How do you get OFF govt assistance?

amother

Navy

Fri, May 15 2015, 12:03 am

How do you get OFF govt assistance?

We, Baruch HaShem, don't qualify for WIC or food stamps, but we do have SSI for our special needs child and we do NEED it......... we're not allowed to have more than $2000 and in fact we just had our yearly phone meeting for SSI and they're going to find more than $2000 in our bank account because we just got a tax refund and I'm worried we'll be kicked off.

If we were in our 20's I might not be so concerned, but we're still over $100,000 in debt, don't own a home, have no savings (retirement or otherwise)--- the tax refund is earmarked for the summer when my husband doesn't work (he's in education and finding summer jobs is impossible at his age).

We're in our 40's with children.

How do those dependent on any of this ever get OFF? If I save a few pennies and get kicked off, then we're financially in the hole worse than before. If I don't save, how are we ever supposed to retire and/or buy a house?

For those who made the transition, how did you do it? Cash under the mattress?

Anon because I'm horribly embarassed that we need SSI.

amother

Sapphire

Fri, May 15 2015, 12:33 am

amother wrote:

Can you legitimately pre - pay some bills to decrease your checking account?

amother

Burlywood

Fri, May 15 2015, 11:18 am

For SSI the threshold is not $2000 total in savings, it's $2000 for the person receiving SSI. So I believe the actual threshold for you is around $5000 in savings. Also, tax returns don't count because the minimum in savings is only earned income. Tax returns are not considered earned income. Talk to your local community finance organization for help. In Lakewood the LRRC is extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

amother

Cerise

Fri, May 15 2015, 7:04 pm

First of all you do not need to be ashamed of having ssi. People do not plan to have a disability or a child with special needs. When your child has sn you have expenses that other families do not have--from adaptive equipment to special schools to time off work for extra doctors visits. As long as the money goes to your child's needs, not yours, there's nothing to be ashamed of.

While I don't consider ssi in the same category as other govt programs, unfortunately there is no easy way off govt programs. The easiest is never to get on them to start.

We were on programs for many years. I worked hard and went to school and we are finally off all programs. Our standard of life has not gone up in the slightest, in fact it has gone down bc I have to work many long hours to pay for the same things I used to get for free. I am maxed out on time and energy and I'm making the peak I can hope to earn in my profession. It's a good job and a good income except if you're frum with a large family. I thought we always lived frugally but maybe certain habits/expectations would have been different if we didn't have govt programs to fall back on.

amother

Navy

Wed, May 27 2015, 11:40 pm

op here- was busy with Shavuos. Thank you all!

As far as pre-paying bills with tax refund money, I'll keep that in mind for next year, good idea!

Anon, can you explain this? (quote) For SSI the threshold is not $2000 total in savings, it's $2000 for the person receiving SSI. So I believe the actual threshold for you is around $5000 in savings. Also, tax returns don't count because the minimum in savings is only earned income. Tax returns are not considered earned income. Talk to your local community finance organization for help. In Lakewood the LRRC is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. (end quote)

How is the threshold for us $5000 in savings? $2000 for the person receiving SSI..... but how does that translate to $5000 for the parents?!?! And how exactly do tax returns not count when the SSI interview papers show only the amount in the checking account each month--- not from where it originated?

Still awaiting the ssi decision but at any rate, still confused about how to get out of this hole. If we start saving, we'll be kicked off SSI and we'll be in worse shape. If we don't save, how will we get off SSI.

$70,000 of our over $100,000 in debt *IS* from student loans, so I have NO IDEA how we could possibly take out MORE loans to go back to school. My husband makes a whopping $20,000 a year. WITH a masters. The economy where we live is in the toilet and we can't afford (and don't want to) move. He applied to a number of jobs that don't require a masters but none of them were willing to interview him once they found out he was "overqualified"--- and every one of them told him not to lie about his education--- the post office told him he was under oath to provide true info---- so he's making $20,000 with a masters instead of $60,000 + he could make at the post office with NO college. I work my butt off to make sure we stay off food stamps and other programs, but it's hard with a special needs child--- I'm almost never able to work "full" time with all of the doctor appts....

I guess my main question now, as we're in our 40's, is how we'll ever retire.

Thu, May 28 2015, 1:01 pm

I have a son on SSI also. The savings limit is $5,000 since my husband and I are not the one receiving the benefits. Tax refund money is not counted for 9 months after the refund is received. My refund is deposited directly into my account and I make sure to circle it when I give in the paperwork to show that it is tax money. I assume you have some proof that you received/going to receive the refund so just submit that.
Good luck!

And in terms of saving for the future, as someone said, once your child turns 18 then the SSI determination goes by his assets and not yours. How many years does that give you?

amother

Navy

Thu, May 28 2015, 8:29 pm

so when my child turns 18 we can then start saving more than 5000? I'm in my mid 40's and that will be over a decade away. So I'll retire at 90. hmmph.

rather not share my husband's masters because that might out me. and he is NOT a freelancer--- at ALL. but I am, and hustling when/how I can, but I'm the primary appointment shlepper/ paperwork do-er/ errand runner/ etc. My husband is a wonderful person with a big heart but not terribly dependable. He needs to stick with a typical job. I nag and nag and nag him to look for one that pays more than $20,000 a year, and he keeps ..... working his job. He did apply to maybe 10 jobs in the past year. My opinion is that he should be applying to 20 a month. I think if we fell into food stamps territory, he wouldn't even care. If I were to stop working, we WOULD qualify for food stamps, I'm guessing.

In every way BUT financial, we have a wonderful marriage. He's a loving father. But he has no desire to improve our situation to the point where we can breathe.

amother

Cerise

Thu, May 28 2015, 9:16 pm

amother wrote:

Your husband sounds like mine. Except he doesn't have a masters, and quit his $20,000 job to be a fulltime SAHD. At least I don't have housework and childcare on my head. If he was working, it would cost me much more than that to hire babysitters and cleaning help.

Oh and we used to qualify for ssi. We don't anymore. But you need to keep advancing, not thinking I can't do xyz because I'll lose my benefits.