[zijax]

So I got my SSI approval letter yesterday. But I wasn't approved for ssdi. Because I hadn't worked full-time 5 out of the last 10 years I didn't qualify. So I only qualified for SSI. However I have to have less than $2000.00 in my band account to get back pay. Well I had over that, not by much, but some. So I don't get any back pay. I also won't get any SSI payments because I have over $2000.00 in my account so my attorney told me to go write a check for something big to get my account down to $2000.00. Then she said if I had more than $2000.00 in account in future I could set up a special needs trust with her in which she keeps my money and pays my bills out of it and I put everything in it except the $2000.00 so I continue to receive medicaid and SSI check. I have no health insurance so this is tempting. She charges $80.00 to write my utility bills. She says it takes thirty minutes-so $40.00 and $250.00 hour if she has to get involved in anything. If I want to go shopping she has to get me a card to Belks or Target. I wouldn't have much control over my money. But if I don't do this I won't get the $6-700.00 SSI that I qualified for and the Medicaid. I don't know what to do.

[wildflowerchild25]

That sounds suspect to me. Maybe not suspect but kind of a ripoff. $80 just to pay your bills for you? You won't be making much with ssi, I know when I was on ssi I couldn't afford to spend 80 a month on something like that. Can't you just take the money out in cash and keep it in your house somewhere? I know it's not as safe but if you need less than 2k in your account that's what I would do. I wouldn't give anyone control over my money but that's just me. Maybe it would be easier for you.

[MobiusPsyche]

Can you prepay your rent or utilities or something to use up the extra money? I would not want to give up control over my money either.

[zijax]

It seems as though this special needs trust is the only way you can have extra money and still qualify for medicaid and SSI. It's a government sanctioned trust at the state level. My other option is just to go on like I've been doing, getting by with no insurance, getting my meds through a free clinic that gets them from a drug co. I get my meds free. I go to a pdoc that is free for people with no insurance. There is a medical center with a cheap sliding scale if I get sick, which I never do. I know it's a risk but health insurance for me with Obama care would probably be $700-800.00 a month. I could just let the SSI and medicaid benefits go bye bye and keep control of my money like before. It's a toss up.

[wildflowerchild25]

I have never heard of that. When I was getting ssi I never had to do any of that. They just gave me my back pay and ssi money with no question. I don't remember how much money I had in my acct though. It was when I was 19. If that's the only way to get your benefits then I guess I would do it.