Slide 1:
SSI and Chronic Homelessness
Presenters:
Jeremy Rosen, Staff Attorney
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
Yvonne Perret, LCSW-C
Advocacy and Training Center
Slide 2:
SSI and Chronic Homelessness
- Definition: people who have been homeless for at least one year
and who are disabled; many in this population should be eligible for
SSI benefits
- 25%-30% of homeless persons have a mental disability
- 46% of homeless persons have chronic physical health problems
- But ironically, too many people experiencing long term homelessness
are not receiving SSI due to barriers
- 40% of homeless persons may be qualified for SSI; 11% receive
it
Slide 3:
SSI and Chronic Homelessness (2)
- How can disability benefits help end long term homelessness?
- Determination of disability qualifies people for additional
public and subsidized housing programs
- SSI provides income (up to $552 per month nationally, plus
supplements in many states) that can be used to pay rent in supportive
housing or other public/private housing
- SSDI can mean even more income
Slide 4:
SSI and Chronic Homelessness (3)
- In 38 states, receipt of even $1 in SSI means automatic receipt
of Medicaid, to cover health care and other supportive service costs;
in other states, a separate application for Medicaid is required,
but receipt of SSI is either automatically or typically sufficient
evidence to qualify a person for Medicaid
- After a 24 month waiting period, receipt of SSDI brings access
to Medicare
- SSI eligibility also guarantees food stamp eligibility, with a
waiver of work requirements
Slide 5:
Barriers to Receipt of SSI
- Why don’t eligible people qualify for SSI?
- Complexity of application forms
- Lack of medical documentation of disability, or inability to
access existing medical documentation
- Inability to remain in contact with SSA
- Length of disability determination process; it may take 1-2
years for an applicant to reach the hearing stage
Slide 6:
Barriers to Receipt of SSI (2)
- Lack of identification or permanent address
- Incarceration
- Drug and/or alcohol use
Slide 7:
Removing Barriers / Lessons Learned!
- Consumers need help to expedite applications
- Homeless persons simply will not get through this process alone.
- Case managers and other program staff need to assist with completing
applications, obtaining and submitting medical records and having
evaluations done (consultative exams can be done by treating physician
at a shelter, clinic or other homeless service program).
Slide 8:
Removing Barriers / Lessons Learned! (2)
- Consumers need help! (continued)
- Case managers can provide key functional evidence, especially
important in mental health cases; they can also get reports signed
by doctors to make them medical evidence.
- Case managers should develop relationships with DDS staff handling
the claim, so that DDS can tell them when more evidence is needed.
Slide 9:
Removing Barriers (3) !
Legal Rights of Homeless Persons
- Homeless persons DO NOT need a photo
ID in order to apply for SSI.
- Homeless persons are eligible for SSI even if they have used or
are currently using drugs and/or alcohol, as long as they can be
found disabled due to physical and/or mental impairments that would
remain if drug/alcohol use were to stop. Note that
drug/alcohol use does not actually have to stop.
- SSI recipients cannot receive benefits for any month in which
they are in jail (or another public institution) for the entire
month - but if they are out for even one day, they are eligible
to receive SSI for that month. Benefits are teminated after a suspension
of 12 consecutive months.
Slide 10:
Removing Barriers (4) !
Legal Rights of Homeless Persons
- Homeless persons DO NOT need a permanent address
in order to apply for SSI.
- Homeless persons can receive SSI while living on the street or
in a privately run homeless shelter.
- Homeless persons can receive SSI for any six months, out of a
nine month period, where they are living in a public emergency homeless
shelter. A month only counts against this limit if the person is
living in the shelter every day of that month.
Slide 11:
Tools To Help Access SSI
- SSI Manual and Toolkit
- Manual being prepared by me, under contract to SAMHSA (PATH
program).
- Intended for non-attorney case management staff, to walk them
through the entire process of helping homeless persons apply for
and receive SSI, as early in the application/appeals process as
possible. Should be available in early to mid 2004, at no cost.
- A training toolkit, which can be used to present workshops
on this material, is being produced by Yvonne (also for SAMHSA);
should be available later in 2004.
Slide 12:
Tools to Help Access SSI (2)
- SSA Pre-Release Program
- Jails or prisons sign “pre-release” agreements
with local SSA field offices
- Jail/prison agrees to provide SSA with names of potential SSI
applicants
- SSA agrees to come to jail/prison and take SSI applications
before prisoners are released
- Idea is to expedite these applications in order to ensure that
initial decisions can be made “pre-release”
- Program is under-utilized for several reasons
- SSA FO’s are too busy – they don’t promote
it
- Jails/prisons are either unaware or uninterested
Slide 13:
Tools to Help Access SSI (3)
- SSA HOPE NOFA
- Initial appropriation of $8 million, being distributed through
a competitive grant process
- Goal of grant program is to test best practices in expediting
SSI eligibility for homeless persons
- Applications were due on November 25; awards in March/April,
2004. Likely to be approximately 30 awards of approximately $200,000
- Depending on FY 2004 appropriations, new round of grants may
be funded next year
Slide 14
Tools to Help Access SSI (4)
- SSI outreach and application training
- Yvonne and I provide training and technical assistance on these
issues
- SSI listserv
- Operated by NLCHP
- No cost to become a member
- Keeps people updated on national, state, and local developments
re: SSI and homelessness
- Email jrosen@nlchp.org
to join
|