Disability and writing books

[grendal]

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

I'm not sure what one this would fall under, tax or SSI. I've been on disability my entire life from the age of 4 for none physical issues. My girlfriend has convinced me to write cook books. I found out the IRS gets reports of my royalty payments. In the past I worked as a stock boy part time as minimum wage and ended up stripped of my benefits with the exception of a whopping 20 bucks. I was only making 100 bucks a week, 400 a month from my job. I'm currently living in a house that I am barely able to pay for. In fact I've been living off of frozen year old hot dogs and ramen noodles for the past few weeks cause my electric bill went up for the summer.

My concern is if I write these books and finish publishing them, I will end up living on the street cause my benefits were stripped from me. Is there a way I can publish these books, collect the royalties without risking loosing everything? I doubt the books will sell at all, but if they take off and I end up making less then what I am getting now a month I will end up in the street. So any advice on how to do this without loosing everything?

Please no find a job comments...tired of them, and according to the state I am not fit to have a job.

 

[sandyclaus]

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

I'm not sure what one this would fall under, tax or SSI. I've been on disability my entire life from the age of 4 for none physical issues. My girlfriend has convinced me to write cook books. I found out the IRS gets reports of my royalty payments. In the past I worked as a stock boy part time as minimum wage and ended up stripped of my benefits with the exception of a whopping 20 bucks. I was only making 100 bucks a week, 400 a month from my job. I'm currently living in a house that I am barely able to pay for. In fact I've been living off of frozen year old hot dogs and ramen noodles for the past few weeks cause my electric bill went up for the summer.

My concern is if I write these books and finish publishing them, I will end up living on the street cause my benefits were stripped from me. Is there a way I can publish these books, collect the royalties without risking loosing everything? I doubt the books will sell at all, but if they take off and I end up making less then what I am getting now a month I will end up in the street. So any advice on how to do this without loosing everything?

Please no find a job comments...tired of them, and according to the state I am not fit to have a job.

Technically, it's not that you are not fit to have a job. You just require a job that you can perform from the comfort of your own living room. There IS a difference.

And yes - if you earn ANY income while receiving SSI payments, that income will be considered for the purpose of calculating your benefits. The whole point of SSI is to provide you with a source of income when you are disabled and UNABLE to earn any other income. Since you are clearly able to write and publish those cookbooks, you most certainly are able to earn income.

If you are living in a house that you can barely pay for, then it sounds like you need to economize and find a less expensive housing option.

 

[commentator]

So essentially what you want to hear is some brilliant way you can write these cookbooks and make income from them, and not have it reduce your SSI. It's a catch 22, because your income, any of it that becomes any kind of public record, such as going into a checking account or being reported to the IRS, is going to reduce your income based SSI payments. And must be reported or you'll stand a real good chance of being taken off SSI, because yes, they do have the capability to see it show up, whether or not you report it. When you sign up for an income based program such as this, you sign away your right to keep your financials private from them, they have the authority to watch your income and see what you make from all sources.

I agree with the other poster, if you are having trouble living on the SSI right now, and the other income is chancey at best--Goodwill and other thrift shop book shelves are just full of self published cookbooks that didn't sell, I notice-- you need to cut expenses to where you can at least live on the SSI you receive. One of the huge downsides of living on a fixed income like this is that often expenses go up when the payments do not. But you'll have to make a decision about whether or not you want to proceed with the cookbook venture.

You're not going to be able to ADD what income you make on the cookbooks to your SSI, that's just the way it is, it's an income based program. You may not like that, but you must stay below the guidelines, make and report only as much as you are allowed before they take you off SSI. Not sure your girlfriend realized that when she came up with the idea of your writing cookbooks. With your disability and your limited potential for employment, that may not be worth it. But if you have the potential to write and sell books and become self supporting....that's a call you'll have to make.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

You can't have your cake and eat it too. I am disabled and have been so for over 2 decades. I have never collected a penny of SSI or SSDI. In fact, I enjoy a very nice standard of living, which I work for. You, by admission, are intentionally staying underemployed and now want to commit fraud, as you are unhappy with the amount of money you receive that way.

 

[grendal]

You can't have your cake and eat it too. I am disabled and have been so for over 2 decades. I have never collected a penny of SSI or SSDI. In fact, I enjoy a very nice standard of living, which I work for. You, by admission, are intentionally staying underemployed and now want to commit fraud, as you are unhappy with the amount of money you receive that way.

I was told straight out by my case worker that I am to not seek any form of employment. I'd love to have a job to be able to afford a roof over my head. Congradulations, I've been disabled and on ssi for almost 3 decades.

There is more reasons to needing more income. I'm also currently taking care of my mother who has severe memory problems and I have expenses in that reguard. I'm trying to help her get on disability and into a living facility...which takes and costs money. Commiting fraud no...I'm will give the IRS reports of my income, I'm disabled not a low life politician.

commentator
So essentially what you want to hear is some brilliant way you can write these cookbooks and make income from them, and not have it reduce your SSI. It's a catch 22, because your income, any of it that becomes any kind of public record, such as going into a checking account or being reported to the IRS, is going to reduce your income based SSI payments. And must be reported or you'll stand a real good chance of being taken off SSI, because yes, they do have the capability to see it show up, whether or not you report it. When you sign up for an income based program such as this, you sign away your right to keep your financials private from them, they have the authority to watch your income and see what you make from all sources.

I agree with the other poster, if you are having trouble living on the SSI right now, and the other income is chancey at best--Goodwill and other thrift shop book shelves are just full of self published cookbooks that didn't sell, I notice-- you need to cut expenses to where you can at least live on the SSI you receive. One of the huge downsides of living on a fixed income like this is that often expenses go up when the payments do not. But you'll have to make a decision about whether or not you want to proceed with the cookbook venture.

You're not going to be able to ADD what income you make on the cookbooks to your SSI, that's just the way it is, it's an income based program. You may not like that, but you must stay below the guidelines, make and report only as much as you are allowed before they take you off SSI. Not sure your girlfriend realized that when she came up with the idea of your writing cookbooks. With your disability and your limited potential for employment, that may not be worth it. But if you have the potential to write and sell books and become self supporting....that's a call you'll have to make.

No I don't want to hear of some brilliant way. I was told because it is a royalty it is classified as a specialty payment and would not count towards the cost of living but I must by law report this income to social security. I cannot cut back any further on my bills. I've not even gotten a haircut in a year in order to cut back. I pay 100 a month for the roof over my head (a 2 floor 4 bed 1.5 bath victorian..owned by my grandfather), 30 for electric, 200 for gas, 270 for water, 50 for trash pick up once every 2 weeks, and 200 for phone internet and tv. I've been trying to find a new place but that will not help as chances are I'd be paying more then I am now. What can I cut? Can't cut the gas as that removes the ability to cook food...can't cut the water cause that leads to dehydration, poor hygeine (even though I've not showered since JANUARY in an attempt to cut the bill down), phone is needed for emergancy, tv is basic cable, internet my girlfriend needs for her college classes. She pays for her's and my mother's car insurance and gas, diapers, formula, clothes and toys for my son. There is no way to cut back. This specialty payment is what I'm here about. Figured a lawyer might be better able to explain it.

sandyclaus Technically, it's not that you are not fit to have a job. You just require a job that you can perform from the comfort of your own living room. There IS a difference.

And yes - if you earn ANY income while receiving SSI payments, that income will be considered for the purpose of calculating your benefits. The whole point of SSI is to provide you with a source of income when you are disabled and UNABLE to earn any other income. Since you are clearly able to write and publish those cookbooks, you most certainly are able to earn income.

If you are living in a house that you can barely pay for, then it sounds like you need to economize and find a less expensive housing option.

I was told straight out by my case worker "Frank you are not able to work, your not fit to be apart of the work force in any capacity." I was told this when I dicussed with her my thoughts on working at benny's. It was also her who told me about royalties being a specialty payment and she couldn't give me any details and said a disability lawyer would be able to explain it.

Sorry I haven't been about, my water bill went up again as well, and I had to pawn my computer to pay it, and just now managed to get it back.

 

[Zigner]

And yet...here you are...working. Imagine that.

 

[grendal]

And yet...here you are...working. Imagine that.

I was working benny's as a stock for the month of july, 8 years ago. I am not working, and have not had a job sence then.

 

[Antigone*]

You can't have your hotdogs and eat it too.

I fixed it for you OH

 

[grendal]

I fixed it for you OH

Starting to think there is no lawyers here.

 

[Zigner]

I was working benny's as a stock for the month of july, 8 years ago. I am not working, and have not had a job sence then.

You are a self-employed author. You are working. Don't sell yourself short.

 

[Zigner]

Starting to think there is no lawyers here.

It's on the bottom of every page:

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[LdiJ]

Starting to think there is no lawyers here.

Let me try this....

SSI is designed to provide minimum sustance to people who are completely unable to work and do not qualify for SSDI. That is why if you are working, you get less or no SSI.

 

[grendal]

You are a self-employed author. You are working. Don't sell yourself short.

I'm not an author yet, I've not published anything yet. I'm still writing the books and won't publish them until I know more about the specialty payment bit.

 

[Banned_Princess]

I think you are going to need a very good proofreader.

Is your book going to include how to cook year old hotdogs and raymon noodles? Cooking for poor disabled folks. I smell a best seller.

 

[Antigone*]

I'm not an author yet, I've not published anything yet. I'm still writing the books and won't publish them until I know more about the specialty payment bit.

found out the IRS gets reports of my royalty payments. In the past I worked as a stock boy part time as minimum wage and ended up stripped of my benefits with the exception of a whopping 20 bucks.

So were the royalty payments for being a stock boy?