FirstStep
SSI Q & A
Source: Social Security Administration
General Questions About SSI
What is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a monthly assistance program funded by
general taxes. SSI has two purposes:
- To help elderly, blind, and disabled people
- To provide cash for basic needs such as food and clothing
Where can I access information
about SSI?
For more information about Supplemental Security Income benefits, please visit
www.socialsecurity.gov/notices/supplemental-security-income/.
To locate a local Social Security office, visit
http://s00dace.socialsecurity.gov/pro/fol/fol-home.html.
How do my clients access their
monthly SSI benefits?
If your clients do not have a fixed mailing address to which their SSI checks
can be mailed, they can request to pick up their SSI checks at a local Social
Security office.
What is the difference between
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI)?
For most people, the medical requirements for disability payments are the same
under both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) programs, and the same process is used for both programs to determine
your client’s disability.
Supplemental Security Income is a program run by Social Security that pays
monthly benefits checks to the elderly, the blind, and people with disabilities
and very low income and who do not have a strong work history and have not
payed enough Social Security taxes. Social Security Disability Insurance, also
administered by Social Security, pays benefits to your clients if they are “insured,” meaning
they worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.
While eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance is based on prior
work under Social Security, SSI disability payments are made on the basis of
financial need.
Who is eligible for SSI?
To be eligible for SSI, your clients must be elderly or blind or have a disability.
- To be considered “elderly,” your client must be 65 or older.
- To be considered “blind,” your client must be legally blind or have very poor eyesight. Children, as well as adults, can be eligible for SSI benefits because of blindness.
- To be considered disabled, your client must have a physical or mental problem expected to last at least a year or result in death. Children, as well as adults, can be eligible for SSI benefits because of a disability.
How does the Social Security
Administration define disability?
Disability is based on your client’s inability to work. To be considered
disabled under Social Security rules, your client cannot do work that he/she
did before, and Social Security will decide that he/she cannot adjust to other
work because of his/her medical condition(s). Your client’s disability
must also last or be expected to last for at least one year or to result in
death. Click here for the Social Security Administration's
definition of disability.
Where can I get a list of disabling
impairments for Social Security Disability?
You can get a copy of Disability Evaluation Under Social Security ("The
Blue Book" 5/02; SSA Publication No. 64-039), which contains the medical
criteria Social Security uses to determine disability. It is intended primarily
for physicians and other health professionals.
The Blue Book is online at
www.socialsecurity.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/
This book can also be obtained free of charge by writing or calling:
Social Security Administration
Office of Supply and Warehouse Management
239 Supply Building
6301 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21235
The phone number for the Public Information Distribution Center is (410) 965-2039.
You can also reach them via fax at (410) 965-2037 or e-mail at oplm.oswmrpt@ssa.gov.
If my client is currently residing
in a homeless shelter, is he/she eligible to receive SSI?
YES. If your client is a resident of private homeless shelters, he/she is eligible
for SSI. Residents of public emergency shelters are eligible for SSI “for
any six months throughout which [he/she] resides in a shelter in any nine-month
period.”
If my client is a probation
and parole violator, is he/she eligible for SSI?
NO. Probation and parole violators are not eligible to receive SSI benefits.
Your client may not receive SSI payments for any month during which he/she
is violating a condition of probation or parole imposed under Federal or state
law.
If my client is a fugitive felon,
is he/she eligible for SSI?
Fugitive felons are not eligible for SSI benefits. Your client will not receive
SSI payments if, during any part of the month, he/she is fleeing to avoid:
- Trial on a criminal charge of felony
- Jail or prison after conviction of a felony
- Custody after conviction of a felony
If my client is currently residing
in a public institution, is he/she eligible to receive SSI?
People who reside in public institutions throughout a month are not eligible
to receive SSI during that month. If your client resides in a “safe haven” designated
by HUD, then he/she will not be considered a resident of a public institution
nor be charged in-kind support and maintenance for SSI purposes, if such support
is already a part of the safe haven’s program.
SSA defines a public institution as an institution that is operated by or controlled
by the Federal government, a state, a city or a county. The regulations list
examples such as hospitals, mental health treatment centers, and jails.
To be considered a resident of a public institution “throughout” a
month, your client must reside there at the beginning of the month and stay
for the entire month.
Would current drug or alcohol
use prevent my client from being eligible for SSI?
Regulations do not prohibit current users of drugs or alcohol or both from
receiving SSI. Instead, users may receive benefits as long as drug addiction
or alcoholism is not the primary disability. Click here
for the Social Security Administration's definition of disability.
If my client is determined to
be ineligible to receive SSI benefits, can he/she appeal the decision?
If your client is deemed ineligible to receive Social Security benefits, a
letter will be sent to your client explaining the decision and how he/she can
appeal the decision. Your client has the right to appeal this decision if he/she
does not agree with it.
When appealing a decision made by Social Security, your client should know
there is a four-step appeal process:
(1) Reconsideration
(2) Hearing by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
(3) Review by the Appeals Council
(4) Federal court review
Are SSI benefits provided to
children?
Yes. If your client has a child who is blind or disabled, he/she may be eligible
to receive SSI for the child.
How can a child qualify for
SSI benefits?
To be eligible for SSI, a child must be disabled (as determined by SSA), a
U.S. citizen or an eligible immigrant.
How can my client apply for
children’s SSI benefits?
Applications for children’s SSI can be filed at a local Social Security
office, online, or by calling toll-free 1-800-772-1213. If your client applies
over the phone or online www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ss-5.html,
he/she must mail or take the needed proof to the Social Security office. The
Social Security Administration will review the case to make sure your client
is eligible. If so, the application will be sent to a state agency for processing.
The Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency
will make a medical decision about whether or not the child is disabled.
If Social Security decides your client’s child is not disabled, your
client can appeal the decision.
How long will it take my client
to receive SSI benefits for his/her child?
Receiving children’s SSI can take anywhere from a very short time to
an extremely long time, depending on the strength of the case. The more information
provided to Social Security during the application interview, the more likely
it would be pushed forward.
Does my client need a fixed
mailing address to receive SSI benefits for his/her
child?
Your client does not need a fixed mailing address to receive SSI benefits for
his/her child. He/she can still receive SSI if he/she resides in a shelter,
lacks a mailing address, or lives on the street.
If my client is an unaccompanied
youth, can he/she apply for SSI benefits on
his/her own?
YES. Youth are eligible for SSI under the children’s SSI standards.
Unaccompanied youth may file for benefits without providing any information
or permission from their parents, as long as they can show the Social Security
office they are not living with their parents. Just like any other child receiving
SSI, unaccompanied youth will have their cases re-evaluated when they turn
18. At that time, the case is evaluated under the adult disability standards.
SSI Application/Interview Process
What information will my client
need to apply for SSI benefits?
Your clients may need to provide the following documentation:
- Social Security number
(Social Security number cards and replacements can be requested through the SSA Web site at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/)
- Birth certificate or other proof of age
(the SSA Web site can help you locate the appropriate contact to obtain a copy of your client’s birth certificate at www.socialsecurity.gov/vitalstats.html)
- If your client has a disability, he/she will need to provide the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals, and clinics where he/she has been treated
Original documents or copies certified by the issuing office must be provided.
What if my client does not have
the proper identification to apply for SSI benefits?
If your client does not have identification, he/she will need to be able to
recall his/her Social Security number. To confirm your client’s identity,
SSA can use the Social Security number to access information such as the name
of his/her parents or birthplace.
How long is the typical turn-around
for application approval?
Your client can apply for SSI in person at a local Social Security office or
over the phone. If your client applies over the phone, then he/she must mail
or take the needed proof to Social Security. Children do not have to apply
in person. Social Security considers the application filing date to be the
day your client makes an appointment to apply for SSI. If he/she fails to keep
this appointment, Social Security will send a letter saying he/she must apply
within 60 days from the date on the letter in order to use the date of the
original call as the application date.
SSI payments begin the first full month after the application filing date, or on the date on which your client becomes eligible. If your client is disabled and has applied for SSI, the determination process may be longer.
To locate a local Social Security office, visit
http://s00dace.socialsecurity.gov/pro/fol/fol-home.html.
Once my client is eligible for
SSI benefits, how long will he/she be enrolled?
Social Security will regularly re-evaluate your client’s eligibility
for SSI benefits to make sure he/she is still eligible and receiving the proper
amount. The length of time between scheduled re-evaluations varies depending
on the likelihood that your client’s situation may change in a way that
affects his/her eligibility and/or payment amount.
Social Security will contact your client to schedule the re-evaluation. It
may be conducted by mail, telephone, or personal interview. Your client will
be asked to provide the same kind of information that he/she gave when he/she
first applied.
What does the Social Security
Administration do with incomplete applications?
If your client’s application is incomplete, your client will be contacted
for more information about his/her medical and work history, as well as his/her
daily activities and current medications.
If your client cannot be contacted, the state disability determination service
is authorized to decide the case on the basis of the information available.
This will usually result in a finding that your client is not disabled.
To avoid this problem, you are encouraged to have your clients give a stable
address and phone number, such as your own contact information, when they are
applying for SSI. This gives SSA a better chance of contacting your client
if necessary.
Are there ways to expedite the
SSI application process?
There are ways your client’s SSI application can be expedited including:
- If your client is diagnosed with a terminal
illness or his/her disability is shown in the presumptive categories,
his/her SSI case is processed before other applications. SSA may
make finding of presumptive disability in specific impairment categories
without obtaining any medical evidence, such as an amputation of
the leg at the hip, allegation of total deafness, allegation of
total blindness, and others. For more information on presumptive
disabilities, you should reference the Disability Evaluation Under
Social Security ("The Blue Book" 5/02; SSA Publication
No. 64-039, which can be found online at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/.
- If an application is submitted and approved, through a pre-release program, your client can begin collecting benefits on the first day of the month following the day he/she leaves a public institution.
What is the role of a representative?
A representative is a person who can help your client apply for SSI benefits
and advocates on his/her behalf with SSA throughout the application process.
A representative may be a shelter caseworker, mental health case manager,
friend or relative.
Representatives may obtain information about the status of a claim, submit
evidence, make requests, and reply to notices. SSA must send copies of all
notices, decisions, and requests for information to your client’s designated
representative. Your client’s representative may authorize appeals and
otherwise handle your client’s case in his/her absence. This can often
prevent a case from being closed due to failure to respond to a notice or file
an appeal.
What is a representative
payee?
If your client is eligible for SSI on the basis of a mental disability or a
severe physical disability, SSA may find him/her unable to manage his/her own
benefits and require that the benefits be paid to a representative payee – a
person charged with managing SSI payments for the benefit of your disabled
client.
A “representative payee” helps
your client once he/she has been found eligible for SSI – as opposed
to a “representative” who assists applicants in becoming eligible
for SSI.
What are the responsibilities
of a representative
payee?
The representative payee must receive your client’s monthly check, open
a bank account, pay his/her bills, and generally ensure that SSI payments are
spent in your client’s best interest, including food and shelter expenses.
Who can serve as a representative
payee?
Homeless shelter staff can serve as representative payees. Supportive housing
program representatives (transitional programs aimed at moving people out of
homelessness) can also serve as payees for your client. When this occurs, rent
of up to 30 percent is deducted from the monthly SSI check. This is a charge
that covers the cost of providing housing to your client receiving SSI payments.
You should tell your client that some organizations that serve as a representative
payee for five or more people could charge a fee for those services. The fee
can be 10 percent or $25 per month, whichever is less.
How can my client demonstrate
that a representative
payee is no longer needed?
In order to convince SSA that representative payment is no longer necessary,
your client should submit a physician’s statement to that effect along
with any other evidence of his/her ability to manage SSI payments.
If my clients are immigrants,
are they still eligible for SSI?
Any immigrant who is not legally in the U.S. will not be eligible to receive
SSI.
The regulations are more complicated for non-citizen immigrants who are legally
in the U.S. SSA refers to these immigrants as “aliens.” An “eligible
alien” is an alien whose immigration status makes him/her eligible for
SSI, under current rules. To receive SSI, an “eligible alien” will
still have to be found disabled, and he/she will still have to meet other SSI
eligibility criteria.
What if my client is an immigrant
but he/she does not have the proper information to prove eligibility
for SSI?
If your client does not have the proper documentation to establish his/her
immigration status, you should assist him/her in getting replacement documents.
At the same time, you should assist your client in applying for SSI, without
the proper documentation, and request that SSA verify your client’s status
with the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Verification between SSA and USCIS can take a long time and is not always accurate.
However, it is important to have your client apply for SSI as soon as possible,
so that – if he/she is eventually found eligible – he/she
will receive retroactive benefits covering the time period when SSA was investigating
his/her immigration status.