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Social Security & Medicare Questions Q: My uncle Carl is 78, lives alone in his own home and receives $330 a month in Social Security. He has no other savings or pensions and few assets. Would he be able to get SSI? A: Your uncle may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in addition to his Social Security benefits if he meets certain income and asset eligibility requirements. SSI is a program jointly operated by both state governments and the Social Security Administration. It is intended to guarantee a minimum level of income to persons over age 65, blind, or disabled who are financially hard-pressed. If your uncle is eligible for SSI his benefits would be reduced dollar for dollar by the amount of Social Security benefits he receives. In your uncle's case, from his $330 a month Social Security check $20 would not be counted (according to SSI rules), making his total countable "unearned income" $310. Since your uncle has not earned income from wages for example, his total countable income would remain $310. In the state in which your uncle lives the basic SSI payment is $512 per month. From this your uncle's total countable income of $310 is subtracted, leaving $202 as his monthly SSI payment, which he would receive in addition to his Social Security benefit. If you think your uncle might be eligible for SSI you can help him file an application at his local Social Security office, or call Social Security's toll-free number 800-772-1213 to apply over the phone. The application will be sent to you to sign and submit to Social Security. In addition to the application, your uncle will need to submit other documents to verify income and asset levels. Source: "Social Security, Medicare and Pensions," Joseph L. Matthews with Dorothy Matthews Berman, 7th edition, www.nolo.com $21.95. For orders: 800-992-6656. This article first appeared in Volume 5, Issue 7 of "The Social Security and Medicare Advisor" newsletter (June/2000). To receive future editions of "The Advisor" in its special, free e-mail version, please click here. | ||||||||
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