On SSDI / SSI, and want to move out. Question.

I want to move out of my parents' house, and into my own apt. I am on disability (SSI, SSDI), don't work right now. Combined SSDI / SSI is about 750 a month. My question is, will my payments go up if I move out so I can pay rent and live? How do I find this out? Thanks in advance.

SSDI does not go up, I have no idea about SSI . Have you looked into having a roommate?

No, not yet. But It's probably a good idea to look for one on craigslist or something.

I second the roommate idea, but be very careful with who you choose. Some roommates can turn out to be bad news in terms of not helping out with chores, not paying their half of the rent, etc.

Also I see that you mentioned you don't work, but are you able to get a part-time job? I am on disability but work very part-time as well (only 15 hours a week) and this small amount is doable for me and provides a bit of extra income. Just a thought, if you are able to do so.

SSDI will remain the same. However, SSI might be increased. Here is a link: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-living-ussi.htm

Apply for a SECTION 8 Voucher. That would help you pay the rent. It can take a few years to get that.

No, the amount you receive for SSDI/SSI will not increase.

Look for a HUD (I take it that you're in the USA) office and go fill out paperwork for subsidized housing in your area. It will be a shorter wait than getting onto the section 8 housing waiting list. Check for that too. Google 'section 8 housing (your city)' and find out the status of the waiting list.

Rent will generally run about 30% of your income, perhaps a bit less.

hth

Also, check for apartment complexes that provide subsidized apartments. Some are publicly owned and ooerated by the local housing authority. Others are privately owned and usually operated for profit. It's true that, usually, you can get into one of these sooner (by a lot) than you can get approved for a Section 8 voucher.

There are people on housing assistance who pay as little as $25/mon. for their rent.

You would also be eligible for food stamps (probably more than you are getting now.) You also are eligible for subsidized telephone and Internet access. A land line and high speed Internet access would cost you about $35/mon. Plus you can get energy assistance, called LIHEAP, that will pay several hundred dollars annually to either your gas or electric company, whichever costs you the most. (A lot of people call this a "heating subsidy," but that's kind of a misnomer because the government doesn't care what you used it for . . . as long as it's a source of energy. In Florida, people might use it to pay high electric bills related to running their air conditioners.)

Why do you say this?

Unless there is a cost of living increase your monthly income will stay the same, I think I got one years ago and it added about 5 bucks more a month * useless*

I try not to contradict people named "Sgt. Rock", but DOES WHERE I LIVE AFFECT HOW MUCH SSI I CAN GET?

Information on how much you can work and earn without jeopardizing your SSDI benefit can be found here.

This is really helpful. Thank you.

Sgt. Rock was right. I will not be able to receive any more than what is already given to me. I contacted social security, and the man I spoke to, told me that.

Honestly, I don't see how people can live off of this without working too. I told him that, and he said that SSI and SSDI are meant to be supplements to work and other resources. He also said that there are many people taking advantage of having SSI / SSDI, and I don't know what that had to do with me, but it kind of hurt and I thought "why are you telling me this?" I get it. He was trying to explain that there's only so much the country can give me. But I felt judged.

Today, I can't even think about working. Or moving out. So whatever. A challenge for another day.

I really don't want to apply for HUD and section 8 and subsidized housing. I always imagine living in the shittiest / unsafest part of my city with that stuff, and i won't do that. I will check into it though, because maybe I am wrong.

People do actually live off of SSDI. And people do actually live off of SSI. The percentage of the population doing that is a lot bigger than you imagine. Lots of them don't work. Most of them are disabled to some extent, so that their ability to work is very limited. What the guy told you was wrong. That came out of his own head, not from any national policy. (Food stamps were meant to be only supplemental for most people who get them. Though they are meant to totally feed the extremely poor.)

SSDI and/or SSI, combined with housing subsidy, combined with food stamps, combined with other subsidies we've talked about above are carefully calculated by policy makers to be enough to live off of. Lots of people do it. And it isn't a totally bare bones subsistance existance. People getting that package often have basic cable TV, Internet access, and go out to eat once in a while. It requires being thrifty and careful, but people do it. I do it. Where you live can affect things. I live in a part of the country where cost of living is lower than many places. My apartment is nice and I like my neighbors. Some friends of mine live in a HUD subsidized senior complex that is very nice and one of the safest places in town.

You could apply for subsidized housing and just refuse the subsidy when you get it. You got nothing to lose. No law says you have to accept it. As a child I lived in a public housing project that was all the awful things you described. So I know what you are afraid of. But that's not the whole picture.

Still, you may be more comfortable staying with your parents. Only you can decide. If you live in a major urban center like NYC or LA, then where you might have to live could be scary. In other places, what's available coukd be nicer than you're expecting. It's best not to assume things when you really haven't done the footwork. What we conjecture can mislead us.

I'm wondering if you checked out the link in Post #5. The guy you talked to may be guessing rather than knowing. People who answer the phone when you call are usually not benefits experts. They are more like clerks.

Hi Rose. Yes I did read it but it was a few days ago. And a while ago, when I first saw it too. I think I'm just going to keep taking steps to find the answers to my questions. I will live at home for now. Talking to a benefits specialist is a good idea too. I'm resourceful in the sense that I can find stuff out. Sometimes I don't have a lot of energy to do so. So then I take break. Sometimes that break turns into longer than I meant though. I will keep on this. Oh, he was saying something about I haven't worked long enough to get full benefits. I don't ****ing know. I'm not good with info unless I'm sitting down with someone I trust. Otherwise it can go in one ear, but I won't fully know what the **** is being said. Technical jargon and math are not my strong suits, and I just didn't fully understand what he was saying.

Either he mis-spoke, or you mis-heard regarding you not getting "full benefits." If you are currently getting SSDI or SSI or a combination of both, then that's as full as it gets. Of course, at $750/month, your benefit is smaller than if you had worked longer and paid in more, but it's not correct to say you are getting a "partial" benefit. You are getting a good deal less than the maximum possible, but probably most disabled people are getting less than if they had worked at a high paying job for 40 years. So if you talk to 10 random people on disability, they probably get 10 different size checks. But each person is getting the full benefit they are entitled to. There are people who can't get SSDI at all and would only be able to get SSI. That would be people who didn't work long enough to qualify for SSDI. Either you qualify or you don't. Nobody "partially" qualifies. If you don't qualify for SSDI, then all you get is SSI. All people in your state who live independently and get just SSI, get the exact same amount. Those living with parents get less.

Hooking up with a benefits specialist is not easy. I've never met one. Your state has an office of Vocational Rehab. They offer help to assist you in finding some work. It can be part-time work that does not interfere with your benefit. Voc Rehab has helped someone I know get to see a benefits advisor.

I get sis at $700.00 a month but said pays more

SSI maxes out at $735. Some states add a small supplement to that and some (I think rare) people can get a bit of SSDI as well.