Know Your Credit Score And Improve It If Needed
Your credit plays a valuable role in your home loan options. Its a great idea to check your score far in advance so you have time to improve it if needed. The average minimum home-buying credit score for a conventional loan is 620 and 580 for FHA loans, but there are other programs for home buyers with low credit. There are steps you can take yourself to repair your credit score, including paying off debt, paying bills on time and disputing incorrect demerits on your credit history. Since a home purchase is such a big decision, it could also be worth it to have credit repair professionals help you out.
Other Ways To Get Medi
People who do not get SSI can still get Medi-Cal. To get Medi-Cal alone, apply at the county welfare office. Medi-Cal must approve or deny the application within 45 days. When a disability determination must be made, the county has a longer period of time, 90 days.
Even if your income is too high to get SSI, you can still get Medi-Cal if:
- You meet the Medi-Cal resource limits
- You are over age 65, blind or have a disability that meets the SSA standards and
- You are a resident of California and either a U.S. citizen or a qualified immigrant, such as a legal permanent resident.
The county should assess whether an applicant meets the criteria for any free or no share of cost Medi-Cal program first. There are several Medi-Cal programs that do not require the beneficiary to pay a monthly share of cost or premium. A helpful website that describes the different Medi-Cal programs can be found on the Health Consumer Alliance website: http://healthconsumer.org/Medi-CalOverview2008Ch7.pdf
Who Can Help You Apply
Ask for help if applying for disability benefits seems too difficult. For example, a social worker, friend, loved one or a nonprofit legal services group may be able to help you. You can also contact nonprofit cancer organizations for help with insurance and benefit matters. For example, Livestrong Cancer Navigation Services can guide you through the process of applying for benefits.
You can contact the National Cancer Legal Services Network to locate free legal services to address insurance, employment and financial issues. Also contact Legal Health to get advice and representation.
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What You Need To Know About Cash Assistance From The Nyc Human Resources Administration
This is information on applying for and keeping cash assistance , Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits . These benefits are available through HRA to persons who are eligible. This page includes is information about steps you can take on your own, and what to do if you need help from The Legal Aid Society.
*Due to COVID-19 you do NOT have to go to an HRA Job Center in person to apply for benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can apply online, via mail, or fax. In certain circumstances, you can also apply over the phone or request an in-person visit. Learn more about your options here.
What You Need To Know About Getting Disability Benefits From The Social Security Administration For Adults
Supplemental Security Income is a federal program that pays benefits to adults with disabilities who have limited income and resources, and who have little or no work history.
Adults with a work history might also be eligible for Social Security Disability . The Social Security Administration runs both programs. While there are differences in the two benefits, the rules for being found disabled are the same for both. Learn more about eligibility and how the process works below.
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Va Loans: Us Department Of Veteran Affairs
If youre a veteran with a disability there are a variety of programs and VA loans to help you buy or modify a house to fit your standards. Please visit the VA site for more specifics on the application process and what classifies as a qualified disability see a summary below.
Specially Adapted Housing Grant
- Requirements:
- Own or will own the home, and
- Have a qualifying service-connected disability
- Loan maximum: $90,364 for FY 2020
- Great for: Veterans who need significant home modifications
Special Home Adaptation Grant
- Requirements:
Whats Considered Social Assistance When Sponsoring My Parents And Grandparents
Under Canadas immigration law, if you get social assistance other than for a disability, you arent eligible to sponsor family member.
Social assistance income doesnt count toward your total income when we assess if you meet the income requirement.
Also, if you sponsor someone and they get social assistance during the time you agreed to be financially responsible for them, you have to pay it back.
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Reasonable Accommodations: Hoa And Neighborhood
If youre looking to make home modifications, know that under the ADA, you have the right to make reasonable accommodations to your residence, which should take precedence over aesthetic guidelines or policies upheld by a homeowners association . Also, you have the right to reasonable accommodations in HOA facilities, like pools and gyms. Your HOA cannot interfere with your right to have your service animal. ADA statutes also apply to the public sidewalks and streets outside your residence.
Also, consider these FHA standards when looking at condominiums and multi-family housing public and communal spaces:
- Accessible entryways, doors, mailboxes, parking, switches and outlets
- Working ramps, railing and elevators
- Usable bathrooms, kitchens and other common spaces
If you have experienced housing discrimination you can reach out to your state-specific programs or HUD:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
451 7th Street, S.W., Room 5204
Washington, DC 20410-2000
- File an online complaint
What Isnt Considered Social Assistance
Social assistance doesnt include:
- Employment Insurance
- public health care
- other benefits widely available to residents, including people who are working
Provinces and territories have created temporary programs to help people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. We dont consider these benefits to be social assistance if they arent considered as such by the province or territory.
Also not considered social assistance:
- Canada Recovery Benefit
- Canada Emergency Response Benefit
- Canada Emergency Student Benefit
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Public Benefits For People With Disabilities
This pub tells you about public benefits for people with disabilities. The pub tells you about Social Security, Medi-Cal, and Medi-Cal for children. It also tells you about IHSS, general assistance, food stamps, and CalWORKs. It tells you what to do if you need help getting them.
a. SSI Benefits
Supplemental Security Income : These benefits are for children and adults with limited income and resources. Persons aged 65 or older are also eligible . The 2016 SSI benefit level in California is $889.40 for an aged or disabled person and $1,496.20 for a couple. If you receive other income which is less than the SSI standard, you can also get an SSI check to supplement your other income. If you receive even one dollar of SSI, you are automatically entitled to Medi-Cal at no cost.
b. SSDI/Title II Benefits
There are two types of Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits. The first is for disabled workers who are insured under Social Security. The second is for disabled adult children of workers who are insured under Social Security and who are either retired, disabled or deceased. These benefits are sometimes called Title II benefits. Title II is the section covering disability, retirement and dependent benefits in the Social Security Act.
Cash Assistance And Free Public Aid Vouchers
Child and day care:The federal government provides block grants to each and every state in an effort to subsidize child care expenses. The public aid is for low income, working parents, single mothers or those in school or job training who meet the qualifications of the program. Most states do have a waiting list for day care vouchers. There are also a number of conditions that need to be met by parents who are applying. Find government assistance for child care needs.
Disability assistance:Individuals with a short or long term disability can receive financial aid from several government and public assistance programs. Some form of compensation and grants may be provided from SSDI, vouchers are available for paying rent, and a number of other basic needs can be met, such as proving the applicant low cost medications. Applications for disability assistance will be processed by a local social security office.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families :This public assistance program is run at the state level, and it can provide cash assistance to needy families. Funds can be used to pay for basic living expenses such as food, rent, utilities, and medications. It also requires parents undertake job preparation, work, and marriage. Local Department of Human Services offices process applications for this government benefit. Cash assistance from TANF helps pay a number of household expenses.
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Public Housing Near You And Rent Assistance
Section 8 housing choice voucher:Rental assistance and government subsidized housing is available to very low-income families. It is administered at the county level by Public Housing Agencies . The program allows many people the ability to afford safe, decent, and sanitary public housing. Continue with HUD section 8 vouchers.
Housing counseling:Free or low cost advice and consultations are paid for by the federal government HUD organization. Renters and homeowners can get support with foreclosure prevention, buying a home, renting, defaults, credit counseling issues and reverse mortgages.
Complaints About Administrative Problems With Social Security Offices
Sometimes there are problems with how the local Social Security field office handles a clients case, apart from questions which can be handled on appeal such as whether the client is disabled or whether there is an overpayment. Some examples are if the client is treated rudely the client files an appeal but never gets an answer or a hearing and benefits are cut anyway the Social Security worker refuses to accept an application or an appeal request the client is refused accommodation for her disability a check is missing or lost and Social Security refuses to help or Social Security refuses to respond when the client reports problems with a representative payee.
When a client has problems with how Social Security administers benefits, write a letter of complaint to the Field Office Manager of the local Social Security office, explaining the problem and asking for an investigation. You should also send a copy of your complaint to the Public Affairs Unit, Social Security Administration, San Francisco Regional Office, P.O. Box 4201, Richmond CA 94904. Phone: 970-0000 Fax: 970-8216.
This same office also houses the “Critical Congressional Unit,” which handles inquiries from Congressional staff regarding constituent complaints. In an urgent situation, such as a client being cut off benefits with no notice, they will respond to requests from an advocate .
Contacting Your Congressional Representative
Section 504 Complaints
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Meeting The Financial Eligibility Requirements
The amount of resources and income other than from work does not matter for purposes of the SSDI and DAC programs. However, SSI is a needs-based program and the amount of resources and income matter.
For SSI, an individual can have up to $2,000 in countable resources. A couple can have up to $3,000 in countable resources. However, certain resources are exempt: a home, household furnishings, wedding and engagement ring, a car used for transportation, a burial trust or account, resources used for self-support. Social Security also does not count the retirement accounts owned by the spouse of a person with a disability or the parent of a child with a disability.
Income is money or something you can convert to money that you receive in a month. What is left over as of the beginning of the next month counts as a resource. The income received less allowable deductions can affect the amount of SSI benefits received:
- Example: Dora receives $460 a month in SSDI/Title II benefits. That is considered unearned income and is reduced by the Social Security deduction of $20 which applies to any income so that the countable income for SSI purposes is $440. Doras SSI payment will be for the difference between the SSI amount she would receive if she had no income and $440, for an SSI grant of $449.40.
Public Charge Fact Sheet
Archived Content
The information on this page is out of date. However, some of the content may still be useful, so we have archived the page.
Alert: On Nov. 2, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois vacated the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule , as amended by Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds Correction, 84 Fed. Reg. 52,357 ) nationwide. That decision was stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. On March 9, 2021, the Seventh Circuit lifted its stay, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois order vacating the Public Charge Final Rule went into effect.
We immediately stopped applying the Public Charge Final Rule to all pending applications and petitions that would have been subject to the rule. USCIS continues to apply the public charge inadmissibility statute, including consideration of the statutory minimum factors in the totality of the circumstances, in accordance with the 1999 Interim Field Guidance, which was in place before the Public Charge Final Rule was implemented on Feb. 24, 2020, to the adjudication of any application for adjustment of status. In addition, USCIS will no longer apply the separate, but related, public benefits condition to applications or petitions for extension of nonimmigrant stay and change of nonimmigrant status.
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What Services Can An Ihss Worker Provide
The IHSS program authorizes services needed to assist persons to remain safely in their own homes. Own home includes a residential hotel but not a Board & Care facility. IHSS provides payment for a home care worker to come in to help with chores and personal care. The services covered include domestic services , related services , personal care services , accompaniment to the doctor or alternative sources of services such as a day program, and paramedical services . Recipients are authorized for the number of hours per week or per month that are needed to complete the tasks that they require to live safely at home.
Social Security Disability Surveillance Disability Surveillance Tactics And Importance Of A Long Term Disability Insurance Lawyer
Founding Member of Moshes Law, P.C.
If youve applied for social security disability, whether it is for SSI or SSDI benefits, or if you are currently receiving social security disability benefits, it is important to be aware that the social security administration can revoke those social security disability benefits and take them away from you if they feel that you either do not qualify or no longer fit the criteria or definition of being disabled.
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Social Security Disability Is Not Welfare
Q: I am 60 years old and have had to stop work because of various medical problems. I would like to apply for Social Security disability benefits. But my husband and I have a retirement nest egg worth about $250,000, so I guess we are not eligible. Do I just wait until I am 62 to sign up for retirement benefits?
A: I am constantly amazed by the number of people, yourself apparently included, who equate the Social Security disability program with welfare. It is not. You can be rich or poor and qualify for Social Security retirement. And you can be rich or poor and qualify for Social Security disability. If Bill Gates became disabled tomorrow, he could file for Social Security disability benefits. And so can you.
Maybe it would help if you think of the Social Security disability program as an early disability retirement benefit, which is what it really is.
Q: My 59-year-old wife recently became disabled. I called Social Security’s 800 number to ask about getting her on SSI, but they said because of my income that she isn’t eligible. But my wife worked all her life. So why can’t she get disability now?
A: I purposely put your question after the prior one to further help clear up confusion many people have about disability benefits in this case, about two entirely separate government disability programs.
If you used the same terminology with Social Security’s call center people as you did in your question to me, then I understand why you got the answer you did.
Investigators Go Undercover To Catch People Committing Fraud
Oftentimes, when it comes to disability, whether its a disability claim, workers compensation claim, or personal injury claim, the insurance companies will do everything they can to try to minimize the amount of payment to the claimant. This means that they will hire a private investigator to monitor and follow you with a surveillance video camera or camera. Youll often see this when the claimant goes to the grocery store and push a cart of groceries, play with their three year old as they pick them up in the park, or when they are leaving their vehicle and carrying a bag full of groceries. Even though the surveillance video may be taken of out context or not show the full extent of the claimants pain and disability, the video will try to be used as evidence that the claimant is not disabled, even though it may just be a small snapshot of that persons life.
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