Post by Mel on Mar 15, 2006 11:30:42 GMT -5
Social Security Disability payments can be a saving grace for people with schizophrenia and for their families. They can provide several hundred dollars of income a month – and which, combined with food stamps, rental assistance, and other state and local programs, can substantially help out with living expenses.
There are two types of help available. Social Security Disability (SSD) is for people who have worked and paid into the Social Security system. The income people receive from SSD is based on how much they've paid into the system. The other type of assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), is granted based on financial need. It is not necessary to have worked to get SSI, although some people get SSI as a supplement to their SSD.
In either case, Social Security is available for people whose disability is expected to last for at least a year and who can't hold a job or who have a very low earned income. Anyone with assets of more than $2,000 in cash, bank accounts, stocks, or bonds may be disqualified. (The value of a home, most personal belongings, and, in most cases, a car don't count toward those assets.)
To set up a claim for someone in your family, call 1-800-772-1213. Have the following information ready:
The person's address and Social Security number
Approximate date the disability started
Names, addresses, and phone numbers of all the doctors, clinics, and hospitals that have been involved in treatment or tests
Names and dosages of any medications the person takes
You'll be asked whether your relative works and, if not, how the disability prevents him or her from holding a job. The representative will start the paperwork and set up an interview for your relative with your local Social Security office, which can take place by phone or in person. Usually the client is interviewed, although sometimes a caseworker or relative can substitute.
SSI provides a basic income of $484 a month. Payments may be less for people who have some income or more in some states, such as New York or California, where the cost of living is high and the state supplements the checks.
It takes at least four months to process a disability claim, but state-administered assistance and sometimes local programs can help bridge the gap. Medicaid, for example, can help out while your relative is waiting for SSI or SSD. Call your local Department of Health and Human Services, or Department of Health, or Mental Health to find out more. The Department of Health and Human Services can also inform you how to apply for food stamps or rental assistance.
For further information on programs available in your area, call your local chapter of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill or a nearby mental health association. To get an address and phone number for your local chapter of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, call the Helpline at 1-800-467-0075.
For more detailed information about Social Security Disability, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit their website at www.ssa.gov
There are two types of help available. Social Security Disability (SSD) is for people who have worked and paid into the Social Security system. The income people receive from SSD is based on how much they've paid into the system. The other type of assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), is granted based on financial need. It is not necessary to have worked to get SSI, although some people get SSI as a supplement to their SSD.
In either case, Social Security is available for people whose disability is expected to last for at least a year and who can't hold a job or who have a very low earned income. Anyone with assets of more than $2,000 in cash, bank accounts, stocks, or bonds may be disqualified. (The value of a home, most personal belongings, and, in most cases, a car don't count toward those assets.)
To set up a claim for someone in your family, call 1-800-772-1213. Have the following information ready:
The person's address and Social Security number
Approximate date the disability started
Names, addresses, and phone numbers of all the doctors, clinics, and hospitals that have been involved in treatment or tests
Names and dosages of any medications the person takes
You'll be asked whether your relative works and, if not, how the disability prevents him or her from holding a job. The representative will start the paperwork and set up an interview for your relative with your local Social Security office, which can take place by phone or in person. Usually the client is interviewed, although sometimes a caseworker or relative can substitute.
SSI provides a basic income of $484 a month. Payments may be less for people who have some income or more in some states, such as New York or California, where the cost of living is high and the state supplements the checks.
It takes at least four months to process a disability claim, but state-administered assistance and sometimes local programs can help bridge the gap. Medicaid, for example, can help out while your relative is waiting for SSI or SSD. Call your local Department of Health and Human Services, or Department of Health, or Mental Health to find out more. The Department of Health and Human Services can also inform you how to apply for food stamps or rental assistance.
For further information on programs available in your area, call your local chapter of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill or a nearby mental health association. To get an address and phone number for your local chapter of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, call the Helpline at 1-800-467-0075.
For more detailed information about Social Security Disability, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit their website at www.ssa.gov
