James Johnson unbuttons a faded blue shirt to reveal an eight-inch scar that runs over a sunken sternum.
His heart is big, but it is weak and gave out four years ago. Since then, he has found his family somewhere he never thought they would be.
Thursday, sitting in a Broward County park around what amounts to their living room and kitchen -- a picnic table sheltered by a tarp -- James, his wife Margie and their son Richard peered through pictures of the house where they once lived.
''This is hell,'' James says.
But even hell is closing its doors on the family. They have lived in the park nearly six months -- the maximum stay according to Broward County regulations -- and have been unable to find a place to move. ...
James, 60, has been told by doctors he is terminally ill. He lives with his two sons and wife Margie out of a tent and camper. They say they were tricked into giving away their West Park home at 5616 SW 36th Ct. by a man who said he would help them save the house from foreclosure. ...
James said within a year he had fallen three months behind on the mortgage. Then James and his son lost their Social Security disability last October because their assets -- including the house -- exceeded the acceptable limit. It became likely his home would be foreclosed on.
Dec 19, 2007
The Accidental Social Security Story
Every year in December I see these stories. They are intended solely to be about a person having it tough in the Christmas season, but they are also about the Social Security Administration's problems. From the Miami Herald (with emphasis added):
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3 comments:
Sounds like Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI (Title 16) is based on need and is concerned about the value of countable resources. Social Security (Title II) is not concerned with such things. The home -- when you live in it -- is not a countable resource under SSI rules.
Under SSI rules, transfers of resources may result in suspension of SSI/Medicaid for up to 36 months. However, depending on circumstances, SSI/Medicaid can sometimes resume under 'undue hardship' rules. Sounds like he may need to talk to SSA/SSI about 'undue hardship'.
Also if he transferred the home while he lived in it the transfer of resource provision would not apply s it would not have been done to become or remain eligible for SSI.
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