What government assistance do you get, how did you get it ?

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I got SSI and the process went like this:

My mother filled out some paperwork, and I don't know what was in it. We went into the office. They mostly talked to my mother during the interview. Beware that the interview can be really draining because basically they go through all your faults. They talked about my previous attempts at work (which I had many of), whether they were successful or unsuccessful, and why. They had by the time of the interview, already ordered records through my psychiatrist, and told us that given the huge amount of documentation that existed, they doubted there was going to be any problem at all. They wanted my mother to be my representative payee, and I told them I had my own bank account, and my mother agreed it was okay, so it went to me instead. Medicaid comes automatically with SSI.

I got in-home support services (IHSS) through the state. Those happened because I went to a CIL (center for independent living) and asked if they knew any group homes that would take me, because I was near starvation level. They told me that I shouldn't go to any sort of institution, and started filling out all kinds of stuff and talking to people. The people wanted to interview me and my mother about what I was having trouble doing, so we did that. Then they gave me a few people a few times a week to help with a few things around the house.

The same person also said I needed to apply with a specific place that gives services to people with developmental disabilities, but that this would take longer. That was another application and interview process involving me and my mother and psychiatrist. They had to show I was diagnosed with a developmental disability prior to the age of 18, which they did. The CIL guy tried to get them to expedite it based on the fact that I was very hungry, but they said that they did not consider starvation an emergency, only homelessness and institutionalization were emergencies, and I had a home. They gave a deadline. The only thing was they would not get back to us about their decision by then and had not returned any calls. The person at the CIL said that sometimes to keep their caseload down this place would go over deadline and not deliver a response, and to go to a place called protection and advocacy. My mother went to protection and advocacy and they sent a letter saying that if a reply wasn't delivered about my eligibility there would be a hearing to find out. Then within a day of receiving the letter they said that I had been found eligible.

When I moved across the country, I had to go through a re-assessment by a psychologist employed by the state I was moving from, where she made the people who worked for me fill in a bunch of forms about what I was and was not able to do. She sent the results of the assessment to the new state, and the agencies that provided me services sent over their information about me. I was able to get services within two months of moving to the new state.

By this time, my SSI had switched to another kind of benefits (variously called disabled adult child, child's insurance, etc) that happens when a person was getting SSI, was disabled prior to the age of 18, and their parent dies, retires, or becomes disabled. Then you can either get switched over entirely, or get a combination of both. I was switched over entirely. There is a rule that if you have this kind of benefits, then no matter how much money you make, you still get Medicaid. This rule is told to you when you get it, but is buried in an obscure part of the Medicaid manual. When I moved from state to state, the new state tried to deny me Medicaid. (This is very common, there are many web pages about states doing this and hoping that the person doesn't know their rights. Here is one web page describing it if you ever run into anything like that.) I called them up over and over and got passed around to different people who all refused to open the Medicaid manual. I was told by the service providers that this happens sometimes and to go to legal aid which provides free disability-related law services. I went to them and sent them the exact right page of the Medicaid manual. They faxed this to the Medicaid people and suddenly I was declared eligible again.

The things I have heard are the most important, are know what your rights are (because the "pretend the person isn't there and/or certain parts of the law aren't there so they might go away and not cost money" trick is common), have your parents help if possible (they will be interviewed about your development, even if you already have a diagnosis, because they have to confirm everything several times over), and if possible find an advocate (centers for independent living will sometimes be helpful, other times they have a bias towards only physically disabled people) who understands the system, because the system makes absolutely no sense at all and without an advocate you'll just get more and more confused.

i get ssdi, and was on medicare part a and b but i got off of part b because i couldnt afford it so now i only have part a

in the past i have recived medicaid and foodstamps, but not now.

There's a lot of government assistance/funded stuff out there,but a lot of it depends on each area.
Am get a lot of assistance from the government,from a social worker under learning disability team,a team of ss autism and behavioral specialists,an OT and dietician, to 24hr res. support,to DLA [high level care and high level mobility] and income support/dis. premium,funding for national autistic society day centre [although have had an assessment from them and they say am too high complex needs,so have changed am to their outreach service where their staff come to am instead],to part funded rental of cars through the council,travel pass for free travel at any time,access to the ring and ride service..etc.

The problem with getting any of it,is having to go through a lot to get it,it can take years for some.

For high functioning auties or aspies who do need a social worker and some sort of support,but dont have a high level of support need,recognised learning disability or mental illness and no MR,they can end up getting no help at all from the SS because they don't fit neither the learning disability department or mental health department,they are now restricting ss help in this country in most areas to those who have at least moderate-severe/high needs.
If only meant assistance as in disability benefits,they have big long forms which [at least in this country] are designed more for people with mobility and physical disabilities rather than people with developmental/learning/mental or pyschiatric etc disabilities
apparently the newer forms are better for covering the whole of the disability spectrum,staff fill forms in for am,and they also get help from a government person that comes out.
Get help with filling forms out from government [if they have a service that does this] or some other group.

I get SSI.

I was given a brochure about social security income for people with disabilities when I was 17 so I learned I don't need to work to live so I don't have to worry about being unable to work because of my anxiety and my problems with people, etc. but I didn't know they give you just enough to live off of and you can't do lot of thins like buy lot of stuff and travel. They don't always give you enough to live off of so you need to sign up for affordable housing program or section 8.

My mother finally called the number to sign me up in October 2003. She had to tell them my name and give them some information about me like what my disability is. They even had to set up an on phone interview with me and we had that a week later and they asked me questions and my mother would answer for me when I didn't understand the question or wasn't sure about something. they even asked what my problems were and how I'm effected by it. She even had to send in my medical records. Make sure you have your medical records because they will want to see them.
Then about three months later, they hired a doctor to evaluate me so my mother had to take me to the local social security administration office. The doctor did tests on me. They were the kind of tests I did when I was a kid. She told me things like pick up an object, draw the clock, and she asked me what I think these three phrases mean. I can't remember what they were.
I didn't get approved till March 2004 and didn't get my first SSI check till June.

I heard lot of people get denied when they sign up for the very first time so if you get denied, try again.

I get SSDI and I donn't know how I got on it. I tried to work a few times off and on but never seem to

get the people thing down and lose the job. I have not been fired But I seem I kinda forget I have a

job. Odd I know. And I don't know the rules on how to mantain a job. I don't know how SSDI works. I

get these papers all the time but I don't know what to do with them so I just put them in a box. I get

food stamp, and medacare, and the state insurance for the poor. I don't even know how that all works either.

I am trying to go to school to get of the SSDI. And get a real job to make a living cause you cant live

off of what I get. Your hungry all the time.

In Oregon, both dental and medical is free except for a small copay, if you are below an income theshhold. If you get SSI, the copay disappears, too. No buy, just get.

Jon

What kina of dental things can you get in Oregon? like rootcanels, fillings, briges, denture,?

I'm not sure of the exact coverages. I am almost certain about root canals, definitely sure of fillings, a little bit hesitant to speak about bridges (which may be covered sometimes but probably not always), and I definitely believe dentures are covered. Tooth removals and cleanings, as well, is covered for sure. Also, of course, hospitalization related to these is also covered. My daughter cannot even get a cleaning without being put under general anesthesia and the plan covers all of that, too. What I know is NOT covered are implants and cosmetic dentistry. But if you are on SSI, it's likely that you can negotiate for significant parts of the implant -- particularly, if you make the case that you are young and want to preserve against bone loss that tooth removal alone might cause. (You need bone for good use of dentures, later, and dentists understand this and may be willing to help you find some way of lowering expenses while using the Oregon Health Plan for what it does cover.)

The Oregon Health Plan was created as a Medicaid Waiver program and, so far as I'm aware, is the ONLY one like it in the US. It covers everyone below a certain income threshhold with very modest copays ($3, for example, for medicines) and if you are on SSI, I understand there are no copays at all. (That's been my experience -- I pay nothing for my two children on SSI.)

By the way, there is a Portland, Oregon here. So you wouldn't even have to change the name of the city you live in.

Jon

Thank you for the info. I should move to Oregon cause I can t see a dentis with out frecking out and need to be put under. and the doc's here wont help.and there is no funding, My bad teeth are going to kill me some day cause of the innfections I have , going on 2 1/2 years with a constent infection. I drilled my own tooth to relive the pressure. and have been packing it with gause, to keep it clean.

Make sure the Oregon insurance plan is available before you move. Many states have long waiting lists. Some are so long that they stopped accepting applications. I live in PA and had to wait almost 2 years before I could get insurance because they only had money for like 40,000 people and there were over 100,000 on the waiting list.

I got a filling a couple years ago. It only cost $90 and some dentists are cheaper. You're probably better off fixing it now than waiting until you have even more problems later.

So far as I'm aware, there is no waiting. I remember being at a hospital without such coverage and they immediately pulled out the State forms and helped me fill them out, on the spot. Coverage was immediate.

What he can get here in Oregon is comprehensive treatment instead of just a spot-fix, like you are suggesting. They will examine him, work out what needs to be done and with what priority, get busy on it and move forward in a considered and deliberate fashion and he won't be forced to make tough and ad-hoc choices.

Jon

I get SSI, but I'm using it as a temporary thing until I get a stable job that will not only provide me with an income that I can live on, but health insurance. I'm trying to get a government job either through my city or a local Post Office job, because there's stability and insurance benefits.

I did get rejected for the SSI as pretty much everyone does, but I managed to win the appeal the first time. With the insurance I have, I don't have any copays, but I may have to buy new frames for glasses.

Is the insurance provided by the State or Federal gov't? Or part of an existing plan that is paid for by other means?

Jon

Yeah, I think my problem is that I go further and further into debt every year I live. So to me is it a constant losing battle. I earn $15K a year, but it costs me $20K a year to live, so I go under $5K a year. Eventually, creditors and the cops are gonna take me away for not being able to pay my bills. Or I will end up on the streets because nobody will rent to me with my bad debt.

IdahoAspie

I dont know the exact letters, ssi ssdi ssid lol, i dont remember, but i get them, my mother gets a couple thousand to take care of me, and i get 400 for myself. I can even get a job, part time only, but with all the volunteering, i decided between now and summer, try to help fix myself so when summer comes and i start getting busy, i'll be more prepared mentally hehe. Sorry for that short life story haha.

Speaking from an objective view, as someone mentioned prior, see: being pushed. Pushing someone with autism/Asperger's is counterproductive to their functioning, it just makes things far more worse than they already are. I was told this by a clinical psychologist at an autism clinic.

One must work with the individual with autism if they have the ability to gain semi-independence, i.e., they are innately high-functioning, they're better suited to adapting to the current society, etcetera. Helping us find our strengths, and working with them rather than being pushed into the "normal" box where all we have are weaknesses.

In my subjective case, no one pushes me to do something I don't want to do; I've been the same way since the very beginning, and I am in no way uncommon for someone with autism/Asperger's.

I would be nowhere near as well adapted as I am if I had parents who tried to push me, no one would have noticed that I had autism, I was far too high-functioning from 3-4 onwards, all they would have done is create a criminal.