When a person in New Jersey is suffering from a disability, blindness or is 65 or older and has limited income and limited resources, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is an option to help them. While the rules are clear as to how people can get SSI benefits, there are important requirements when applying for SSI benefits and when receiving SSI benefits so the person can retain them without interruption. For those whose application is denied or who were getting the benefits and find them stopped, it is important to know what steps to take to try and deal with the situation for a better outcome.
These problems can arise regardless of the state the person is living in and stories that have impacted people outside New Jersey can provide a guideline of what can happen with SSI and help the person prepare for every eventuality. A woman in East Tennessee who survived cancer and a kidney transplant and was receiving SSI benefits saw her benefits stopped. The woman had been waiting for a significant period to be approved and finally was. However, they were stopped one year ago.
The power and water in her residence were turned off because she did not have the money to pay the bills. She owns the trailer she lives in. The woman received $735 monthly before the benefits were stopped on September 1, 2017. She says she was never informed why the benefits were stopped. She was unaware of how the process of appeal worked and when she went before an Administrative Law Judge, she did not have a doctor or a legal representative with her. The report in July 2017 stated that her disability had been reviewed and there were jobs she could perform regardless of her transplant, her past cancer and that she is slightly intellectually disabled.
This case might be in a state other than New Jersey, but people can run into these issues regardless of the state they live in. Since the SSA has regular redeterminations to see if the person who is getting benefits has changed circumstances and no longer needs them, it is possible for a person who is getting SSI will see the benefits stopped just as this woman did. When applying for SSI benefits or appealing a denial, a law firm that understands the entire process of getting Supplemental Security Income should be called to avoid the problems this woman is having.
