My 22 month old son has just been granted ssi. He is to begin receiving his monthly checks either this month or next month. I cannot get a straight answer on that. He was also granted $2022 worth of back pay and I had to open up a representative payee account, which I did. They told me before I had the acccount the back pay would be dispersed nov 2. Now because I didn't have the account before I'm concerned they may have stopped that. I left the account numbers of the case workers answering machine yesterday and never heard back. I tried him 2 other times. Calling back mon too. My question is WHAT can I spend the back pay on? He is 22 months, is deaf in 1 ear and has severe developmental delays. I would like to get him several baby gates for security, a new bed, a dresser, and some developmental toys to help his low muscle tone and other issues. Will SSI approve these? We receive medicaid and have no medical bills, camps, or special schools he can attend so why wouldn't we be allowed to use it on these items? Thanks.
Hi there and welcome to healthboards ,
Social Security often pays backpay in increments. this allows the SSI to be spent down in time that it will not count as a resource. When my son was very young social security did not have a dedicated accounts or kept track of backpay , this is a relative new rule. Social security wants to make sure the backpay is used for the childs needs. I think what you want to use the money for is going directly for your childs needs. Just keep track of all the reciepts so you will have proof it went directly for your child. If their is any doubt on what you can use the money for check with social security first and verify it , you do not want a overpayment of any kind.
Thank you. I do plan on keeping my receipts. They told me that. They said I should get the back pay Nov 2 but that was before I got the rep payee account. Got the account yesterday and left the info on machine. Should I still expect the money nov 2? I really need it to buy him things now. Thanks.
I would stay after the case worker , sometimes it can take a little time for them to enter the information into the computor. I know I been having a hard time reaching the worker on my sons case , it is very frustrating. It takes time for the payments to be processed too. So I am not sure if the money will be there at the beginning of the month. If it is not, social security will owe a additional month backpay. you may recieve a check in the mail though.
Thanks. I definitely plan on calling monday and if I can't get him going down there to talk to him. They told me back pay would never be in the form of a check though but that I should get a check starting this month for his monthly allotment of $674. Is this true? He needs a bed and new dresser and other sensory stuff terribly and it would greatly help to get this money asap. We were approved when he was 4 mo but then they denied him and had already sent him 3 checks but never asked for the money back. I reapplied when we had more/new info about his disabilities and he was approved. We immediately began receiving the checks like that week or the next and they came very fast. This time it's been totally different and I hate it.
I am not sure if the backpay can come in a check , maybe that has to be deposited directly into a bank account , but the monthly SSI amount could still come in a check if direct deposit has not been processed yet. It can take a couple months to set it up , so in the meantime your child can still get benefits through checks.
I do not understand why he was approved then denied , making you having to re apply all over again. That is odd. Maybe the family income was too high or resources were greater then $2000 . SSI is income based as well as being disabled so their are different rules then SSDI . I raised my son as a single parent and their were times I made too much money for my son to recieve SSI , I ended up with a overpayment , which has to be paid back.
Last edited by mscat40; 10-29-2011 at 04:16 PM.
Reason: spelling
I am not sure if the backpay can come in a check , maybe that has to be deposited directly into a bank account , but the monthly SSI amount could still come in a check if direct deposit has not been processed yet. It can take a couple months to set it up , so in the meantime your child can still get benefits through checks.
I do not understand why he was approved then denied , making you having to re apply all over again. That is odd. Maybe the family income was too high or resources were greater then $2000 . SSI is income based as well as being disabled so their are different rules then SSDI . I raised my son as a single parent and their were times I made too much money for my son to recieve SSI , I ended up with a overpayment , which has to be paid back.
We had the same income now as then. They said he wasn't disabled enough at 3 mo to qualify so they denied him. They know we received checks and then were denied and reapplied. I've hidden nothing from them. I am just frustrated they don't call back immediately. I want that back pay in time to get him stuff for the holidays. Developmental toys are supposed to be allowed. And we desperately need new gates and a bed for him. The worker did say the check for monthly expenses should begin this month but on his paper it says dec. Which one do I believe?
you could call the 1-800 number and see if the bank information was implemented into the computor. i have called our SSI worker and left a message, I never heard back from her. It is frustrating to not know and then have to wait , that is what we are doing right now. We like to move but cannot until we know what my sons monthly payments will be.
the 800 number never tells me anything. I tried calling them fri and asked my local office and they wouldn't tell me either. They said it wouldn't show yet. What gets more results? Going down there?
Thanks. I definitely plan on calling monday and if I can't get him going down there to talk to him. They told me back pay would never be in the form of a check though but that I should get a check starting this month for his monthly allotment of $674. Is this true? He needs a bed and new dresser and other sensory stuff terribly and it would greatly help to get this money asap. We were approved when he was 4 mo but then they denied him and had already sent him 3 checks but never asked for the money back. I reapplied when we had more/new info about his disabilities and he was approved. We immediately began receiving the checks like that week or the next and they came very fast. This time it's been totally different and I hate it.
Why didn't you buy him a bed and other things with the 3 checks he received already what happens to that money if the ssa did not want it back.
The Following User Says Thank You to vann04 For This Useful Post: Alexandersmama (10-31-2011)
thank you. I can see fgrom reading these boards though it may well be a pain
Yes dealing with the ssa these days is a real pain because they are so busy in these economic times ,there is so many people trying to get ssi/ssdi that the workers at the ssa are overworked.
well to update I called and they told me I now needed to come in and sign a form about the rep payee acct and give the numbers in person. I did that and asked to meet with the case worker. The lady denied that and said she spoke with him and that now the back pay will be in the acct middle of next week. Said they just needed to verify the info was right, and said it was. I double questioned everything and they swore it was all done. I don't trust that it will be there next week. It was due in nov 2. Now next week. Might this just go on forever? Next week I worry it will be another excuse.
the 800 number never tells me anything. I tried calling them fri and asked my local office and they wouldn't tell me either. They said it wouldn't show yet. What gets more results? Going down there?
I do know that nothing new will be in your file until the person handeling the claim updates it. It will basically sit on the Rep. desk until she gets around to it. I have tried over a month now to see what is going on with my son's claim, even going down there and waiting over a hour , just to be told his SSI is pending. You can try going down there , but it might be too soon to find out anything. At the begginning of the month is always the most busy , so try to get there in the morning. For SSI their is no 5 month waiting period, and i applied for my son in April .
I just saw your updated post,
That is very good , now you know the money is coming soon. hopefully it will not be forever , and in Dec., the money will come in a timely manner.
I do know that nothing new will be in your file until the person handeling the claim updates it. It will basically sit on the Rep. desk until she gets around to it. I have tried over a month now to see what is going on with my son's claim, even going down there and waiting over a hour , just to be told his SSI is pending. You can try going down there , but it might be too soon to find out anything. At the begginning of the month is always the most busy , so try to get there in the morning. For SSI their is no 5 month waiting period, and i applied for my son in April .
I just saw your updated post,
That is very good , now you know the money is coming soon. hopefully it will not be forever , and in Dec., the money will come in a timely manner.
Well I am BEYOND frustrated right now. I found out that the rep payee acct I opened fri has now been closed because of some credit issue with chexsystems. So all this AFTER I just gave ssi the account info and routing numbers. So now I'm back at square 1 and not sure what to do I am so angry and frustrated. SSI 800 number tells me I do not need a rep payee account, that a check for $2022 has been set to be sent to me nov 2. That there is nothing in the letter going out that it needs to be a rep payee account. Yet I have this receipt from the local office stating I applied to be my son's rep payee. I don't know what to do. The 800 # swears this check will go out, that no account is needed, and that he is due more back pay in 6 months and that a rep payee account is NOT the same as a dedicated account. She also told me that the bank account info will be cancelled out cuz I applied for the ssi money to be put on a credit card monthly. Told me that the bank account info I gave wouldn't hold anything up or matter. I get a totally different story from the local office, who tells me I shouldn't receive any check because there is no account set up for back pay and that without any account I do not get back pay for him. Yet 2 different reps at the 800 # have told me his check is being cut the 2nd and mailed and I will have it by the 12th. Whom do I believe? I am sick and tired of all the back n forth. I just want the money and want it to be clear cut. Why would the case worker tell me that he needs a rep payee account, and tell me you can only spend that money on certain things and keep receipts? The rep at ssi told me that wasn't true. I'd just get a check and be done. 2 reps actually told me this from there. Are rep payee accounts and dedicated accounts the same thing or different? And can I trust this check will be cut? Did I screw up by asking that the monthly money go on this special card?
I am so angry and frustrated. SSI 800 number tells me I do not need a rep payee account, that a check for $2022 has been set to be sent to me nov 2. That there is nothing in the letter going out that it needs to be a rep payee account. Yet I have this receipt from the local office stating I applied to be my son's rep payee. I don't know what to do. The 800 # swears this check will go out, that no account is needed, and that he is due more back pay in 6 months and that a rep payee account is NOT the same as a dedicated account. She also told me that the bank account info will be cancelled out cuz I applied for the ssi money to be put on a credit card monthly. Told me that the bank account info I gave wouldn't hold anything up or matter. I get a totally different story from the local office, who tells me I shouldn't receive any check because there is no account set up for back pay and that without any account I do not get back pay for him. Yet 2 different reps at the 800 # have told me his check is being cut the 2nd and mailed and I will have it by the 12th. Whom do I believe? I am sick and tired of all the back n forth. I just want the money and want it to be clear cut. Why would the case worker tell me that he needs a rep payee account, and tell me you can only spend that money on certain things and keep receipts? The rep at ssi told me that wasn't true. I'd just get a check and be done. 2 reps actually told me this from there. Are rep payee accounts and dedicated accounts the same thing or different? And can I trust this check will be cut? Did I screw up by asking that the monthly money go on this special card?
