Everything No One Ever Tells You After You Get Approved for Disability

Posted on by sleepygirl

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AFTER YOU ARE APPROVED FOR DISABILITY

A long list of everything that nobody tells you when you get approved for Social Security disability.  Please share this list with anyone else you know who has been approved for disability in the past six months. It can save you a lot of money and a lot of heartache.

ARE YOU IN THE RIGHT PLACE?

This page is for people who were recently approved. Would you rather be somewhere else?

🌷 Read me if you got approved more than 12 months ago

🌷 Read me if you are still applying or appealing

🌷 Read me if you are waiting for a decision

APPROVAL LETTER

After a decision is made you will get a letter. Your online account will also tell you the decision. Usually the online account updates more quickly, but not always.

The letter will usually tell you the conditions you were approved for and how often you can expect medical reviews. However, sometimes it doesn’t tell you. If you were approved during initial application, it may not tell you. You can call Social Security and ask the person who answers if they can look in the computer and read this information to you (they may not know how to find it right away, but it is there).

Your letter may say you are “medical improvement expected” or “medical improvement possible” or “medical improvement not expected.” Don’t freak out if they write this. It is standard practice and everyone is put in one of these categories. The categories are used to determine how often your case is reviewed.

The letter may also say that they made a medical decision and they still have to make a “non-medical” decision. Again, don’t freak out! This just means they have to get information on your finances to see if you qualify for SSI or SSDI.

Now that you have been approved, your lawyer’s job is over. Many people keep calling their lawyers expecting them to continue to help with the rest of the process, but this often leads to disappointment.

ONSET DATE

The letter should also list your Established Onset Date. This is the date Social Security decided you became disabled. It may or may not be the same date you think you became disabled. If the onset date they choose is the same onset date you asked for, this is called “fully favorable.” If it is a different date, this is called “partially favorable.”

Partially favorable decisions usually mean less backpay. But, what the hell, you are still approved, so life is good.

If you are not happy with you Established Onset Date, you have a right to appeal it. However, almost no one is crazy enough to do this, because it reopens the whole case. If there is a clear and obvious mistake connected to your onset date, you might consider it. For example: if you had a disabling car accident on June 2, 2015, and they write onset date June 2, 2016, that would pretty clearly be a clerical error.

FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW

Social Security may contact you for an interview to collect some follow up information. This interview will not include any questions about your health or medical history.

Good news: You have already been approved and they won’t be questioning your disability now! The interview may include:

– SSI Financial Questions (see below for details)
– Representative payee questions (see below for details)
– Signing up your kids for benefits (see below for details)
– Getting Your Bank Information (to deposit your check)

These interviews can be done by phone or in person. If they scheduled you in person, but you are unable to be there, you can request a disability accommodation for a phone interview.

PAUSE NOW AND LEARN ABOUT SSI AND SSDI

Before you read anymore, it’s important to know that SSI and SSDI are two different programs. Learn the difference here,

SSI INTERVIEW

After your award letter, you may be contacted to set up an SSI Interview. This might also be called PERC (Pre-Effectuation Review Conference).

This interview will be questions about your finances and living situation. They will not ask you about your health or disability.

If you are in a financial crisis, during your interview you can request an “immediate SSI”. If you can show some kind of proof, such as an eviction or foreclosure or utility shut off notice, this may help. In addition to making this request to the person doing your SSI interview, it can also be a great help if you Contact Your Congressperson with this same request. Someone at your Congressperson’s office can help get your first check released more quickly if you are in an emergency situation.

Here’s a lot more things you probably want to know: How to Handle an SSI Interview

Here’s a list of the most important things people often do not know while applying for SSI: Important SSI Regs

SKIPPING YOUR SSI INTERVIEW

If you are not poor, there is no need to go to an SSI interview. You can request a form to waive it, or you can just go to it. Theoretically, skipping the interview speeds things up. But sometimes they lose the waiver form so it really just slows things down.

If you are poor, it is usually a good idea to go to the interview and be considered for SSI, even if your SSDI check is high. There is a little loophole where sometimes you can get more backpay this way. Up to $3,600 extra!

You will not qualify for this loophole if: your decision was fully favorable plus your established onset date was more than five months before your application date. If you don’t know what this means, just go to the interview.

If you are wondering if you are poor enough for SSI, take a look here: How Poor Do I Have to Be to Get SSI?

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEES

If Social Security thinks that you are not able to handle your own money, they may consider assigning a representative payee (someone who will handle your money for you).

This may happen if you have: Serious mental illness, Developmental disabilities, Drug or alcohol abuse, Alzheimers, Traumatic Brian Injury, or other disabling cognitive impairments

If this is your situation, someone at Social Security may ask you questions to decide if they think you need a representative payee. This is rather important, as it may affect how your money is handled for the rest of your life! Learn more about Representative Payee Questions

WORK REPORT

They will probably send you a short work report form. They are checking to see if you worked after your established onset date.

If you did not work (and did not have any earnings that might appear like work) at all during this time, no problems.

If you worked a little, but you notified Social Security about this, no problems.

If you worked a little but didn’t realize you were supposed to notify Social Security, it may not be an issue as long as you were honest on any forms you filled out and you were earning under SGA.

If you worked and made more than SGA, they may look into this more, particularly if you did not notify Social Security about the work. If what you write on this form does not match your IRS records, they may look into this more.

EARNING INCOME WITHOUT WORKING

Examples of working without income: paid work leaves, payments while employed but not performing work activities, or property owners who earn passive income.

Social Security will be looking at any income that came in after the date you were declared disabled (established onset date). What you did before this date does not matter.

If you earned income but did not work, it’s a good idea to make this very clear, and enclose documentation if possible. This is especially important if your tax records are not clear. We have particularly seen this issue come up for married couples or others who co-own businesses. Please see: Earning Income Without Working

AWARD LETTER

After your SSI interview, you will receive a letter telling you your monthly check amount and back pay amount. This information may also appear online.

Some people get their first payment before they get their award letter.

The amounts listed on your online account may change. Sometimes while they are calculating your check, they write one thing, and the next day it says something else. If you call them, you also may get wildly different answers at this point.

Even the letters they mail you are not always accurate at this point. Sometimes they write you are getting only SSI and not SSDI, when you know that is not true. Sometimes they write you are going to get huge bundles of back pay from both SSI and SSDI. Sadly, that is usually not true either.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

You can receive your money by direct deposit into your bank account or on a Direct Express card.

If you are on SSI, it is very important to keep your money separate from everyone else’s. Never share a bank account with another person, except a live-in spouse.

If you have any kind of debt, please take a look at How To Protect Your Social Security Check and also Who Can Take My Social Security Check?

If you chose a Direct Express card, this will work just like a credit card, and the money will be loaded on it each month.

FIRST CHECK

Before your first check, Social Security may make a small deposit of less than $1 in your account and then take it back. This is just a bank test.

You can expect your back pay and first monthly check to start 30-90 days after the award letter. It is usually quicker for initial applications and reconsiderations, and slower for appeals.

If it takes longer than 90 days you can Contact Your Congressperson for help.

If you are homeless or becoming homeless or in a financial emergency, don’t wait. Contact Your Congressperson right away. They may be able to get your check released much more quickly.

Some people get their back pay first and some people get their monthly check first. Go figure.

SSDI ONLY

If you are on SSDI, make sure to sign your kids up to receive benefits. Even if your kids do not live with you, they are still eligible. The parent of your children may be eligible as well. Contact your local office.

If you have an adult child who is disabled, and first became disabled before the age of 22, they may now be eligible to receive pay off of your work record. This is called “Adult Child Benefits” In some cases, it is a higher check or better health insurance for the child.

More things that can raise or lower your SSDI Check: Good News and Bad News About Your SSDI Check

If you have little or no income, sometimes they give you an “immediate SSI” payment. This is a nice thing they do to get some money released quickly to you. They don’t always tell you they are doing this nice thing, causing you to panic when you get a check for an amount you did not expect and then all the numbers get weird and you cannot get any good information on what is going on. Don’t worry, it will get sorted out in time.

BACKPAY 

Most people receive backpay for the months while they were applying. The amount of backpay you receive will depend on your Established Onset Date. How much backpay will you get? How Much Will My Backpay Be?

BACKPAY DEDUCTIONS

There is a possibility some things will be deducted from your back pay before you receive it. The things that can be deducted are:

  • Your lawyer’s fees
  • Taxes you owe
  • Child support you owe
  • In some cases, government student loan debt
  • In some cases, money owed to other government agencies

In addition if you received any of these things while you were applying, there is a chance the amount will be deducted from your backpay:

  • Workers comp
  • Cash assistance (state, city, county)
  • Certain forms of rental assistance (Most common in New York)
  • State temporary disability (CA, NY, RI, HI, NJ)

No one else is allowed to garnish money out of your backpay check without your permission. There are special regulations that protect Social Security checks, however you need to take certain steps to get this protection: Learn more about Debt & Disability

Lawyers fees are taken out of your backpay automatically. Other kinds of deductions are more complicated and may slow down your backpay check. Sometimes it gets slowed down a lot or the process gets stuck. If this happens, you can contact your Congressperson’s office. They can help you get things moving again.

LAWYER’S FEES

Your lawyer’s fees will be explained in the contract you signed with your lawyer. According to Social Security regulations, they are typically up to $6,000 or 25% of your backpay. If your case had multiple appeals (denied at a hearing and continued appealing), these rules no longer apply, and fees will likely be higher.

If your lawyer made significant mistakes on your case, or you are unhappy with your attorney’s performance you can contact the judge’s office (this office may be called ODAR). Someone there can advise you on how to contest lawyer’s fees if you wish to try.

In addition to lawyers fees, many lawyers will send you a bill for the costs they spent collecting your medical records – a few hundred dollars is common. These fees are not removed by Social Security. They are a bill from your lawyer.

BACKPAY AND LTD

If you received Long Term Disability (through your employer), the insurance company will likely want most or all of your back pay sent to them.

If you haven’t paid back your LTD company yet, be careful about spending your backpay. Some people get into a muddle this way.

If you used a lawyer assigned to you by the LTD company, your lawyer may have asked you to sign an agreement to let to let the LTD company take money right out of your bank account. In this case, if you keep money in that bank account, you will probably notice that one day most or all of it is gone.

If you used your own lawyer, or you haven’t signed an agreement to let them do this, the LTD company will send you a bill. Some people pay their LTD company using a credit card with a cash back reward. It’s a really large amount of money, so the cash back can be a decent amount.

Most people just pay the LTD company immediately, but some people do it more slowly if they are managing other bills. We’ve heard rumors that some people never pay the LTD company (we assume these are people that are no longer receiving LTD and were treated poorly by the insurance company). LTD is private debt. Learn more below.

BACKPAY AND DEBT

If you have debt, there are a few very important things to know about Credit Cards, Medical Bills, Student Loans & Disability Checks. Private debt collectors cannot garnish or take your back pay or Social Security check without your permission.

On the other hand, private debt collectors can try to freeze your bank account and then you will have to go to court to get it unfrozen! There are some specific laws the protect Social Security checks and backpay and keep bank accounts from getting frozen. Please see link above.

Of course, if you own a house or other assets or have other income, debt collectors can continue to garnish or freeze or take you to court for those things. Only your Social Security check is protected, not all money you have.

BACKPAY AND TAXES

If you receive a large back pay check, there are ways to lower your taxes on this money. There are special deductions you can claim, and ways to declare the income over several years. The rules are complex. You can research this online or consult a tax advisor. Some more information is here Tax Breaks for Disabilities

SSI is never taxed.

SSDI is sometimes taxed, but only if your total income is above a certain amount. You do not want to go over that amount! Important, Social Security doesn’t count all your income, they only count something called “provisional income.” This includes 50% of your Social Security check, plus your other income.

BACKPAY AND SSDI 

You don’t need to read this section, as it is long and complicated and there is nothing you can do to change it, but if you are curious how they decide your backpay, here it is:

Your backpay can start up to 12 months before the date you first applied. Except in rare circumstances, it will not be more than 12 months before your application date. A lot of people are told wrong information about this.

There is a five month waiting period before the date your backpay check starts. The clock starts ticking on your Established Onset Date. See section above on onset dates.

If your Established Onset Date was a way long time ago, this will have no impact on you, because those five months will have expired long before you became eligible for payment anyway.

If your Established Onset Date was recently, you may lose those five months of pay. Or you may be able to collect five months of backpay from SSI during that time.

BACKPAY AND SSI 

Your backpay can go all the way back to when you first applied, or (sometimes) when you first called and requested an appointment to apply. Sometimes it will not go back that far. It depends on your Established Onset Date. See section above on onset dates if you want to know more.

For SSI, your back pay will likely come in three payments, spaced six months apart.

If you have an urgent need to get more money sooner, you can request this. Contact your caseworker and bring them information on what you need to purchase. For example, if you need to buy medical equipment, you could show them a note from your doctor and/or a print a copy of a page that shows the price of the equipment.

RARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CREATE HIGHER BACKPAY

If you applied for disability in the past and then got turned down and then started a new application and then Social Security decided to reopen your old case then… you will get a lot more backpay. Your backpay will be set based on your previous application.

BACKPAY AND FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAID

You will need to check the specific rules in your state. Look up or ask for the rules on “retroactive lump sum Social Security payments.”

In many states, your back pay will not affect your food stamps and Medicaid for a length of time – usually nine months. Medicaid in your state may be called medi-cal or MassHealth or something else.

After the time period is over, if you have too much money in your bank account, this money will count as an asset and then you may lose SSI, medicaid or food stamps.

If you were first disabled before the age of 26, you may just want to dump all or most of your backpay into an ABLE account. Then you don’t have to worry about when to spend it.

HOW TO SPEND BACKPAY

If you are a representative payee for a child, there are specific rules about how SSI money can be spent. Please look at the SSA website for more information.

If you are an adult, you are allowed to spend your backpay any way you want. The money is yours.

Some people get so excited when they get their back pay they want to rush out and buy everything they have been missing. Sometimes this lead to regrets. Please take some time to think about what your life may be like in ten or twenty years.

If you are permanently disabled, this back pay may be the last time in your life you have significant money in the bank. Living on disability is hard. Being poor and disabled is hard. Someday you will be glad you made good choices today.

WHEN TO SPEND BACK PAY

SSI only: When you are on SSI you can never have more than $2,000 in the bank, plus one house and one car ($3,000 for a married couple). You need to be under that amount at the end of every month.

But wait! There is an exception. When you get your back pay check, Social Security will not count that money for nine months. Since you will receive three checks, each six months apart, this will give you some extra time to spend the money. Make sure you spend it and get down below the limit in time… or they may want some money back!

But wait again! If you want to save your money for more than nine months, there are a few programs that might make it possible. This page has information on how you can save money and how you can spend money: How Will Savings Affect My SSI Check?

If you were first disabled before the age of 26, you may just want to dump all or most of your backpay into an ABLE account. Then you don’t have to worry about when to spend it.

SSDI Only: There are no time limits or restrictions from Social Security. You can spend or save as much money as you wish in any way you wish. However, saving your back pay can cause problems if you have debt or if you are also on food stamps, medicaid or other programs. See above.

Debt: If you have debt, your back pay may only be protected for two months. There are special regulations that will allow you to protect your backpay beyond this. Learn more here

IF YOUR CHECK SEEMS TOO LOW

In most cases, your monthly check will be at least Maximum SSI. If it is lower than that amount, it may help you to figure out Why is My Check is So Low? and if there is anything you can do about it.

If your back pay check is too low, it may be for one of the following reasons: Lawyers fees, money owed to IRS, money owed to child support, or you were receiving cash assistance from the state while you applied.

IF YOUR BACK PAY SEEMS TOO LOW

Sometimes they incorrectly take out too much money from your back pay. For example, sometimes they pay the lawyer twice, or take out child support you no longer owe. If this happens, you can request reconsideration on the decision, make an appointment to speak to a supervisor and/or ask for help from your congressperson.

HEALTH INSURANCE

People on SSI get Medicaid. People on SSDI get Medicare. People on both get both. Sometimes people on SSDI get put on Medicare and then find a way to qualify for Medicaid, so they also wind up with both.

If you are in California, your Medicaid will be called Medi-cal.

If you get SSI, you will be eligible for Medicaid starting right now. In most states this happens automatically, but in some states you will need to enroll. If it does not happen automatically for you, contact your local Medicaid office and let them know you would like to enroll.

MEDICARE

If you get SSDI, you will have a waiting period of 24 months to qualify for Medicare. The 24 months start the day you first qualify for SSDI. So, if your backpay starts two years ago, your Medicare starts right now! If your backpay starts one year ago, your Medicare starts in one year from now.

In some cases, you can get on Medicaid while waiting. If you were not eligible for Medicaid in the past, please check again: Many people think they cannot get Medicaid when actually they can.

For Medicare, please see: How to Escape Medicare Fees

Tip from Rose: “When they start your Medicare, they will give you the option to start it now, or to pay the back premiums and backdate the start to when you were first eligible. Unless you have outstanding medical bills, there is no advantage to paying all the extra premiums.”

Tip from Magnolia: “Heads up for all you lovely people who have been recently approved (or who might be soon)! Apparently if you become eligible for Medicare before they approve your disability, they automatically deduct retroactive premiums from your first check. My Medicare eligibility is backdated to April 1, but didn’t have my hearing until April 27, and won’t have a check until June. So they would take April, May and June’s premiums out of my first check, for insurance coverage that I had no way of knowing I would have and therefore did not use. I was told since I didn’t receive any medical care during that time, I can write my SSA office and ask to waive the retroactive coverage. Thank goodness the lady who did my SSI interview today told me about that, or I would have been in for a nasty $434 surprise when my first check hit.”

IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON HEALTHCARE MARKETPLACE INSURANCE

If you are on insurance from the Healthcare Marketplace, in most cases, all subsidies will end when your Medicare starts. Make sure to cancel your Healthcare Marketplace insurance before this happens. If you don’t, you may have to pay back thousands of dollars!

IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON MEDICAID OR MEDI-CAL

If you go on SSI, you will have no issues. You will continue to get Medicaid or Medi-cal. Skip this section.

If you go on SSDI, we have bad news for you. In most cases, your Medicaid gets automatically cut when your Medicare begins (sometimes sooner). Even if you are still poor, it is still automatically cut. We know it sounds crazy that they take away insurance from disabled people, but there you have it.

Luckily, there is some good news:

  1. You will get Medicare.
  2. There are many programs that can help with Programs that can help with Medicare Co-pays and Premiums
  3. Many people are able to get their Medicaid back by applying for a different form of Medicaid. Different Medicaid and Medi-cal Programs.

The Medicaid office will not tell you every kind of Medicaid program that you might be eligible for. You do not have to accept what they tell you! You can research the different Medicaid programs in your state yourself, find one you think you qualify for, and then try applying for it.

OTHER BENEFITS

Great article from Diane Murray, editor of Spoonie Living, more information on how Social Security can impact other benefits: The Hard Fall

PLAN TO LOSE MEDICAID

Many of our readers are shocked to find that their medicaid gets cut off at some point after they get approved for disability. Start planning now so you can have what you need in place when the time comes.

SSI – Don’t worry. Your Medicaid will continue

Disabled Adult Child Benefits – Your Medicaid should continue. If it doesn’t they have made a mistake. Look here for more details:  Adult Disabled Child Benefits

SSDI – It is highly likely that your Medicaid will end. This may happen as soon as you are approved, or it may happen when your Medicare starts. Luckily, there are other Medicaid programs or other programs you may be able to apply for.

Tip: Don’t just contact medicaid and accept whatever they tell you or give you. Do your homework. There may be more programs you can apply for that they will not tell you about. How to Escape Medicare Fees

Please don’t wait til the last minute. It can take several months to apply and be accepted into a new medicaid program.

ADJUSTING TO YOUR NEW LIFE

A lot of people find they are happy when they get approved. But they are also upset. Sometimes they feel worse.

We don’t know why this is, but part of it is that some people struggled for so long and lived in so much fear while they were applying, it’s hard to shift out of that. It’s hard to believe that they don’t have to be afraid all the time any more. Some people say that they feel “post traumatic.”

If you are used to living in a state of high stress and instability, it may take a little while to really accept that things are before now. Some people also find that they grieve after getting approved. It takes time to accept your new life. Be good to yourself. Once you start getting a regular disability check and have more stability, in time you will start to feel much better.

You can use your experiences to help and support others with disabilities, and you can give hope to others who are still applying. You can also join disability rights groups, connect with friends and peers who are also disabled, understand the world in a different way, and work to create change in the system.

Your life probably turned out differently than you expected, but you may find that it also turned out to be more interesting and meaningful than you imagined.

You’re On!

Guess what, there are a bunch more things no one will ever tell you:

56 Things You Might Not Know and Might Want to Know If You Are On Social Security Disability

508 thoughts on “Everything No One Ever Tells You After You Get Approved for Disability”

  1. It’s great to learn that you can join disability rights groups to feel better. My brother is meeting with an attorney soon for his disability and he was wondering how he could feel less lonely with his diagnoses. I’ll be sure to tell him that he should join the online groups to help with disability.

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  3. Great post! Thanks a lot. I lived in my car during COVID waiting. My hearing got postponed. Info is king and you are doing God’s work. Stay safe out there.

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  4. Suggested addition to Medicaid/Medicare section: Your Medicaid program may cover MORE things than Medicare, like eyeglasses and possibly dental. Get those things taken care of ASAP if you think you might be approved for SSDI!

    If your claim dragged out, you may be switched to Medicare as soon as your SSDI starts and your DSHS will drop you from full Medicaid. You will probably have to re-apply…do so IMMEDIATELY as the Medicare premiums may be taken out of your SSDI benefit automatically..

    Once on SSDI, you may not qualify for ANY Medicaid tier anymore, and then you will have to pay your Medicare premiums and all the co-pays, lab tests, etc. And eyeglasses and dental. Or you may qualify for a Medicaid tier that pays your monthly Medicare premium, but nothing else. If you are getting a very low SSDI benefit you may qualify for the “full ride” Medicaid, which will cover your Medicare premium AND co-pays and all the rest.

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  5. Thanks for explaining that the lawyer’s fees need to be clearly outlined in the contract we sign with them. I want to help my mom find a social security law firm to consult since she’s no longer able to work due to a hand injury. I appreciate you sharing these general tips so I can use them at this early stage to ensure things go well in the future for her.

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  6. Thank you for sharing the importance of compiling the legal documents prior to meeting with a social security attorney. The other day my friend mentioned that he wants to hire a social security attorney after his social security disability claim was denied. I will advise him to compile the needed documents.

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  7. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this website. I can’t believe how much valuable and wonderful info is on here. You are amazing! I won my disability case fully favorable and while waiting for my decision and afterwards…. your site has been a lifesaver. Thank you so much!

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Just got award letter SSDI. No checks yet. Facing homelessness, I had to take torturous part time employment2 months ago. SSI sent their formula, and I’m just over. I was going down to a few hours a week anyway but now how will this affect both programs and back pay? And do I need to contact both?

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  8. This website helped a lot 🙂
    I got a partially favorable for SDI and SSI with no lawyer. Took forever and now just waiting for the SSI verification part. Thank you so much!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I’m beyond lost. I got my decision letter which was fully favorable, but I’m not sure if I will be getting ssdi or ssi. Looks like both were applied for. Calling social security is just so help what so ever. On the decision is says the claimant has been disabled under sections 216 (i) and 223 (d) of the social security act since feb 11,2016. But then right under that it says claminat has been diaslbed under section 1614 (a)(3)(A) of social security act since feb 11,2016. My date last insured was december 31,2016. So i was insured, but today ssi said i am getting ssi and not ssdi. lawyer isn’t calling me back, but i had been told i would get ssdi. im just so lost and depressed.

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  10. I think I’m more stressed now after the approval (ssi) after reading about all of the financial and asset rules than I was waiting. Is withdrawing cash a big no-no to stay under the limit? Saving every receipt in fear of a bean counter is going to drive me up the wall. Depending on fees I’m wondering if I need a financial assistant.
    Btw thank you.
    The information you have posted should have been told to me by my lawyer.

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    1. If you are over the resource limit, it’s better to avoid cash purchases.

      If you are just talking about spending down backpay, I haven’t heard of anyone having a problem with that, but it still better to be on the safe side.

      If you don’t use cash, you shouldn’t need to keep receipts… if a question comes up, you can just show bank statements or credit card statements.

      You have 9 months to spend back pay.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you. I stared at the first envelope for a few hours before having the nerve to open it. A few days have passed and I’m still reading through it all online. Some things make sense and then some things do not. I’m used to not having things and the back-pay is probably the most money I’ll ever have at once. I’ve shown the rules to family members too and responses have been a big wtf. I’m going to pass on this site and a few tips to my social worker to let people know about your site. I’ll tape it to the announcement board too.

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  11. on monday i changed my address from los angles county to san diego county for medi-cal says on 9th they sent a inter county transfer packet well usualy when i call automated system will tell me my case status in los angeles well today the 14th it says accessing but then says there was a problem accessing my info, would it change that fast or does it sound like there is a issue? i mean if was a issue you would think the automated system would still be able to see my case and like 5 days is FAST and of course san diego county has no info on me yet

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  12. anyone know what medi-cal and SSDI will do if they find out i was homeless and did not give them my correct living address? iw as homeless for MONTHS but i kept po box address and never changed the living because i did not know what to put for the living when i was homeless…so im saying if the find out that i didnt change my living address what will they do? i did now i finaly got new place but long story but they may find out i wasnt living at address for months…so medi-cal and Soc Sec SSDI what will they do to me?

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  13. i will be 100% honest i was homeless so i kept my old address and got po box as mailing, then people in same address as where i left my living address well i have informed delivery from when i lived there and today they got a letter you can see the outside says change in rent and subsidy if section 8 saw my address was there and thought i was living there would they send a change in rent and subsidy letter or because they thought i was there and they didnt tell them they would send a denial/termination letter? well letter they got like 4 weeks ago did say notice of action you can appeal but this letter they just got says change in rent and subsidy also you can just make out they must have applied online and if they got in trouble because of me id think they would get a letter says something about a hearing, but i can just see it says online application like maybe they calculated something wrong and are going to get differnt type…i changed my address i just pray its not because of me because if it is i changed my address to late, i did all i can do i finaly found new place and changed address…if i get nailed its HORRIBLE because i became homeless had nowhere to use as living address so i left it there and prayed turds didnt start flying

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      1. i used to live at a address other roomate took off so lost apartment became homeless so didnt know where to change my living address, so left living address there and got a po box new tennants moved in next thing you know they got section 8 USPS informed delivery i can see mail scans of envelope informed delivery works by address so show all mail goes there i see they got on 8 then they got a letter was a noa letter i could see it and i know it coudnt be good because said you can appeal, then 5 weeks later they get ANOTHER letter from section says “notice of rent change and change of subsidy” and i could see online application, if they are going to kick you off wont they send letter of denial? i think MAYBE they did their finances wrong or something because like 2 weeks after they got noa letter their bank accounts were seperate now they got wells fargo letter in both their names..but if the letters they got have anything to do with me im going to lose my SSDI and Medi-cal for not changing address and only reason i didnt move it i didnt know where to because i was homeless i finaly found new place and moved everything i can only pry it wasnt to late

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Are you saying you are seeing your past housemate’s mail?

          I wouldn’t worry about their mail. Try to make sure Medical and SSDI have your current address or a p.o. box so you don’t miss any of your own mail. That’s all that matters 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

  14. question about calfresh in california if they make you a household of 1 are any of the other roomates even on your case file?

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    1. In most states, you do not list roommates if you don’t share food. Please double check with your calfresh worker. If you are also applying for utility assistance, you’ll need to list roommates.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. section 8/Hud how often do they do your review/renewel whatever its called? where they make you fill out papers again etc? once a year 2 times?

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      1. i thought it could be 6 months as well, but its just a year unless they detect your income went up or you asked to move someone in etc?

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  16. question i have medi-cal and i will be moving to differnt county what proof of address will they want? i have no idea why but my friend said the landlord doesnt even give rent receipts and doesnt want to put her name on NOTHING, i know she is supposed to but if i tryed to force her she would just say dont come here then…so what proof will medi-cal accept? of course ill change address with SS and it eventualy goes into IEVS system BUT it takes anywhere from week to month for it to show, i will tell medi-cal they can mail me a letter there if they want but no utilites are in my name because it will just be a room rental and if they want to wait a week or 2 i can bring them a bank statement

    Liked by 1 person

  17. thats in hud eiv system TheSearch for Former Tenant provides the capability to search for an applicant or participant, to determine if the individual owes a debt to another PHA anywhere in the nation, or has been terminated ore victed from Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs…does that mean they can run the address where you live or it means they run you SS DOB ETC to see if you were in a section 8 somewhere?

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    2. I believe the HUD EIV is just for “Earned Income Verification”…so income reported by an employer to Social Security &/or your state Employment Dept. HUD also keeps track of people who now have (or have had in the past) some form of HUD-subsidized housing. If you leave Public Housing and you owe them money, HUD will have that record.

      As far as I know, only the Housing Authorities (and perhaps other government-funded programs like Food Stamps and LIHEAP??) have access to the EIV system. A regular landlord will not. However, a regular landlord will usually ask you for a Background Check fee and then will run that before they accept you. If ANY prior landlord reported something negative on you (owed money, damage to apt, eviction, behavior problems), it will be in that record and landlords will be reluctant to rent to you.

      When ANYBODY is looking for a record on you–DSHS, hospitals, HUD, police, bank, etc.–the classic search is on 3 things: Full Name, DOB, SSN. If they get a match on two of the three, it is considered a probable match.

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  18. Calfresh if they say your household size is 1 that means they are only counting your income? i mean if you live in house with roomates BUT calfresh paperwork says your household size is 1 that means they only count your income not the roomates?

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    1. That is correct, if they are considering you a household of one, that means they are not counting your roommates income. If you are not related to your roommates, they only count income from people you share food with.

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      1. if your household size is 1 do they even ask for roomates names and soc sec number etc? or only if they would be part of your household?

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        1. You will need to check with your food stamps caseworker. Different states do it differently. Usually they will let you leave that out, especially if roommates don’t want to disclose this info.

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          1. this is california calfresh so do they let you just leave other peoples names out if they dont want to give the info and you are household of 1 anyway

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    1. If it’s SSDI, It should not matter if he is homeless. SSDI does not look at rent or living situation.

      If it is SSI, then not paying rent can reduce his check in some circumstances.

      I don’t know the medi-cal rules, but I have no reason to believe that being homeless would impact medi-cal.

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  20. question i moved like 5 months ago and totaly forgot to change my address untill review paperwork came to po box this is for medi-cal they had my po box address but i forgot to change living adress…i put new address in but what will they do if they see that i didnt change address for 5 months? kick me off or what?

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    1. Hi Mark, I don’t know the answer to this, but I haven’t heard of anyone having a problem in this situation. Medi-cal is most concerned with reporting changes of income. As long as income is being reported correctly, I haven’t heard from anyone having an issue.

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  21. he just found out his friend got section 8 so thats what i was saying will they be able to tell his address is there? he is not living there or even spending night 100% he is merely using the address as living and po box for mailing with soc sec

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    1. Unfortunately, it’s risky to let anyone use your mailing address when on Section 8.

      Some homeless agencies will allow you to use their address as a mailing address… would that be possible for him?

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  22. also he was wondering if section 8 can look in soc sec records and see his address is there? since he is homeless he is using friends address as living for SS and all his mail goes to po box…

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  23. i have freind who is homeless if he tells soc sec and medi-cal that he is homeless does it affect his medi-cal or SSDI? i know ssi has strict rules but not sure if soc sec or medi-cal will do anything if he says he is homeless

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  25. i never recieved any back pay, im an adult now and another thing, my mom filled for my ssi in nov 2005 and i was awarded in feb 2008. my mom agreed to amend the alleged on set date to jan 1 2007 so does that mean the back would have been decreasesed or does social security go based off of the inital application date?

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  26. curious question when you are do for next review if they were planning to send you short form will moving to new area or state cause them to decide to send the long form? just wondering because i may be moving soon to another state

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  27. I applied for SSI and SSDI with the aid of an attorney I was denied 2 times. When I initially applied I provided a checking account for automatic deposits, not that account has changed. What should I do?

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    1. As far as I know, they should contact you for an SSI interview after approval and you can change it then. If you want to be on the safe side, you might be able to call them now and ask to change it over the phone.

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  28. question for you my friend is applying for calfresh are they allowed to ask everyones name? she is just a room renter she 100% just buys her own food are they allowed to ask about the roomates or just about her own rent? she knows the other roomates arent getting on calfresh so they dont want their names used

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  29. When I worked I made$800 a month and my foodshare was $192 now I’m getting Ssi at $771 a month now my foodshare is $20. Why they cut it so much I’m making less.

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        1. I do not know the reason this happened. Perhaps you can speak or meet with your food stamps caseworker and ask them to review this with you.

          The other thing that might create a change is if you added or took off other people from your food stamps account. If you didn’t change anything, it sounds like a mistake was made (I don’t know which was the mistake though… the old amount or the new one).

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  30. question for you is medi-cal going to give me problems because i didnt report fast enough? heres what happened social security sent 2 letters 1 dated the 5th saying my check would shrink from 1406 to 1054 the one dated the 6th saying my check would be 1347 BUT the letters did NOT come anywhere near the 5th or 6th one showed up the 27th and the other showed up the 28th so i uploaded them and will call monday

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    1. Sorry I do not know the answer. But in your case I’m not sure this change in income will have any effect on your medi-cal. I hope it goes well for you.

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  31. my friend asked me so im asking you his ssi financial review he said like last 2 were phone and mail this one he is supposed to go in is that a sign they are going to give him the hard look or its just random what way you get?

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  32. curious question during SSI financial reviews do they even electronicly check who lives with you? i know someone lives in a room rental pretty much EVERYONE their is on SSI including him,he doesnt list anyone else and they have NEVER come back and said ya theres other ssi people there and you didnt tell us

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  33. is calling ss the only way to see when next review is? i try to call the local office and the person who would know never answers calling the 800 number gets you the 3 blind mice routine

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  35. no i went from ssi medi-cal to medicaire and full scope no share of cost medi-cal i think what they cover is still same just what changed is how im on medi-cal was SSI linked now its DAC Disabled Adult Child Medi-cal

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  37. i was on SSI linked medi-cal before now i am on DAC medi-cal which i am told is zero share of cost and full scope medi-cal

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  38. oops i mean i see psychiatrist 6 times per year and medicaire will only pay for a service so many times per year so my medi-cal will pay it?

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  39. i see psychiatrist 5 times per year they picked up the other 5 claims in part they paid part of it i mean this time they denied it for reaon i said

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  40. this time medicaire didnt pay at all and when i asked apparently they will only pay for it so many time per year so if i have full scope medi-cal they will pick it up? its for my psychiatrist

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  42. It apparently is just a flyer for people that used to be on SSI if they have to send out for three years after you get discontinued off SSI because I was reading closer and it says if you want to be evaluated for the pickle you have to take the letter down to the office and ask to be evaluated into the pickle that’s what I call a waste of taxpayer money you can only receive one type of medical at a time so if their computer says I’m already on something why send me the paper

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  43. Was not a NOA notice it was a Lynch versus rank Tickler letter was nothing specific to me says if you have been discontinued from SSI SSP it says what if I’m already getting Medi-Cal with no share of cost it said unless you get a share of cost letter you can just ignore this letter

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  45. I think I know what it is it says they send the pickle letter for three years after you get on regardless of whether you’re on some other form of Medi-Cal or not

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  47. well i will know in like 2 hours but what confuses me is i thought noa letters would allways come from the county but this one is from state from medi-cal eligability diviosn attn pickel program cordinator

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  48. i have usps informed delievery and i have letter from medi-cal eligability division i wont be able to get letter till around 10.30 my question is “A” i thought noa letters came from the county and if you wanted to appeal then goes to state “B” the pic of the letter looks like regular envelope if its a denial noa dont they send it in a bigger envelope so they can include the appeal form and he return envelope or no?

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  49. i said are you or the worker waiiting for ANYTHING the super visor said review is DONE but i wont breathe a sigh of relief UNTIL i see it in mail or my online login

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  50. I will believe it when I see it but apparently the squeaky wheel gets the grease after complaining to his supervisor he apparently went over and talked to Jesus my worker and he said yes it’ll show up in 48 to 72 hours and it’ll say 1/01/19 share of cost with a line through it right now says 1/01/18 still

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  51. i will not call it for SURE untill i see it on my online login or get letter in mail but i talked to supervisor today i said is there ANYTHING left to do/you/the worker is waiting for? the super visor said you are approved share of cost ZERO reason im waiting to see is i dont know if it gets looked at even above the supervisor so, im not assuming anything untill i see it on my login or in mail

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  52. i talked to lady from legal aid who deals with medi-cal she looked by by medi-cal card number that my code for medi-cal is 6C for Disabled Adult Child medi-cal, i asked her are they going to care how i spent it and she said the rules for the type you are in they wont ask you NOTHING unless your going into a nursing home or long term care facility which im NOT

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    1. I hope that this can give you some peace of mind leo. I know that everything you did with legal and following the rules that they told you anyway, but it is good peace of mind to feel that they won’t question you more. Good work. Thank you for letting us know.

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  53. Hi, i haven’t actually gotten my approval letter yet, just being optimistic! i have many tests, including june/july 2015 POTS dx, with echocardiogram results by dr. cheney, CPET ithaca bike test (july 2015), Neuro Quant MRI, two more echo results stating disability in 2016 and 2018 along with the QEEQ from Siber imaging ALL stating disability. plus the few years, esp 2014 and 15 ALL had tons of doctor’s appts stating CFS. plus a few other things from other doctors after i applied. I can’t imagine that i wouldn’t get it! if there is gold standard proof for CFS, I did them all with confirmation of disability! yes I was poor in august 2015 to feb 2016! thanks for letting me know that. I was planning on ditching the SSI interview as I assumed I made too much with ssdi and with a rental income that I had to start in 2016.

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  54. ah ok. that clarifies. thank you! my onset date i used is the date i stopped working and applied. however, as the judge heard, i had 20 years of working and then not due to CFS including short term disability from California in 2010 for one year. then i stated my doctor asked if I wanted to go on ssdi or work. I said i’d trial work which i did part-time until august 2015 when I quit entirely. So if the judge is nice and fair, maybe he will set my date back further as I spent so many years trying to avoid applying (i don’t know why now). but at least I will get most of it and not just 12 months backpay. thanks so much! you are so helpful

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    1. It may depend how much you were earning. Most commonly, it is set at last day worked. If you were poor in August 2015, make sure to go to your SSI interview, you may be able to get SSI during the five month waiting period. Then SSDI would start to kick in around February 2016. Congrats on the approval.

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  55. Hi, thanks for all the information! I am applying for SSDI and everything i have read says i will get backpay from the time of applying or onset date. But you say above it’s only 12 months? are you sure about this?! Where do you find this info? thanks again.

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      1. Hi, I re-read it and i think you mean retro from the time you applied. not just 12 months AFTER i applied. cut and pasted: “Your backpay can start up to 12 months before the date you first applied. It will never be more than 12 months. A lot of people are told wrong information about this.”

        my question is this: i applied in august of 2015 and am awaiting my award letter now (it’s been 46 days since court). When I am awarded, i will get all of those months (basically three years +) worth of back pay minus the 5 months, correct? Thanks!

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        1. Hi May,

          Thank you for clarifying. I will make that sentence clearer.

          The amount of backpay that you will get will depend on what date the judge decide that you first became disabled.

          If you are applying for SSI then the highest possible backpay you could get would be starting August 2015.

          If you are applying for SSDI, then the highest possible would be August 2014.

          However, it could be less than either of these dates. Depending on when the judge decides where is your disability onset date. I hope this helps.

          PS I think it may actually be September not August.

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  57. my Paypal only has like 200 buck balance usualy i buy anything it pulls the money from bank usualy the balance will be like 100 a month

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  58. wondering if for my property supplement i was supposed to list paypal as well? it says list checking or savings accounts and as far as i know paypal is neither of those 2?

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      1. Thank you very much for presenting this data, it’s known how to get approved but what are the next steps after getting the approval… Wonderful information, thanks a lot for sharing kind of content with us… great post!

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  60. so the ddress thing you dont think they will noitce/care as long as it not out of state? because medi-cal is administered by county your in

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  62. we broke up so my bank went back to po box but i fear if they see i was using hers they will think i moved i didnt i was gettting stuff delivere to her place because im not allowed mail where i live

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  63. what worrys me is i WAS for my bank using my girlfriends address as my bank address because my landlord wont let me get anything here im wondering if medi-cal will notice the differnce between what i haev for my living addrress and notice the bank address and cause me a problem?

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  64. question i see alot of talk about the 30 month lookback for medi-cal was wondering did they do that when i got in in january? or do they do it at my annual redetermination? or both?

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  65. question if you have medi-cal and medicaire because your on SSDI but you would rather just pay a little more and get on the extra help b and d programs an get off medi-cal can you do that or do they force you to use the medi-cal?

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