Emergency Backpay?

[Manirini]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Arkansas

I am on full SSI as of July, and had $6,000 combined owed backpay when I was accepted.

Before the first monthly check, because we were in financial need (the bank was foreclosing on our home) they released the first backpay check for $2,000, and the case holder told us that if we needed the rest of the backpay that we would need to bring in past due bills showing we needed it.

Skip ahead 3 months and now we are in need of more of the backpay, all bills including home, electricity, phone are over a month behind. I called the local office and the same man is now telling me that those bills don't apply to what the requirements are for getting the rest of your backpay, and says that the requirements for that were put into the letter we received when we were accepted. We've checked the letter and it's not in there.

We haven't been able to get ahold of the guy since. Does anyone know what the requirements are, of it there even are any and this isn't just a big runaround?

[Onderzoek]

[url=http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-0545.htm]20 CFR 416.545[/url]

So what is going to happen 3 months, 6 months from now? If you used the first installment to catch up on your mortgage and need the second installment to catch up on bills for the last three months, it sounds like you are living beyond your means. If so, you are just postponing another inevitible financial emergency and there won't be any retroactive benefits to bail you out.

Unfortunately for you, SSI is designed to be a program that helps you maintain a low income life-style and you don't get ahead on SSI. You pretty much maintain.

You can go to your local office with your bills in hand and ask in person for an exception to installments. It is discretionary, so you may or may not get it. But you really should look closely at your budget and figure out if you have the money to maintain paying the bills you now have. You didn't mention a spouse, but you did say "we". SSI is not designed to support more than one person. If your spouse is working, as her income increases, your SSI should go down. Not dollar for dollar, but spouse's income does affect SSI benefits.

[Manirini]

Just wanted to make an update since I've found the information elsewhere, and basically to let you know how nothing you said was close to being correct, Onderzoek. Not that I expected anything else given how much of a pompous ass you come across as.

It is not discretionary, and it is not up to the local office to release it, there are only 3 ways you can receive the full backpay upfront and that is set by Congress, not SS.

The first is if you are terminally ill and aren't expected to live long enough to get your backpay, the second is if there are significant debts to your food, clothing or shelter incurred (home must be in foreclosed status, not just late on bills), and third if medical expenses are incurred.

And for the presumption that I'm out living beyond my means, I live with my 55 year old mother who fell and broke her knee five months ago, and has been unable to work due to two surgeries.

If you're going to be such a judgmental twat and ALSO post wrong information, you should probably just not post here at all k?

[Onderzoek]

[url=http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-0545.htm]20 CFR 416.545[/url]

Maybe this time it will show up as a link.

You are the one who said that you were behind in your mortgage three months ago and all bills are behind a month today. So I drew a conclusion based on what you said. Apparently I was wrong.

It is your local office that decides if you have enough evidence to meet the criteria for exception to installments. It is your local office who takes that action to release any additional funds.

If it were up to me, I'd release the whole $6000 to you right away. It is morally wrong that Congress is using money due the neediest of the citizenry (the disabled and elderly poor) to keep in their coffers a little longer to pay for whatever pet project they have. If Congress is trying to save you from your own foolish decisions (which is what started installments after the Zebley court case in the 90's), then why send you the balance of the money due in 12 months, no matter the amount? It is a bad law.