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Permalink Reply by Samantha Dearing on February 2, 2009 at 5:52pm

We were just recently kicked off of ssi due to our income. They will count everyone in the houses income. They included our 16yr old daughters income as household income.

--Samantha

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl Markey on February 2, 2009 at 6:01pm

Here in Maine they count the parents wages, the more you make the less the SSI check will be, I worked fulltime and my son his check amt.according to my wages......I was a single mom while he received his SSI as my husband ( Adam's dad ) left us about 2 1/2 yrs. after we learned of Adam's DMD diagnosis. The system doesn't work for the people that need help, it only works for those who live off the system generation after generation. Get this, when I finally had to quit my job as a CNA, working 60 hrs. a week at a fulltime job plus a part time job, to stay home and care for my son as didn't have anyone or anyplace that was handicap accessible for him to stay with or at while I worked. I went to our DHS Dept. and applied for food stamps, this is what I heard with a snarly voice.....you will be looking for a job, after I just explained my situation and my son's condition and why I had to quit working......to say this to a single women with a terminally ill son and who right after her husband walked out on her and their son, ( because he couldn't handle Adam being sick ) and moved to another town here in Maine and had a job within 2 weeks and moved herself and her son into their new apt.. I never was on the system, never had foodstamps to help buy food......they should be happy that the system was finally doing what the system is there to do help those in need and not allow someone to live off the system.
I had my pride, I went to the stores later in the evenings in hopes no one would see me using the paper foodstamps ( they are like a credit card now, I no longer get the foodstamps, my son gets them and it isn't much.
People tried to make me feel better re: using them, saying I should be able to get the help because of my situation and not the women who pop the kids put left and right with different fathers for each kid and no ways to support the kids she keeps bringing into the world and they are sitting on their low income housing steps smoking and drinking.....when I was working neither of these habits were in my budget, no way I could afford these habits.....don't understand how they can't afford a sitter to go to work or put food on the table, but they could support their habits thru the state assistance they are given.

You need to be almost living in the poverty income bracket to get any help!

How about cutting your hrs. a work, would that help get his some amt. of SSI, see you will have to lower your income to get any SSI amt., thus leaving you to still live off of the amount of money coming into your home as if you were still working fulltime. It's a no win situation, but fight for your rights, I am in your corner as have been in your shoes before!

Later,
Cheryl

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Permalink Reply by Amanda Rudd on February 2, 2009 at 6:49pm

Cheryl Markey said:

Here in Maine they count the parents wages, the more you make the less the SSI check will be, I worked fulltime and my son his check amt.according to my wages......I was a single mom while he received his SSI as my husband ( Adam's dad ) left us about 2 1/2 yrs. after we learned of Adam's DMD diagnosis. The system doesn't work for the people that need help, it only works for those who live off the system generation after generation. Get this, when I finally had to quit my job as a CNA, working 60 hrs. a week at a fulltime job plus a part time job, to stay home and care for my son as didn't have anyone or anyplace that was handicap accessible for him to stay with or at while I worked. I went to our DHS Dept. and applied for food stamps, this is what I heard with a snarly voice.....you will be looking for a job, after I just explained my situation and my son's condition and why I had to quit working......to say this to a single women with a terminally ill son and who right after her husband walked out on her and their son, ( because he couldn't handle Adam being sick ) and moved to another town here in Maine and had a job within 2 weeks and moved herself and her son into their new apt.. I never was on the system, never had foodstamps to help buy food......they should be happy that the system was finally doing what the system is there to do help those in need and not allow someone to live off the system.
I had my pride, I went to the stores later in the evenings in hopes no one would see me using the paper foodstamps ( they are like a credit card now, I no longer get the foodstamps, my son gets them and it isn't much.
People tried to make me feel better re: using them, saying I should be able to get the help because of my situation and not the women who pop the kids put left and right with different fathers for each kid and no ways to support the kids she keeps bringing into the world and they are sitting on their low income housing steps smoking and drinking.....when I was working neither of these habits were in my budget, no way I could afford these habits.....don't understand how they can't afford a sitter to go to work or put food on the table, but they could support their habits thru the state assistance they are given.

You need to be almost living in the poverty income bracket to get any help!

How about cutting your hrs. a work, would that help get his some amt. of SSI, see you will have to lower your income to get any SSI amt., thus leaving you to still live off of the amount of money coming into your home as if you were still working fulltime. It's a no win situation, but fight for your rights, I am in your corner as have been in your shoes before!

Later,
Cheryl

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Permalink Reply by Amanda Rudd on February 2, 2009 at 6:54pm

I feel excactly the same way. I have a friend who gets SSI for her little girl who has ADHD, now come on. She smokes and drinks daily. I am just fed up with the system and I plan on getting a lawyer to fight for my son and his rights. I would cut back at work, but we are barely hanging on now, with the price of healthy food(low sodium) therapy and natural vitamins, it takes everything we got then some. I know that everyone feels the same way, but eventually it has to stop. Women are being praised for having children by the benefits that it brings if you are single. I am going to appeal the SSI situaltion and we will see what happens. I just did not know if there was a way around it. Thanks for your replys!!

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Permalink Reply by Danelle Dickerson on February 2, 2009 at 8:48pm

Household income is just the first tier to qualifying for SSI. Next, they will look at your resources. For a couple, you can have only up to $5,000 in resources, including the value of a second vehicle and the $ in your checking and savings accounts. There are other misc. guidelines, such as you can't own a second property. The SS website has the guidelines spelled out. You should read through the guidelines before you spend money on a lawyer. Hope this helps!

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Permalink Reply by Katherine M. Reynoldson on February 2, 2009 at 11:14pm

Once a child turns 18 and declares their "independence" they can qualify for SSI. Declaring their independence means that you can no longer claim them on your taxes and if they live with you they must pay rent or room and board. I would be happy to provide more information if that would be helpful, but generally until they reach 18 it is pretty difficult to "qualify" for SSI because of the income and other asset limitations.

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Permalink Reply by Donnie and Linda Owens-Jacob Owens on February 5, 2009 at 3:12pm

has your husband adopted your boys. if not, then they should not count his income. jacob is our grandson. even though we are raising him, we never adopted him, so the govt doesn't consider him our child. as a result he qualifies for SSI through his birth mothers income. hope this helps

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