I have been couch surfing or living in my broke down car while I went htrough the process to get my ssi. so now I do not want to jepordize my social security ssi disability benefits. my inheritnace should be about $15000. One friend told me that a gift did not neet to be reported to ssi or would not effect my benefits - is this accurate? I do not think it was right. So another idea I had was to buy a used rv so i would have housing and tranpsortation - is this okay with ssi. I do not want to rip off the system, but sleeping in a leaky vehicle in the rain for a couple of years has not been the best time of my life. Would like to do it right rather than guess and mess it all up. thank You for your
Jennifer J. AllenEmployment / Labor AttorneyNew Berlin, WI ·
Any and all income should be reported to Social Security as long as you are collecting SSI. SSI is a "needs-based" program and is dependent upon the income and assets of the individual.
For the month that you receive the inheritance, Social Security will consider the money as income, which will affect your SSI payment. Since your list the inheritance as $15,000, it is likely that you will not be eligible for SSI for this month because the inheritance exceeds your SSI payment. In subsequent months, any money you have from the inheritance will be considered an asset. An individual with more than $2,000 in assets is not eligible for SSI payments for each month the assets exceed the limit.
You may want to contact an attorney about having the money placed in a special trust that could protect both the inheritance and your SSI payments. If you choose to divest yourself of the inheritance with a large purchase, it is recommended that you maintain records of the purchases and be able to identify where the money went.
My colleague's answer is a good one.
Many people use social security and SSI in the same sentence, as you did, but do not realize they are different. As my colleague pointed out SSI is a needs based programn - so you have to be disabled and meet fincial requirements. SSDI - or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits also require you tro be disabled, but your ekligibility is based on taxes you paid when you were working. If you never worked or worked but got paid cash and did not pay taxes, you are probably only eligible for SSI. Otherfwise, if you worked and paid taxes, then you can get SSDI.
The differnce is important in your case. A $15,000 inheritance will certainly impact your benefits if you get SSI (unless you get a special needs trust, as my clolleague suggested). However, if you are getting SSDI, not SSI, then you can get the inheritance, win the lottery, or have a million dollars - it does not matter at all.
You can find information about special need trusts here on . This would be a fairly complex set-up so you need to consult with an experienced Trust attorney and one who specifically has experience with Special Needs Trusts - call your state or local bar association for a referral to such an attorney.
Good luck to you.
Gerald Gregory LutkenhausWorkers' Compensation LawyerRichmond, VA ·
As others have pointed out SSI is welfare disability. As such you are not allowed to have a liquid resource over $2,000. Certainly, the $15,000 inheritance would put you over the limit. Normally, a residence that you live in does not disqualify you for SSI. The question is how do you translate this $15,000 into a dwelling without risking a SSI disqualification. Try asking a legal aid lawyer in your state.
