| IS THE INCOME SSI OR SSDI OR WHAT?
How to tell
Please refer to the neighboring pages for descriptions of the terms and
programs referenced below.
It is often quite important to know whether a person is on SSI or some
other benefit. As stated elsewhere, it is unwise to trust what anyone
says, because people so often misspeak themselves, or don't understand the
distinctions involved. Here are some suggestions:
The Amount
Current details on all of the following are available at this link
SSI
FAQ
If a single government payment is for more than the established SSI amount, it is NOT
SSI.
Effective January 2008, the SSI payment for an eligible individual is $637
per month and $956 per month for an eligible couple.
If a payment is for less it might be SSI if the person has income from
some other source. Most often this occurs when a person is entitled to a
Social Security amount less than the SSI amount and SSI is making up the
difference.
However, some states add money to the basic SSI check. these are:
California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont , Washington D.C.
Social Security Retirement and Social Security Disability amounts vary
depending on the amounts paid in to the system by the claimant. They can
be as low as $100, or as high as $1700.
What it says on the check or bank statement
On checks, look just to the right of the amount. For direct deposits,
look at the bank statement. There will be a notation saying one of the
following.
| SSI FOR [MONTH] |
means its SSI |
| SOC SEC FOR [MONTH] |
means it is either Social Security Retirement OR
social Security Disability. |
| SSDI FOR [MONTH] |
Means it is Social Security Disability |
| SSD FOR [MONTH] |
Means it is Social Security Disability |
Number of monthly payments.
If a person gets 2 checks/direct deposits per month from federal
government, there is a good chance that one is for Social Security
Disability/Retirement and one is for SSI. This occurs when the person is
eligible for payment from Social Security Retirement/Disability in an
amount less than the SSI amount per month. SSI makes up the difference. (Any time a
person's monthly income is less than the SSI amount, SSI eligibility should be
reviewed.)
If the total of the two payments is the SSI amount PLUS $20, this is almost certainly the
case. Under SSI rules, the first $20 of non-SSI income does not count, so
the person gets a whopping $20 per month more than someone who receives
only SSI.
Medical Benefits
If the person is receiving Medicare, no matter what other benefits are
in place, that person is certainly on either Social Security Retirement or
Social Security Disability.
Although Medicaid eligibility and SSI usually go hand in hand, a person
can be on Medicaid but not SSI, and can be on both Medicaid and Medicare
and not be on SSI.
Also, Medicare is a federal program administered by the Social Security
Administration. Medicaid is administered by state social service
departments. I
Maybe this is simpler:
| If a person receives |
That means |
Except |
| Medicare |
The person is eligible for Social Security Disability OR
Social Security Retirement. These are about the only pathways to Medicare
eligibility. |
The person may also be eligible for Medicaid depending on
his or her situation |
| |
|
|
| Medicaid
(aka Medical Coupons;
aka Title 19)
|
If the person lives in a regular house or apartment and receives Medicaid,
that usually means that the person is also on SSI.
|
|
| The person receives a monthly "Medical Coupon"
from the state in which she or he resides. |
|
| If the person lives in a nursing home or (in
some states including Washington) an adult family home, and is not
paying privately for care, the government entity that is paying for care
is almost always Medicaid |
Medicare does pay for Nursing Home care for people who have
been discharged straight to the nursing home from the hospital. Usually
Medicare only pays for such care for a couple of weeks, almost never more
that for 90 days.
People in long term care at the expense of Medicaid commonly also have
Medicare and Social Security eligibility,
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Public
benefits
Public Entitlments Overview
Trust Expenditures and Public Entitlements
Confusing Nomenclature of Public Entitlements
Home Ownership
Vehicles and Public Entitlements
Is Income SSI or SSDI or What
|