Social Security 101:
If you have been diagnosed with a brain disorder such as Bipolar, Schizophrenia, ADHD, Chronic Depression, you may be eligible for Social Security Benefits.
A permanent disability such as a brain disorder may prevent you from working a full time or part-time job. If this is the case for you, here are some things you should know during tax season.
1) You can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Social Security Income (SSI) by either visiting your local Social Security Administration or online at
www.ssa.gov - You can download the form and get assistance to complete the form. However, for a first-time claim, it is smarter to visit your local Social Security Administration and be sure to obtain the correct forms, ask questions, etc.
- You can make an appointment by contacting your local Social Security Administration over the phone 1-(800) 772-1213 or online
www.ssa.gov. - This will save you wait time before you visit the local office.
-An appointment will get you seen sooner.
- You will need all income documentations, all medical forms from your health provider, family size, including the exact date you became unable to perform your job due to your brain disorder.
- Even if you download the forms from the website, you will need to take them into a local office for processing. This saves time if you complete the forms and obtain the necessary doccuments from your healthcare provider, tax records, employment verification and income verifications ahead of time.
- It will take approximately six months before you receive a decision from Social Security Administration and actual benefits if your application for disability income insurance is approved.
- If you are denied the claim, contact your local legal aid bureau for assistance for appealing the decision. It is common knowledge that SSA might deny an initial claim. Don't become irate that you do not think smart! Get legal help at once!
- If you need legal help, be sure he or she is an expert on Social Security entitlement claims. A Work Comp attorney may not have enough experience with Social Security regulations. You should find an attoerney offering filing appeals for free. Keep in mind that Social Security regulations are a specialty from experience and there are no laws per se. This means that Social Security operates under Federal regulations and the person assisting you legally should be familiar with those regulations.
- Many times, employers provide some type of long-term disability income that can help you with living expenses while Social Security Administration processes your application.
- The long-term disability income insurance from your employer will be deducted from your actual benefits award.
- Your actual benefits award will be in a lump sum covering the six months it took to process your claim.
- If you have no financial resources during this six-month processing time, you may be eligible for Food Stamps, Temporary Cash Assistance, Energy Assistance, and Medical Assistance.
- You will need to visit your local Department of Social Services and apply for each benefit category and you should do so immediately. Err in favor of filing and not being eligible rather than NOT to apply immediately.
- In most areas, you are not eligible for both Social Security benefits and Department of Social Service benefits at the same time.
- Social Security benefits is based on your gross earnings and is not a "welfare" service. Your benefits if eligible will reflect this. Social Security is not an absolute. It is an insurance.
- Filing for Medical Assistance is a lengthy and time-consuming process, but you might be able to get prescription medication assistance so please plan to spend one complete day at each office to apply for these benefits. Please try to have someone watcvh your little ones. It will be a long day.
- If you are not eligible because of the gross income ceiling, you may qualify for other state prescription programs so ask, ask, and then apply, apply.
- Here are some prescription programs that might help you with medicine costs:
RX ASSISP 1-(401) 729-3284
www.rxassisp.org ESUN 1-(866) 662-1351
www.esunhelp.net Free Drug Card 1-(866) 410-4225
www.freedrugcard.us PSCARD 1-(888)-516-2535
www.pscard.com PRVERX 1-(800) 886-8412
Your RX CARD 1 (866) 561-1926
www.yourrxsavings.com www.helpingpatients.org Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association 1 (800) 762-4636
(all of these programs are income-based)
- Be patient! Swallow your pride. Be honest. If you expect and accept ahead of time that there will be mounds of forms to complete and signatures required from appropriate employer or medical provider, you will ease your stress.
- Do not be ashamed to ask a family member or friend or agency representative for help completing the form. Many rejections of benefits are due to forms not being properly filled out.
- Expect that an incomplete form will find its way slo---wly back to you. Time will be lost.
- Once you have completed all forms properly and submitted them to the appropriate agency, keep checking on the status of your application about once a month with Social Security Administration or every 7-10 days with Social Services. Smile!
- Respond PROMPTLY to any requests by SSA for additional information!!!
- Be kind. Be polite.
- If you will be working part-time, you need to know that the maximum amount of GROSS income you can earn is $980.00 each month DURING 2009 and still be eligible for social security benefits after meeting all medical disability guidelines.
- It is your responsibility to keep track of your GROSS earnings! You can download an income reporting form from the SSA website each month and take it or mail it in to SSA each month. This allows you to closely monitor your GROSS earnings. You can deduct prescriptions costs monthly to fall under the $980.00 GROSS income ceiling, too! (For example, if you earn $1,000.00 GROSS in February and deduct $20.00 for medicine costs, you are within the limit of $980.00 GROSS income for the month of February).
- You may be eligible to deduct the cost of a work uniform one time, transportation costs to and from work if you have a physical impairment, and direct healthcare costs (such as doctor office visits, hospital payments, prescription costs).
IF YOU WANT TO TRY TO RETURN TO WORK PART-TIME AFTER BEING ON PERMANENT DISABILITY, DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR DOCTOR AND PLAN FOR IT before JUMPING OUT THE GATE LOOKING FOR A JOB and working.
After planning thoroughly, contact Independence NOW at
www.yourtickettowork.com or call toll free 1-(866) 968-7842 or 1 (866)-TDD-2-Work for the hearing impaired. They have expert counselors who will gladly work with you for resources, vocation opportunities, and they even have a list of employers who work with them to employ the disabled.
Independence Now offers a complete job assistance program and resources for individuals with a disability to re-enter the work force with appropriate supports. Social Security Administration works with this agency (Maximus) as well.
If you exceed the $980.00 GROSS income limit each month or any month, you will OWE the SSA money!!!! In addition, you can be denied future benefits from SSA and you will also be subjected to proving you are not able to work full-time and support yourself due to a medical disability. Save yourself the frustration and hardship by following the SSA guidelines to the letter! Remember, SSA is an INSURANCE and not a welfare service. You must be medically incapable of working to receive benefits.
(We who suffer from Bipolar can be under the "manic" delusion that we are superbeing and lose track of the hours we should NOT be working due to mania. For this reason, please be sure to follow your doctor's orders even when it feels good to be working 80+ hours each week. Smile).
KEEP COPIES OF ALL FORMS! KEEP COPIES OF ALL FORMS! KEEP COPIES OF ALL FORMS!
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Internal Revenue Service 101
You must file any and all income with the Internal Revenue Service including your annual Social Security Insurance benefits:
- The IRS allows up to a certain amount of non-taxable disability income yearly. Check with your tax preparer or IRS agency for specific details about your disability earnings. You can also download informational pamphlets from the Social Security Administration website at
www.ssa.gov as well as the Internal Revenue Service at
www.irs.gov. The Social Security Administration should send you a Benefits Income Statement by January 30, 2009, just like Employers mail out W-2 Forms. If you do not receive the Social Security Benefits Statement by January 30, 2009, you can visit your local SSA office and obtain one.
- Simply attach this Benefits Statement to your Tax Form or give it to your Tax Preparer for processing with your Tax information for reporting.
- Failing to report income is an offense with penalty so be wise and file a Benefit Statement Form if you receive any form of disability insurance from either Social Security or an employer (long-term disability).
TIP: Each year I ask my pharmacist for an annual print-out of all presciptions costs I incurred. This is a neat and exact way to file your taxes and monthly reporting to SSA for allowable deductions.
If you are working part-time, you can download income reporting forms directly from
www.ssa.gov and submit them to a local SSA office monthly. This allows you to closely monitor your work hours as well.
DISCLAIMER: I am not, NOT a SSA expert or Tax expert and it is your responsibility to verify all matters pertaining to your situation. I am merely loving you enough to steer you in the right direction with what questions to ask and what information to look for.
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Brain Disorders and Working 101
There is an increased level of self-esteem and self-worth when indivuals with disabilities can be a part of the work force. Please support your loved one with a brain disorder if they decide to do some type of employment.
Remember that indivudals with brain disorders get over-whelmed over issues that you may take for granted. Tender, love, Care, and Patience is very necessary on your part. You may:
- Listen to them when they return from work to relieve their frustrations, fears, anxieties
- Use "Reflective Statements" if they are paranoid or believe the employer is conspiring against them somehow. This means validate that their "worry" is alright (i.e., don't ever say, "That's stupid," etc.) and then REASSURE them to believe the opposite (I know you feel that way, however, I think your employer just has a lot of things on his/her mind. Let's look at ways to stop worrying.") (Visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness for Family-to-Family workshops at
www.nami.org) - Help them navigate bus routes, mobility rides, etc. to get to and from work.
- Help them prepare for work until they can do so alone (i.e., laundry of uniforms, lunch or lunch money, grooming, etc.).
- Allow them to learn to manage their income and help them meet financial obligations monthly by teaching them responsible priorities (i.e., room and board, food contributions, etc.) This is all part of being independent and lifts self-esteem.
- Do not enslave your loved one and make unrealistic financial demands.
- Silently observe and watch out for mood changes or behavior changes and have a plan on how to respond in the best way.
- Keep your promises and commitments.
- Do not humiliate or demean your loved one for the type of job best suitable for them. Be encouraging and supportive all the way.
- Attend a few of your loved one's medical appointments or therapy sessions a few times when they first begin working. Listen and pay attention to how you can help make the job transition most beneficial with medical interventions and support.
- Know and understand the Social Security Administrtation's and Internal Revenue Service's guidelines enough to be able to help your loved one. You can do this by accompanying your loved one on appointments and be a part of the process as a cheer leader!
- Get to know your loved one's employer, co-workers, friends, etc. but keep a healthy balance for their privacy.
- Remember to give praise~!
NOTE: I will be devoted to the Obama Healthcare Advocacy Summit Plans through January 21, 2009. I will miss you all until I return. Please support the Healthcare Summit on January 17, 2009, at the Navy Heritage Center-Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC, Noon-4 p.m. Registration is online at $10.00 at
www.dcforobama.com-----It will take the entire Village to help Mr. Obama get his Agenda through. We will need to work hard AFTER the Inauguration festivities! Please commit to supporting him and us.
Also, I will be sharing information about the (Healthcare) Advocacy Summit during an interview with Let's Talk Honestly Host, Mr. George Cook, at
www.letstalkhonestly.com which will air Thursday and Friday Jan. 15-16, 2009...smile.)
Agnes B. Levine
Author of: "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 0975461206 Winter 2009 Release Pending
www.myspace.com/coolingwellwater (Subscribe Now);
www.blackhealth.org (Subscribe Now);
www.levineoliverpublisher.com (under construction)
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, January 12th 2009 at 7:02PM
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