Statement on Patrice: The Movie and SSI Enhancements Rolling Out
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: September 30, 2024
All of us at the Social Security Administration want to recognize Patrice Jetter, Garry Wickham, and everyone involved in Patrice: The Movie, a documentary that focuses on the couple’s concerns about losing their disability benefits if they got married.
Our agency stands ready to assist Congress as it works to address outdated laws and to strengthen programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that serve millions of people with disabilities throughout the country. Enacted 50 years ago, the SSI program provides payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have limited income and resources.
Congress imposes limits on SSI applicants and recipients, including asset limits for individuals and married couples that have not been adjusted since 1989. As applied today, that partial 1989 update can make it difficult for SSI recipients to save money and can cause other hardships, as the movie emphasizes.
The movie also highlights how changes to the asset limit and related marriage rules can only be made by Congress because those have been set by statute. For decades, there has been Congressional interest in updating SSI asset limits. Back in 2003, for example, a committee in Congress wanted to update limits (from $2,000 to $3,000 for individuals and from $3,000 to $4,500 for couples) and index those amounts for inflation, and there have been more recent legislative efforts as well. Again, we stand ready to provide expertise to Congress as it discusses and debates this issue.
While only Congress can make some changes, to the extent possible by law SSA is taking steps to update SSI policies administratively to simplify rules, reduce burdens, and better support people with disabilities. For example, as announced earlier this year, today is the effective date for three SSI enhancements that are estimated to lead to new or increased SSI payments for hundreds of thousands of Americans with disabilities.
- The agency no longer includes food assistance from friends and family in calculating eligibility (in-kind support and maintenance). This could increase monthly SSI payments by about $131 per month for over 90,000 people and allow more people to qualify for SSI benefits.
- The agency expands the rental subsidy exception to SSI applicants and recipients nationwide, which was previously applied in only seven states. This could increase monthly SSI payments by about $132 per month for about 41,000 people and allow more people to qualify.
- The agency expands the definition of a “public assistance household” by adding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to the types of public assistance listed and by no longer requiring that all household members receive public assistance to be considered a public assistance household. These two changes could result in increased SSI payments to about 277,000 people and allow more people to qualify, while also reducing reporting burdens for individuals living in public assistance households.
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Sumitted u.
I am speaking on behalf of those on SSI who have sickle cell disease, (in the first person). SSA needs to grandfather in to ABLE, all those who were denied SSI despite qualifying due to minority status. SSA has to be unaware of and acknowledge the co-morbidities associated with Sickle Cell Disease. You are working on this. We are grateful. Please make it impactful. Hundreds of ER visits, whether hospitalized or not, involve suffering, loss of employment due to absentee-ism, loss of time in school, expense to the individual and family. A blood transfusion is not the litmus test for debility. Avascular necrosis in hips, shoulders, (and the impending surgeries associated) asthma, gallbladder issues requiring excision, blood clots, strokes, joint and muscle aches, retinopathy, bouts of merciless pain and ongoing silent organ damage are not enough to prove disability? This should be acknowledged as a disability to anyone who has this disease.
You have ample data on the economic burden. Please turn your view from simply your burden, to that of the lives of us with this disease. We have right to hope, to contributing to society, to purposeful lives not simply defined by suffering. Some things require money. We know the effect of poverty on disease outcomes.
ABLE
Denying persons with SCD disability keeps them from what others have a right to: ABLE. Grandfather in, persons with SCD. We couldn’t get approved for ABLE because we were unfairly denied before the age of 26 years old for no apparent reason. If we live that long, and some of us are now, we need to have money for the future too. Especially us. Our lives are extremely expensive.
ASSET LIMITS
Speaking for all of those on SSI, bring us out from the gutter of society from 20 leagues below poverty level, to at least standard poverty. Increase allowable assets and allow us, when we are able, to do something for ourselves and have more than $2.000 worth of assets. We have bills. Money must be saved to pay them and bills are usually paid through checking accounts. Do persons with medical issue as ours need less money to pay bills? Do we not incur greater expenses often not covered? DME, otc meds that insurance won’t pay for, rent, utilities– add them up, they will exceed $2000 dollars. We would cringe at to keeping bill money in our mattresses. We cannot up to the Capital One building to pay our credit card bill, because we could not keep it in a checking account. We are forced to be irresponsible.
Why inconvenience the most vulnerable? Why deny the present economy? What is $2,000 worth of assets in today’s economy? You include the check for the present month in this $2.000 limit. If we (any person on SSI) have a few dollars left form the last month, we with our decrepit bodies, must quickly rush to the bank before the stroke of midnight and withdraw it, so as not go over limits. But wait- we must first make an appointment with Paratransit, or ask a relative for a ride, or take the bus (and we may not feel well enough to do that). That’s too much burden upon those of society already overburdened with their limitations. This also feels very oppressive and goes agains good, responsible financial hygiene. Please do not impede our ability to plan. There is dignity in it.
Some persons in Congress with compassion and good sense about the present reality, are trying to expand our asset limits to $10,000. We know this can only serve to advance the objectives of SSI and those served by it. This is a win-win and will reduce the government’s burden. Who wants a payout when they can earn their own without all the strings. And we are patriotic. We want what is best for our government. We don’t want to go here and there seeking from the government what we may be able to acquire on our own. Let’s support and work toward this goal speedily. At present, we are on parity with under developed nations. Persons with disability can have value to society and should have a place for hope. Despite how bad our disabilities are, some of us are able to contribute to our own economy partially, and that of our nation. It may not be consistently. It should not be a requirement, but an option, for only those of us who are in our bodies (because our diseases are so individualized), know what we are capable of doing. We should not be counted as criminal or working the system, when we want to earn our own respect and do something for and on our own and contribute to society.
This should not negate receiving supports as disease can be predictably unpredictable. As in the case of Sickle Cell Disease, it will always be there. We do not grow out of it. This is a popular misconception. As you age it changes. It can temporarily get better but there is always the silent organ damage happening. We age at a greater rate due to this unseen damage always happening, whether we are in pain at the moment or not. Thank you for this opportunity to weigh in on this issue.
Linda G.
Martin O’Malley is doing a wonderful job. I’ve been very impressed with everything he has done, and he has done a lot.
William
The Social Security administration needs to restore public confidence in the agency. 60 Minutes did an investigation titled our mistake is your responsibility. Anderson Cooper Explain three cases or the agency made so many mistakes O’Malley was forced to call each family personally and apologize.
Let me give you an example. I drove to the agency at Kennesaw to personally Hand in my request for appeal. I wrote a 29 page letter listing all the mistakes they made and ended with the 60 minute episode transcript where Martin O’Malley apologizes personally.
Three hours later my appointment Number came up on the screen. The only agent available was borrowed from another department, and she said she had no authority to answer any questions and could only take my written document and fax it. She gave me a blank form which I filled out. Because I wanted my payments to resume, I gave her notarized statement from my bank manager saying my account balance was below $2000.
Two months later, I finally get this agency to admit they lost everything. I handed the agent. I happen to have a copy of the request for reconsideration form and sent that to the Kennesaw agent. Apparently someone at the Kennesaw agency wanted to leave early for the July 4 weekend and made a mistake filling out the automated reply. I’m not sure why my payments were canceled. However, it was clear from what I brought to the agency that day, but I was requesting my payments to continue during the appeal process. I would not have gone to the bank and gotten notarized statement that I might. My account was under $2000. If they hadn’t told me that was what was necessary to have my payments started again.
Four months Later the $2000 in my account is down to $100 And I am requesting they resume my payments or explain why not. I want to include their explanation in my application for a waiver. I need documented support For the first hurdle to prove it wasn’t my fault. I am hoping that going on Martin O’Malley‘s blog means somebody in his office will answer or at least noticed my request
Jensen C.
Thank you for acknowledging these outdated rules and regulations that keep disabled people in oppression.
Jeffrey T.
My wife applied for S.S.D.I. back in August 2023. Here we are 14 months later still waiting for a letter confirming if she was approved. She called back on 8/12/24 and was told she had been approved and we should receive a letter within 2-3 weeks. Seven weeks later and still nothing. Website states that the average processing time in Massachusetts is 291 days. We are now over 400 days and still no letter. Please help with this. Thanks.
Ange V.
Mi hijo resive ssdi y yo ssi esto nos perjudicaria o nos ayudaria con los nuevos camvios que entraron en vigencia/Sep,30 del 2024?
T.Y.
For information in Spanish, visit us at http://www.segurosocial.gov. On social media visit us at http://www.facebook.com/segurosocial, or http://www.twitter/segurosocial. Thanks!
Maria
Will SSI recipients currently receiving benefits and charged ISM have to go into the office to request a redetermination? Will they receive notice with appointment for redetermination?
Many are asking.
Mike A.
I worked extremely hard for about 35 years as a pipe fitter. A few years back , I fell from a roof and landed on my shoulders and fractured my spine and burst my second hernia. Not too long after that, I had a stroke and have been seeing doctors regularly. My blood pressure is hypertension always, and some days I wake up in a panic. I haven’t had income in over 2 years. I was just denied benefits. This is not how I foreseen my future during all my years of contributing. I’m very disappointed and thinking about taking my flag down .
Joshua S.
Are you not allowed to put out a Call to Action?
I would have included for disability recipients to reach out to their states representatives about S.2767 and H.R.7138
Otherwise great article, keep up the great work!
Thanks
Bert H.
I am terminally ill with ALS but under 65. Will my Social Security go up?