I am in a long-distance relationship with somebody who is disabled and living on SSI disability. She currently lives in Tenesee and I am in Chicago. She wants to relocate up here and I am just trying to work out how we will make that happen logistically speaking. We want her to have her own place but it will also be kind of shared between us. Legally/officially I will still be living with my parents but I have some money and I want to help her pay for whatever I can. The problem is it seems the govt will throw a fit if they know I am helping her at all financially, and potentially take away her disability benefits. Her disability check (about 850$) is enough to pay her current rent (350 or so) and other expenses. Problem is that cost of living here is much higher (cheapest studio I've seen so far is 650 or so) and apparently SSI checks do not adjust based on cost of living in your area. So my questions -How does the govt expect her to move to a new state and pay the first and last month's rent on a new apt etc, on the money they are giving her? -What exactly has to fit inside her disability check vs what can she accept help for? -Basically, how do we best leverage her benefits (legally) in this sitiation? Thanks in advance Bono Bonobonobono fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Aug 31, 2021 |
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Aug 31, 2021 19:00
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Attempting to game SSI is probably not a particularly good idea, either legally or ethically. This is doubly true if you are posting about it on a public online comedy forum.
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Aug 31, 2021 20:58
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Wow such useful feedback, anyone else? I'm not talking about doing anything illegal. How about answering constructively instead of being obtuse? Or alternately, if that is truly the only thing you have to offer, keep it to yourself because it's useless. The question was directed at anyone who has actual knowledge on this subject. I don't know what your definition of 'gaming the system' is, but I simply meant leveraging it for maximum benefit (legally) as ANYONE would, obviously. Bono Bonobonobono fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Aug 31, 2021 |
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Aug 31, 2021 21:00
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The simple answer is they don't expect her to. If you are unmarried roommates I don't see why you couldn't be paying the larger share of rent. Just don't get married. Harold Fjord fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Sep 1, 2021 |
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Sep 1, 2021 03:49
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Logically you could work something out. But SSI doesn't work on any human logic. It's a byzantine program BADLY in need of updating. You need to talk to a social worker, or some kind of disability advocates' charity. Getting advice worth risking money from this random forum is unlikely. I wish I could give better advice, but all my knowledge is on SSDI, and the only charities I know are veterans'.
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Sep 1, 2021 18:20
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Cobalt-60 posted:Logically you could work something out. But SSI doesn't work on any human logic. It's a byzantine program BADLY in need of updating. This is the best answer to your question you're going to get and also, Canine Blues Arooo posted:Attempting to game SSI is probably not a particularly good idea, either legally or ethically. This is doubly true if you are posting about it on a public online comedy forum. is probably second place because SSI fraud is not nearly anywhere as lucrative as the potential punishment. You can't "leverage the system for max benefit" because that's not how SSI works, unless you're committing fraud. There's something with the way that initial statement was worded that feels overly entitled and you're oddly defensive when people shitpost in your general direction on a comedy forum. I have insight, but you'll not like it either, because it's not going to be flowery and full of good news. I work in affordable housing. I know the system indirectly and this is the poo poo I hear on the regular from uninformed people who think that these programs work logically or in such a way that actually makes meaningful impacts in people's lives. Beneficiaries get a flat amount every month, no matter if they live in bumfuck, Alabama or NYC. The government does not give a poo poo about where you want to live or how much the cost of living is. The answer to how people pay for stuff when their check is $850 and rent is $1000, is you either get on a ton of government assistance programs, live with roommates or become homeless. Usually all three at varying times. There are food stamps, low income energy assistance programs, childcare subsidies, medicaid programs, rental subsidies and transit subsidies found in most places, but you have to manage each program independently because they all require different documentation at different intervals. Oh, and some is counted as income for other assistance programs, but not by others, and you're really never quite sure of what is what. If you're not on top of things, you'll get removed from the program and potentially blacklisted for a period of time. Being poor and/or disabled in this country is hard. Can't save up because if your savings goes above a certain amount, you risk ineligibility. Can't work, because then your check goes down. Definitely don't want to get married, either. The amount of "help" over and under the table she can accept is something she needs to discuss with an advocate more familiar with SSI rules. As someone familiar with housing programs and subsidies, the Chicago Housing Authority has waiting lists that are upwards of 25 years long. Some are shorter, but most have such specific preferences that good luck finding a unit with a waitlist under five years: https://applyonline.thecha.org/PopupWaittimes.aspx Affordable housing in largely populated areas is a farce. Someone on SSI is best served to get on a portable housing choice voucher waiting list, wait the however long it'll be to get to the top, qualify, lease up in the initial agency for a year, then port wherever the year after. Now, that still doesn't cover the costs of moving, or anything else, just pays the housing bill so it's capped at 30% of someone's income. Now, good luck finding an accessible unit that accepts the program, but lol, that's not the government's worry. If it's a private landlord, the landlord only has to allow you to make the changes for accessibility, not pay for them, and can require you pay additional deposits/take the unit back to the original condition before accessibility modifications. That's WITH ADA. Even in a small area (where I'm from the wait for a portable voucher is 2-3 years minimum) that's going to take a whole lot of time because if you're not a resident of that area, you can't move until you've been leased up for a year with the initial housing authority. If this is something you actually want to consider, it's 1/ something you absolutely need to talk to advocates in your area about because the state run programs may be completely different eligibility wise for IL vs TN, or 2/ probably best for you to move there and find stable job/housing because it's much easier for a working, able bodied person to relocate, find work and all that. Your internet girlfriend won't qualify for some of the special services that do exist because she's not by any definition homeless and is choosing to uproot herself from any semblance of a safety net and have to find stable, secure housing, new doctors, new social circles, all that. I see it happen a lot with clients who are then facing homelessness, can't be safely housed in a shelter environment or need specific accommodations for housing and it is incredibly frustrating to the point that I've probably got a fair amount of compassion fatigue about it, as evidenced by the tone of this post. This isn't E/N and I'm not here to judge a relationship, but it's a really bad idea from the perspective of housing security for anyone on a fixed income to move from a low cost of living place to a high cost of living place far away from their preexisting safety net. These are all lovely facts about the system, but that's just how it is.
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Sep 3, 2021 07:11
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First of all, I could forgive shitposting in a comedy forum if any of your shitposting was funny, instead of an entirely unfunny twisting of my words and useless, misguided, preachy garbage. "You can't "leverage the system for max benefit"" Obviously there are more and less effective ways of using the benefits offered. I don't know what I did to get all this hate. Why is wanting my girlfriend to be able to live near me being treated as such a loving nefarious goal? Without telling you more of our personal business than you frankly need to know, me and her decided we wanted her to come here, so I don't know if part of all this hostility comes from the idea that I am dragging some poor handicapped girl here against her will, but you'd be very misguided in that presumption. Also, nowhere did I say I wanted to commit fraud or run a scam, in fact I SPECIFICALLY SAID I DID NOT Fashionably Great posted:you're oddly defensive when people shitpost in your general direction Oh, I'm being "defensive"? What am I supposed to do, agree with you when you put words in my mouth? Fashionably Great posted:There's something with the way that initial statement was worded that feels overly entitled I was simply being direct about my goals and (obviously very naive of me) thinking I could just get a question answered without being dragged into a lovely flame war. You obviously know very little about me but you seem to be perfectly happy just making poo poo up to fill in the blanks. Fashionably Great posted:I have insight, but you'll not like it either, because it's not going to be flowery and full of good news. Here's another example of you people strawmanning me. I never said I wanted "flowery good news" All I ever wanted was USEFUL INFORMATION that would help me and my girlfriend get together. I'm no better than Hitler for that I guess. All this being said, I recognize and appreciate that once you got being a shithead somewhat out of your system you did manage to tell me something somewhat constructive and informative. Thanks. Oh and Harold Fjord and Cobalt 60 thank you for being helpful without all the hateful bullshit Bono Bonobonobono fucked around with this message at 16:44 on Sep 5, 2021 |
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Sep 5, 2021 09:49
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Listen, While I resent being forced to divulge more personal info that is really irrelevant to the question asked, I will say this: What if I told you part of the reason I want to get her out of there is that she has a stalker who has vowed to kill her? and no, I'm not making that up. Does that properly satisfy your white knight sensibilities that maybe im not a complete rear end in a top hat for wanting her to come to me?
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Sep 5, 2021 16:55
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lol simmer down you sensitive bitch
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Sep 5, 2021 17:26
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Bono Bonobonobono posted:Listen, I will fulfill my vow, doesn't matter where she goes.
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Sep 5, 2021 18:15
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How do I get my hands on SSI money for mental poo poo? I am diagnosed autistic and adhd and like a bunch of other poo poo and I got records going back to like 5 years old. Can I get some cash because I am basically unemployable in what I studied and now I make way too little cause I can't hold down a solid steady job
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Sep 6, 2021 08:28
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Hey, remember when your OP had the phrase, 'game the system' in it, and you edited after being mad that I used the same phrasing in my initial reply. In other news, this has all the makings of a great future e/n story. Ultra defensive long distance Internet boyfriend tries to move girlfriend across country without the financial resources to provide security to actualize that, and doesn't see where this might be a bad idea. Canine Blues Arooo fucked around with this message at 22:53 on Sep 6, 2021 |
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Sep 6, 2021 22:47
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If she wants a higher SSDI payment, she needs to contribute more to social security. This is done by working and having taxes taken out of her paycheck. But seeing that she is on SSDI, she is not working. And her payment will only go up every so often with cost of living increases. This was basically said before but yeah, that's it. I talked to a friend about it and they aren't sure whether you can give her some $. He didn't see any reason why not, but that is something you should actually discuss with social security. In fact, you could find out all of this by talking to social security rather than posting in a forum. It should be the only response, really. Call social security.
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Sep 18, 2021 05:32
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Ignoring all the whining, I'll answer your questions (I was on SSI for 6 years):Bono Bonobonobono posted:So my questions 1) The social security administration does not give one single gently caress about her, and is by-and-large staffed entirely by bureaucrats. They really don't care if the disability check is enough to cover expenses, and are very unhelpful. I would never recommend dealing with them directly, and before visiting their offices you must have all information pre-prepared. Seriously, they are very unhelpful and are more motivated to make her life more difficult if they can. 2) Any income has to be reported; Income limits can be found here(warning, pdf doc), currently it looks like its $1,310/month. Any and all income needs to be documented and recorded, do not gently caress this up or either the SSA or IRS will get involved and be very unpleasant. I assume she has some form of counselor or social worker, since I've never met someone who was able to go through the byzantine application process without experienced assistance. I would start with asking them these questions. If she doesn't, have her reach out to her state's disability services. I haven't lived in either IL or TN, but I have worked with voc-rehab in several states and they have always been excellent and helpful. Reach out to an agency like that with these questions, since they are normally much more invested in actually helping people. I would also recommend contacting them in IL, since they will be more familiar with the available programs. In general, as long as you are roommates, then if you help with a portion of the rent (not necessarily 50/50 split) it will be fine. Social security won't (generally) get involved unless you are married or file taxes jointly. Food stamps and other aid received should be reported to the SSA, but don't normally count as income. But again, check with IL vocational rehab or a similar office for state-specific information. Waltzing Along posted:If she wants a higher SSDI payment, she needs to contribute more to social security. This is done by working and having taxes taken out of her paycheck. But seeing that she is on SSDI, she is not working. And her payment will only go up every so often with cost of living increases. This was basically said before but yeah, that's it. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE!!!! NEVER, NEVER ask them any question, since they will just use it as an opportunity to interrogate her and potentially reduce benefits. Show up to required appointments and provide all documentation they require, but don't look at them as any sort of helpful resource. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the employees in her local office will actually give her reliable information, I have gotten incorrect information from them multiple times. Check their official documents on their website for reliable information. Yes, it's all in legalese, but that is still more helpful information than you will receive from them in-person. They are less likely to be helpful than your average beat cop, and more motivated to screw with you. A little less likely to shoot you, but remember that most of the same rules that apply when dealing with police also apply when dealing with the SSA.
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Dec 30, 2021 23:29
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Honestly, my ex was on SSI, I used to work for a disability attorney, and in my experience, it is meant as welfare, and to cover the barest bare minimum of everything. There are ways to structure gifts to not impact her benefits, generally through setting up an irrevocable trust. It does require talking to an estate lawyer who is well versed in this sort of thing, however, because it has to be done a very specific way in order to not lose her her benefits. She'll qualify for literally every government assistance program being on SSI, however. Have her start talking to social workers up there now, there are all kinds of housing assistance/LIHEAP/food assistance/cash welfare benefits that she will qualify for. SSI does not change based on cost of living, however many high cost of living areas provide a state/city suppliment, I'm not familiar with Illinois, so I'm not sure what they offer, but I know in NJ, the state added a suppliment that brought the total up to about $1000 a month. The only way to survive on SSI in a high cost of living area is to apply for literally every assistance program you can find. Get talking to a social worker before she moves, because the waitlists for these programs (like section 8) are in some cases decades long. Often people on SSI are stuck in group home arrangements even with a solely physical disability because it is the only way to afford to live. you can't get legally married, as your income will reduce hers (the benefits were established as part of welfare reform in the 60's, and it shows, they expect a working spouse to be able to support an entire family on one income) The thing with SSI is you're not supposed to pay first/last/deposit, you're supposed to get a housing voucher, you're not supposed to have money left over for groceries, you're supposed t have food stamps, you're not supposed to have nice things, because you're not working for them. You're litterally supposed to be scraping by with `00% welfare programs and eking out the most meager existence. Dr Jankenstein fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Jan 6, 2022 |
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Jan 6, 2022 16:47
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OP. You're melting down weirdly over generally decent shitposts. I get it, this poo poo is stressful. Repeat to yourself it's just the internet. Everyone else who knows about SSDI, my wife has a bunch of TBI issues. She is trying to return to school to finish her masters, but needs an unrelated surgery mid semester. Her masters essentially goes away if she does not successfully complete the 3 or 4 semester internship (some number of hours that can be flexed a bit and include summer, or not) each and every semester because she had to take some time off school when the TBI happened. It's starting to look like this is impossible because she simply can't keep up with 4, 4 hour blocks each week reliably. then trying to make up what she will miss for the surgery on top of that is even worse. Will it look bad for SSDI of she quits now before paying tuition/disbursing loans instead of trying and failing?
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Jan 6, 2022 17:02
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Idk if this poo poo show of a problem is still going on, but I have some legitimate advice for you OP: Man the gently caress up and take care of the situation you've created. Don't force your girlfriend to move up here and live in poverty. Get a job and provide, like men are supposed to. If you can't find a job that's can let you be a provider, go get the skills that can. Otherwise she should be moving somewhere affordable. Not a place that's going to force her to eat and live on $200/month.
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Jan 28, 2022 06:47
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Jecht posted:Get a job and provide, like men are supposed to. I sympathize zero with OP, but this is a hilarious boomer-tier take.
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Jan 28, 2022 22:07
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