Social Security has now announced that it will recognize same sex marriages even before the date of the Supreme Court decision requiring that all states recognize same sex marriages. Just yesterday there was a New York Times article saying that the Department of Justice was still considering the issue.
Will the agency also expand this to cover such relationships in SSI for same sex couples? Computer programming now is necessary so no assumptions are made concerning marital relationships concerning anyone in a household for any program SSA administers. For example, if four males are in a household will answers be required for marital status for all in the household where eligibility or payment amount is concerned? Until programming is done, will documentation be required concerning this for all claims and post entitlement actions?
ReplyDeleteInteresting as well because for SSI we don't even need a "legal marriage". In fact, we could deem income and resources from multiple "significant others"!
DeleteThe POMS clearly says NOT to ask about holding out for same sex couples. But we're still supposed to ask opposite sex couples. Doesn't seem very fair and equitable to me. So I have just stopped asking, period.
ReplyDelete