| Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is an assistance | | | | that is available for workers who become disabled or |
| program administered by the Social Security | | | | for disabled spouses of retired or deceased workers. |
| Administration to provide benefits for persons who are | | | | SSDI is also available for disabled children under certain |
| disabled, blind, age 65 or older and who have limited | | | | circumstances. |
| income and resources. Disabled or blind children may | | | | The application process requires you or your officially |
| also qualify. | | | | designated representative to visit a local office for an |
| Disability for an adult is defined by the Social Security | | | | interview. The interviewer will complete your application |
| Administration as a medically determinable physical or | | | | during the interview process; it is not something you |
| mental impairment which: | | | | can do in advance. |
| 1. Prevents a person from engaging in any substantial | | | | You must prepare in advance for the interview. Your |
| gainful activity, and | | | | interviewer will need the following information: |
| 2. Can be expected to result in death; or | | | | 1. Names, addresses and phone numbers or all doctors, |
| 3. Has lasted or can be expected to last for a | | | | therapists, hospitals and clinics where you have |
| continuous period of at least 12 months | | | | received medical treatment, including emergency room |
| Substantial Gainful Activity is defined as work activity | | | | visits |
| that involves physical or mental duties, or a combination | | | | 2. Your Patient ID number for each of those places |
| of both, that is productive in nature, and is performed | | | | 3. The dates you were seen at each of those places |
| for pay or profit. Please note that actually making a | | | | 4. Names of any medications you are taking |
| profit is not required, nor is working fulltime required. In | | | | 5. Medical records in your possession |
| general, if you earn $900 per month, you are not | | | | 6. An original or certified copy of your birth certificate. If |
| considered disabled. | | | | you were born outside the United States, you must |
| Income is defined as wages, earnings from | | | | furnish proof of U. S. citizenship or legal residency |
| self-employment, certain royalties and honoraria, | | | | 7. If you were in the military, you must furnish a copy |
| sheltered workshop payments, Social Security benefits, | | | | of your DD-214 (discharge papers) |
| pensions, State disability payments, unemployment | | | | 8. If you worked for someone else, you must furnish a |
| benefits, interest income, cash from friends or relatives, | | | | copy of your last year's W-2. If you were |
| food or shelter that you receive free or at a price that | | | | self-employed, you must furnish a copy of your |
| is less than fair market value, part of the income of | | | | income tax return. |
| your spouse or parents if you live with either. | | | | 9. Worker's compensation information, including date of |
| Resources are defined as cash, bank accounts, | | | | injury, claim number and proof of payments |
| stocks, U. S. savings bonds, land, life insurance, personal | | | | 10. Social security numbers for your spouse and minor |
| property, vehicles, anything else you own that could be | | | | children |
| exchanged for cash and used for food and shelter, | | | | 11. Your checking and/or savings account numbers |
| and deemed resources. The total of your resources | | | | 12. Name, address and phone number of a contact |
| cannot exceed $2,000.00. | | | | person should you not be available when called |
| Deemed Resources are a portion of resources | | | | 13. Kinds of jobs and dates you worked during the |
| owned by your spouse or parents. | | | | previous 15 years |
| To complicate the matter even further, there are | | | | The application process for Supplemental Security |
| some income exclusions. There are also some | | | | Insurance is not a short one, and it may take the |
| resource exclusions. | | | | agency three to five months to make a decision on |
| Adults who wish to apply to Supplemental Security | | | | your application. For that reason, it is especially |
| Income must first apply for Social Security Benefits. | | | | important that you apply as soon as possible and have |
| That's because there are two disability programs: SSI | | | | all of the needed information for your interview. |
| and SSDI. SSDI is Social Security Disability Insurance | | | | |