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Social Security / Charity Questions

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AedanRayne

Inactive Cam Model
Sep 2, 2010
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State of Bliss, USA
aedanrayne.com
I have an odd question but I need some help - My mind is foggy and I don't even know where to start with this all... any help is appreciated.

My mother is disabled and cannot work. My father is the bread winner of their household but I don't know if he'll be able to work due to his serious illness. My mother is overwhelmed with everything (which is to be expected and understandable)... so, I'm trying to do everything that I can to help them.

Where do we start with getting my mother social security? Would it be best to get a social security lawyer to help her get some kind of aid? If something happens to my father, she will have zero income and won't be able to keep afloat. I want to do what I can to keep her from losing her house and to keep food on their table. I've been helping them financially for most of the year but I can only do so much while keeping my household running. So, I guess I need to look into social security? I'm so confused but any help from people who have been there would be greatly appreciated.

Perhaps there are charities that might be able to help my parents? If you've ever had any help from a charity in Florida (that you'd like to recommend) - please let me know which one and I'll contact them ASAP. I do appreciate your help! My head is spinning and I don't know who to ask... I feel so weird asking this but I'm at a loss.

Thank you.
 
It depends whether mom has already been found disabled by Soc. Sec. if yes then financially that may be all they can do. If she hasn't been determined disabled yes I'd start the process but a note of warning, if they're anything like my state, it likely won't be very quick. Also, even though I was born with a severe disability, I was declined twice before they finally deemed me disabled. A lawyer MIGHT help but based on my experience I don't think thats a necessity right off. There ARE agencies or even individuals who help people fill out the paper work or will go with them to interviews etc. That might be something to look into.

As I mentioned in my tweet, there are Centers for Independent Living in every state. Theres about 600 or more across the country. I have worked for 2 where I live. Each state of course is different but they typically don't require that a person be deemed disabled before they'll help. If your mom provides medical proof of some kind or if its pretty obvious she has medical issues, I wouldn't anticipate any problem with them working with you. The ones I worked for didn't really have programs that helped with actual funds but I know some do, depending on where they are. They have several basic functions they perform but there is also a lot of diversity in programs or services they provide.

Your local Social Service office is likely where you could find some emergency assistance I would think. They typically have programs for food assistance, heating or cooling assistance & programs along those lines.

Even if your mom hasn't actually been found disabled by Soc. Sec. she could still apply for SSI or supplemental income. It's a needs based program & not disability based. If your dad will be unable to work he could also apply for disability and/or SSI I would think.

Hope this info helps. I'm sure I can provide a lot more with a little research or if I send some emails or make some phone calls. I worked with people in the disability community from all over the country. Just let me know how I can help! Wishing you & your family the best!
 
Hello Amber, I am sorry to hear about everything going on right now with your family. I know how stressful times like these are and how much they can tear a family apart. I wanted to help wit the Social security having gone thru it myself and my mother. The best place to start is the SSA.gov website for everything about Social Security, medicare, and another benefits that might be available to your family. The site to apply for the Social Security Benefits is http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/disability.htm this is quicker than going to your local Social Security office. The best thing for you to do is get everything together before you send it in, I mean everything, financial statements, doctors reports, original birth certificates-(they will not take copies go to your local courthouse or city hall for this). You may have to go to where you parents were born to get the birth certificate. the application give you a complete list of what is needed. I now the wait time is long to find out if approved, for me it was almost 3 yrs, I live in North Carolina. It may be different in Florida, just be ready for a long wait. I recommend, if the first application is not approved to get a lawyer, it will help in the end, or at least someone who use to write the decisions for the judges. I had someone who wrote up decisions and she was better than any lawyer, she knew the ins and outs very well. As far as I remember they can only charge 25% or $5,300 which ever is the greater amount. When you send in the application a "case worker", don't know what else to call them, will call and go over the application with you.
As far as more assistance I recommend going to Department of Health and Human Services in your area. This will help with Social Security, believe it or not. Apply for Medicaid and Food stamps if need be, right now I now it is hard to ask for help with something like this, sometimes you have to swallow your pride when it comes to family. I may not be much help with charities i am afraid, from NC. I would recommend going to local churches to start with they may lead to other charities and local groups to help. If need be go to the local news station for information, up here when someone need help when things gone taken a turn for the worst, they may ask the community for help. the last is just and idea.
I go by wsa351 on MFC and follow you on Twitter (@wshane). if you have any other questions feel free to MFC mail me or email good luck. Shane
 
I can answer this question perfectly - if she lived in the UK.
Way too much research into the benefits system in the past year.
General tips that will apply everywhere.

Photocopy and send recorded or tracked _everything_ you send, or get reciepts.

Officialdom in general loves to lose things, and if you can prove it's not your fault,
it may be possible for example to get things backdated to the original date they
should have received it.

Do not trust what the front-line people on the phones say without checking.
See if it's possible to backdate any benefits or entitlements.

Find a forum for either disabilities with a florida section, or a florida forum with a
section on disabilities.

One for her condition would be ideal, but any sort-of-related condition that has similar
effects would be useful.
Are there any unions that either of them was a member of in the past that may be able to give
any pointers?

If you are up for some reading, see if there are any guides on how to apply for benefits
on your states website. Mine has the detailed guides used by the people processing the
claims available.
There are presumably books aimed at advisers for people with disabilites - these can be
of use, though expensive - way cheaper than professional advice.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Welfare-Benefit ... =pd_cp_b_0 for example is one I purchased that will be utterly useless to you.

And on general approach.
Try to be dispassionate to a degree when filling in the forms.
Read them really carefully, and any accompanying notes.
Do not fill in in one pass, but make notes.
If they are enquiring about disability do not stick to her 'main' problem, and dismiss others as trivial.
For every single problem could someone who has been following her around for a week reasonably argue that the question the form is asking applies.

And finally, try to relax or take your mind off the forms and process for a bit each day. Concentrating too hard will burn you out, and can lead to you getting tunnel vision - when other approaches that you think of during down-time may work better.
 
Don't let her apply for SSDI online or alone. I know it seems easier and faster, but getting legal help from someone who specializes in disability cases and doing it in person is the way to go. (She should be able to get legal help for free if you contact her county.) Once the paperwork starts, make sure she doesn't miss any of the interviews (even the phone ones) or appointments. Missing one thing can give them a reason to throw her papers onto the no stack. If you have to mail something, spring for delivery confirmation. If you fax something, ask that they fax back that it was received. They are notorious at losing things and never take responsibility on their end. I live in Florida as well and have been my husband's representative payee for 6 years in 3 different states. So far, Florida's Social Security office has been my least favorite to deal with.

In the meantime, there are charities that help with electric bills and maybe other needs too. Call your county or 211. They should be able to point you in the right direction.
 
If you call your local electric company they can point you in the direction of emergency and/or long term aid for paying her electric bill too, she might even qualify for her county's version of Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP). It might not hurt to also look into food stamps type help as well for the time being. Check out a few local food banks and see if they have any resources for long term and short term assistance.

You can see what assistance programs your local electric company works with by checking out their website, the Nashville one is nespower.com for example.
 
As a more general point - it may be appropriate to go through all their bills, and cut unused services.
Cable/phones/... is anything now unused, and will be likely to continue to be unused in the short term, that you can save by turning it off, or reducing the package.
 
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I don't really have any useful answers for you, but I wanted to say I'm sorry for the stress you're going through and it's nice of you to help your parents.
 
FifthElephant said:
As a more general point - it may be appropriate to go through all their bills, and cut unused services.
Cable/phones/... is anything now unused, and will be likely to continue to be unused in the short term, that you can save by turning it off, or reducing the package.
We've actually done the same thing in my house. Is it possible to get rid of a landline and have two pay as you go phones instead (if that's cheaper for you.)

Could you swap cable out for netflix and internet instead or just a smaller cable package? Is it possible to use energy star power strips instead of just plugging electronics into the wall? There's lots of little ways to cut back that add up and help trim bills.
 
Go to the SS office, they will get you started. jump through their hoops and prepare to be rejected.
Sometimes they shock you, my brothers SSDI was approved the first time.

Also, if you are put on SSDI, you may also qualify for SSI. Once you are on these programs depending on your state, you become eligible for a ton of benefits, from home weatherization to farmers market vouchers, food stamps to transportation services.

my elderly mom applied for heating assistance, and that led to a knowledgeable worker pointing her to another state program that came in and replaced her furnace, insulated her house and did some other repairs. Some states like Pa fund these programs via the state lottery.

If she is rejected, there are lots of SS disability lawyers, pick a couple, take them up o their free consultation hour, think about them all for a while and pick one that seems to know which way is up and who you like.
What they actually do is fairly simple intermediary work, but they do take a chunk of your retroactive payout. (once SSI/SSDI does accept you, they pay you for 2 yrs back or to the date you first applied. To a lawyer that can be a good payday for a few days paperwork.)

The deeper you get into the application process, the better you'll get a grip on it. It's just filling out paperwork and documenting all the crap they want to know.

once on it you can get a discount on your cell phone plan, I think they knock it down to 35 bucks a month. I havent looked into that to much.

Good luck, you can do it. It all sounds much more complex than it actually is.
 
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um, wsa.... You do know that was not Amber, but another model here called Aedan Rayne, right? *hoping that was just a typo*

Also- it's easier to read long text if you break it into paragraphs. Since there's no tab option to indent new paragraphs, we usually use an extra enter between to break them up. Wall of text = no one reads it.
 
(sorry for the double post, but I wanted this one to focus entirely on you)

Aedan, I wish I could do something to help, but since I can't, sending positive thoughts your way. *hugs*
 
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