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Post by Deannalee on Jul 30, 2004 22:49:43 GMT -5
I amjust curious if any of your DS kids have been approved for SSI or SSDI. Justin has been denied twice and everyone tells me he should qualify for it. When I first applied, the papers say DS automatically qualifies a person for this. Justin is 18 mos old and can't talk, sit, crawl, walk. He also can't eat by mouth due to aspiration and is J tube fed. He also is on continuous O2. I don't get it. Our social worker had even gone with us for the application process. She was floored they denied him. They said "he" made too much money. Funny that I only make $13.00/hr and am supporting 4 kids as a single mom without child support. If we were so rich I wouldn't be 2-3 mos behind on everything including the car, house, etc. Life sucks.
Deanna
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Post by christie on Jul 30, 2004 23:14:19 GMT -5
Alls I can share is here in New Jersey, SSI goes on family income. Chris will not receive SSI till he turns 18. Even if at 18, he is still living at home doesn't matter what our household income is, then he will qualify.
I have heard each state is different on this, what state are you in??
CC
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Post by Becky on Jul 31, 2004 0:06:31 GMT -5
Justin doesnt get SSI, they go by family income here (Oklahoma), he will have to wait tell he is 18 to get it, I was also told he would get it due to him having DS, but not here, it goes by income. I dont get it that they go on gross income, s****, if I lived on that I wouldnt need there help. Ok, now see you got me on my soap box. LOL Becky
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Post by Deannalee on Jul 31, 2004 0:08:52 GMT -5
I live in Ohio. I am just curious what there income level is. I barely make enough to support us, but I guess they think we are rollin in dough. NOT!! They said kind of the same thing, maybe when he is 18.
Deanna
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Post by Betty & Ian's Mom on Jul 31, 2004 0:40:24 GMT -5
Here in Illinois, they go by what income we make. I tried getting it for Betty and because my husband makes to much money that she does not qualify for it unless his income changes, makes way less than what he making right now, then she would qualify for SSI !! We are a one income family of 4 and can bearly live on what he makes. We pretty much live from pay check to pay check and our trying to save for house. I think this stinks. There are people out there using Public aid and such that really don't need and the people who do need it don't get it !!! Not fair !!
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Post by kimclmnt on Jul 31, 2004 8:29:33 GMT -5
We live in Oklahoma and we are a family of 6 with one income and we don't qualify. I think their requirments are crazy. I agree if we saw close to the gross income we wouldn't need their help. They will hand out in other areas and to people who know how to work the system but our kids can't get help and they are the ones that need it. Kim
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Post by PaigesMom on Jul 31, 2004 9:37:10 GMT -5
Same here in PA, it's based on the family income. Paige will get it when she turns 18 as well, unless she is working, then they will deduct dollar for dollar. Right now if she qualified, she would be eligible for about $540 a month, and they told us it would not go up and that she would receive the same thing when she was 18.
I'm right there with all of you, my husband works two jobs and I work as well just to make the ends meet.
Debbie
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Post by Robin on Jul 31, 2004 10:20:09 GMT -5
Deannalee, hi! SSI is federally funded and the laws are the same state wide so it wont matter what state you live in. It is always based on your income and with you making $13.00 an hour and having four kids you qualify so I do not understand why they are denying him. Parents income does not count once our kids turn 18. Jackie and Chuck get it for little Justin so maybe you can talk to her about income stipulations and see what they had to do? If you email me I will send you her email addy if it is okay with her. That is absolutely rediculous that you have to deal with this. Also there is programs thru community mental health if Justin qualifies as having two or more diabilities and it sounds as if he does. It is called the family support subsidy, you should call and ask about that too. I will cross my fingers for you!!! hugs, Robin
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Post by ALLISA on Jul 31, 2004 10:36:36 GMT -5
Deanna, I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in with everyone else. I am also a single mom with 3 kids. I only turned to SSI when my ex was 3 monhts late with support, quit his job & left us with no health insurance. At that point, we qualified. But (thankfully) he is now back at work, insurance back & DOR takes his support right from his checks. So we again don't qualify. I, too struggle with bills & keeping it all together. When I look at what they have for qualificiations, I guess I feel thankful that I don;t qualify....
But I do think it is a good idea to still apply for SSI because even if you don;t qualify for a monthly income, you may automatiocally quailfy for state health care, which is a bonus.. they cover all uninsured medicals. Plus, once you apply... you are already there so that if your financial situation nosedived for some horrible reason, you would at least have all hte paperwork, etc done. Does your state have a DMR (dept. of Mental retardation) or something similar, though often will help with respite money and things like that, and there financial qualifications aren;t as tight as SSI...I'm in the midst of applications & forms right now ! Best of luck & hang in there
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Post by ALLISA on Jul 31, 2004 10:40:41 GMT -5
ps.. forgot to say in the last post.... (non-mosiac)DS DOES AUTOMATICALLY make our children eligble for SSI... that & blindness are about the only disabilities you don't need tons of doctor & evealutions to prove that you qualify....however, the family income is also a factor. So while it is great that we don't need to prove and define the disabilty, the income could stop any assistance available.
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Post by lexybug on Jul 31, 2004 11:07:03 GMT -5
Just curious....do children with mosiac ds not qualify for SS? I applied but was denied like everyone else because of income. Nothing was said about mosiac ds either way.
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Post by Robin on Jul 31, 2004 11:48:17 GMT -5
I would think that the reason mosiac DS isnt a automatic qualifier is because a child with mosiac can be anywhere from very low functioning to a very high functioning person, depending on how many cells have the DS thng going on. I know there is a better way to word that but I dont know the medical terms, I just know all of their cells (or what ever you call it) are not affected so it is a little different as you dont know for sure how disabling the DS will be right away. Does that make any sense to any one but me? hugs, Robin
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Post by ALLISA on Aug 1, 2004 8:46:46 GMT -5
Robin said it correct... Mosiac Downs doesn't DISQUALIFY you, but it makes it harder because you have to PROVE a disabilty with evals & IEP's & doctor's notes. Whereas with "plain old" DS... they recognize that as a disabilty and will take the chromosome test as all the "proof" they need.
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Post by YoshsMom on Aug 1, 2004 10:40:18 GMT -5
If you have at least one "typical" child as well as one with ds, there is something called a split application. It is a way to get around the income restrictions. I don;t have a lot of details. I heard about it at a town meeting on financial resources for special needs. Ask your service coordinator about it. Its not easy to get, but its another possibility if you've been denied.
There are also other state agencies which give financial assistance. In NJ, the Dept of Developmental disabilities gives a small stipend and pays for respite and some assitive devices. The Catastrophic Illness in Children fund pays medical bills that are more than 10% of your income. We're on our second application for that.
Its a real problem in this country that if you're just plain middle class and barely getting by, there's very little help out there for you
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Post by momofrussell on Aug 1, 2004 10:55:43 GMT -5
To qualify for SSI or SSDI, no matter WHAT the disability, it's also based on YOUR income until your child turns 18. We were told in CA that we'd have to make $2000 or LESS a month, totally gross monthly income to qualify.. don't know about you guys, but we wouldn't be able to LIVE if we made that with 3 kids... so we have never qualified...
A.
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