From NC State News:
A recent study of homeless adults finds that women are at a significant disadvantage compared to men when it comes to accessing disability benefits. The study also finds that medical records are key to accessing disability benefits, which poses a problem for many homeless adults.
... This study focused on SSI and SSDI applications completed with the assistance of the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program, which was created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SOAR is designed to facilitate access to those disability benefits and primarily assists homeless and low-income adults. ...“
Prior reports found that homeless adults had only a 10-15 percent success rate when applying for disability programs without assistance. Since SOAR was implemented in 2005 and 2006, that success rate has risen to 65 percent.” ...
[W]omen were 30 percent less likely than men to have their applications approved. And applicants who were already on public assistance were 20 percent less likely to get approved.
“The most important of the critical components was the inclusion of medical records with an application,” Lowder says. “Applications with medical records were twice as likely to be approved compared to other applications.
On the other end of the spectrum, applicants who were required to get a consultative exam were two times more likely to be denied – and it took an average of 43 additional days for their applications to be processed. ...
5 comments:
Medical records win cases and CEs lead to denials. In other news the sun came up again this morning.
CE's don't necessarily lead to denials but lack of medical records does make things more difficult.
I represented a mentally ill homeless woman; the CE was little help, but the 2 commitments and several ER visits about her three year pregnancy got her approved. She did have to go to a hearing though which we won without difficulty.
Good study. After cutting my teeth on claimants here in Downtown LA (which has the largest concentration of homeless persons probably in the country), I have boiled it down to a few truths:
1. The majority (probably 75 percent) have some sort of mental illness to meet most any of the psych listings. Physical problems crop up just from being on the streets so long. Many have PTSD because something like 25 percent of homeless persons are former military vets.
2. The majority (probably over 50 percent) have some sort of drugs or alcohol addiction (DAA). Getting around DAA is the toughest part of winning an SSI homeless person case.
3. The inability to treat. This is a huge hurdle. In LA, there are pretty good free clinics (especially on the psych side). But just physically getting there is a huge challenge for a homeless person, especially in LA with very poor public transportation.
So bottom line is over 75 percent of all homeless persons should be on SSI and/or SSD. That leaves 25 percent who just basically can't get a job or don't want a job. Following the rules is a big problem for homeless persons.
Can homeless people even qualify for social security without an address?
@7:56, yes they can. Many homeless people can use the mailing address of a friend, relative, shelter, or social service agency. Some pick up mail at the field office. They get their benefits either on a Direct Express card (SSA loads it with the benefits each month) or direct deposited to a bank account if they have one and prefer that.
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