Arizona Law: If having stage 3-4 liver failure with acute liver cirrhosis can one sign up for social security Disability if already married?

[Please keep it simple]

This is for Arizona law:

My friend is currently on SSI for assistance on bills, not on social security disability. But now something new has come up. He has stage 3-4 liver failure with acute liver cirrhosis. He has been to multiple hospitals, had multiple tests done. Blood work, doctor and 2 parentheses drainage surgeries, visible jaundice. All forms of visible cirrhosis and also has cirrhosis in the liver and is not on any form of drugs. (except medications prescribed by the hospital.) He does have the hospital record papers saying he does have the above listed ailments and prescribed medications. If he calls and asks to be put put on disability, what else can he expect to bring in as proof needed so he can be put on disability and can he be denied?

 

[Taxing Matters]

In order to get either Social Security disability or SSI, the person must be disabled as defined by the Social Security Act. So if he's getting SSI, he already meets that requirement. The difference to qualify for the programs is not a difference in disability. It is instead a matter of whether the person worked enough quarters on which Social Security and Medicare taxes (known as officially as FICA taxes) were paid on the money that was earned. A person needs a minimum of 40 qualifying quarters (e.g. 10 years) with earnings subject to FICA taxes to get SSA disability. If a person qualifies for disability, that is generally the better benefit so I'd assume that if he had the earnings record he'd have gone for the disability, not SSI.

How old is he and is he married? He might be able to qualify for disability based on his spouse's or parent's earnings record.

Calling the SSA wouldn't get him the disability. He'd have to submit the necessary forms to start the process, if he has the qualifying FICA earnings record. If he doesn't have the FICA earnings record then he'll stay on SSI. Did he ever work? If so, how long did he work?

 

[Please keep it simple]

he never worked for 10 years and he has been seen by the ssi as severely schizophrenic, he says they keep changing the reason on him. They constantly tell him he is on it for one thing or another. He is now permanently unable to works anyways because of the new disability. But he wants to get on disability to get medical and dental that he truly needs done. But lost the insurance part of ssi when he got married. It's bad, he lost all medical, dental and vision. He only has state benefits. He has been married for a few years. less than 5. He is trying to get back the insurance as if his life depends on it. He was told he may need organ transplantation. How does he get back on disability to get the insurance he needs? It's past the 2 year mark of being married.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Does his wife work? If she does, she likely can get health insurance that would cover both of them through her employer.

 

[Please keep it simple]

yes, but is it possible for him to get back his old insurance he once had through ssi? WOuld it count for anything if he lived alone or with others, such as his sister?

 

[AlmostThere]

Who are you in this situation?

 

[commentator]

Someone who can represent him (if he in not capable of getting the answers for himself) should definitely talk to the Social Security and social services people. If he was on SSI, and single, he would have been qualified for health insurance from Medicaid. Sounds like his wife's income put him over the guidelines for the insurance after they married. Depends a lot on the state, will be very specific, a worsening of his health condition is never going to make him eligible for disability if he wasn't, nor is it going to lower his income. But there may be some way he could work with the social services system of Arizona to qualify for benefits, if there is some valid reason his wife has no access to a health insurance program that he could be on. Either way, unless you are his wife, it's not going to be something you can do, other than tell him he can not qualify for Social Security disability just because he has become more disabled. That's not the criteria they use.