The Social Security Administration will be publishing final rules tomorrow which provide:
... that a “business arrangement” exists, such that the SSI applicant or recipient is not considered to be receiving ISM [In Kind Support and Maintenance] in the form of room or rent, when the amount of monthly required rent for the property equals or exceeds the presumed maximum value (PMV).
This sounds awfully tedious, and it is, but the estimate of Social Security's Chief Actuary is that it will increase SSI payments to about 41,000 people by an average of $132 a month.
The new regulations will not go into effect until September 30, 2024.
Unfortunately, there is nothing in these new regulations to help those who have an agreement to pay for their room and board once they get some income, that is, a loan of room and board. There are a lot of people in this situation and Social Security is treating them harshly.
10 comments:
ALL living arrangement rules are tedious. Just ask the Claim Specialists who have to administer it every day.
Social Security is not treating people harshly. It’s the LAW. Congress could fix it, but they won’t. Please stop pointing the finger at the agency, when they are only doing their job by upholding the law.
Only in America will people fight to spend more money figuring out whether people really “need” or “deserve” food, shelter and healthcare than it would cost to just provide those things to everyone.
This has been tedious for case workers and harsh for SSI recipients, we've been trying to make sure that they receive as little as possible.
@10:55 truth. I got more grief in audits for letting someone get more than "they should" than for not enough. Plus suggestions to ensure I had considered all the other things that could make the payment smaller. Not every supervisor but enough see this as the primary goal.
Story: My grandma was the sweetest old Italian woman in her mid 90's. My dad had died and he was taking care of her property which was rather large. I moved there to take care of her property, and she refused to charge me rent, she would never! SSA did NOT like that. Luckily, I was waiting for an apartment (tho sweet as could be, she had an Italian temper), so it would be day help. I explained to SSA that I was waiting for an apartment. They waived the 2 months lack of rent. The agent was sympathetic to my grandma, not myself. It was a very complicated situation as I had my own household in my dads "guest house", rarely did she cook for me, I just helped her keep the place up. I was lucky SSA was sympathetic, because usually they are not. They didn't count "family dinners" as in-kind support, so that was nice. So, that's my story of in-kind support, and the above commenters are right, it is really tedious for the claimant too.
I am puzzled why the government wants to reduce payments for family members helping when the amount paid is so insufficient if they don't!
Because a majority of citizens who show up to vote have, for generations, taught politicians that they value racism, xenophobia, selfishness, and cruelty toward the less fortunate.
While possibly true, your "explanation" lacks logic, common sense and sensible and efficient government policy.
Just put everyone in living arrangement A. Deduct for wages or unearned income. Quit policing living arrangements. Free us up to do actual important things.
Eliminate SSI couples. You get SSI? Your wife gets SSI? Great. You both get SSI at the SSI individual rate. No incentive or disincentive to marry.
Totally agree with 11:05 AM. Also, there seems to be "concern" that a disabled person in a "well off" family might get benefits, as if that family is "obligated" to provide support. That is a Biblical or religious expectation that not everyone has. Sure, it would be great if the family provided, but to assume it? They might look at as "I am paying x in taxes, why can't they (government) pay out of that?" Not that my family is anything close to "well off," but, there wasn't exactly anyone, including churches, rushing to help me in the 6 years it took to get SSDI.
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