SSI Questions

[deanna.m.gourley]

Gracie was approved for SSI in January and we felt so fortunate to receiving it, however, in July we had to do our recertification and since then we have been having many problems. First of all we were informed that we were suppose to be sending in all of Jason's paystubs every month. After doing so we first received a check from them---we called and were told that the check was for being underpaid. But then a week later we received a letter telling us that we were overpaid between the months of January and June and thus needed to pay back over $900. We plan on appealing and fighting it (I think it is funny that it says you can appeal if you can prove the money was used for the patient's needs....like we are hording SSI money to go on vacation or something :) )

Anyways I'm just wondering if there are other families that have/are going through a similar thing and if you have tried appealing and what has happened.

Deanna Gourley

[Kristin A]

Good luck - we're just in the 'trying to get approval' paperwork process!

[Heart Mommy]

SII is holy mess, we are now paying back $1700.00. I want to get out. It was such a blessing while we were sinking, but it is such a heartache now, we don't understand why our benifits changed when nothing in our income changed and we have no new "resources". My only suggestion is to make sure you are up to date with other things like vehicle payoffs, fax or mail in paystubs often. They go back two months to determine what the next months check will be and if you have a concern call and ask questions asap. The sooner you get moving on the answer the better/least likely you will have to pay back. It is a full time job keeping up with insurance and SSI. I wish someone would have said it was so hard to manage and to get out of, meaning as much paper work to end the reciving as it took to start reciving. I also wish I knew how often people have to pay back. I want to be honest and straight forward. I would never think of taking advantage of this... So maybe this is my sign that it is time my family should be done and let someone else have the benefits, RIGHT!:eek:

[Kaidence's Mommy]

We also have had the same problems with SSI. We felt so blessed to get it for Kaidence (mainly because it helped us get her Medicaid D). However, we did EVERYTHING that they asked of us. Including hand delivering the pay stubs and multiple phone calls asking why they were sending us the amount of money. Every time we were told that all was well and not to worry. Turns out that all the paper work that we hand delivered never was put into the system and therefore we are paying back $2,500. The case worker told me that they are just too busy and they dont have enough employees. I told him that I had done my part but that I had no control over their end dropping the ball on things. I am soooo frusterated because I was always trying to be upfront and honest but they assured me that the amounts were what they should be. It was great to have so that we could pay back the medical bills that had pilled up in the begining but I am upset with how it all turned out. I was also told that we could fight it and that our case worker would put in a good word for us but he said it was very unlikly that it would change anything. So we are slowly paying it back. We however are so grateful that the SSI allowed us to get K's Medicade, I am just terrifed to lose the Medicade now.

I also found it interesting to hear that this is a very commen occurence for those getting this type of SSI. Kaidence's Early Intervention worker says that he has seen this same thing happen to almost every patient that he see's that has gotton SSI. He said that is is so common and it happens the same way every time. Good LUck!!!!!!