SSI Archives | Grady H. Williams, Jr. LL.M, Attorneys at Law

Category archives: SSI

How Your Stimulus Check Affects Medicaid Eligibility
5 years ago
The coronavirus relief bill includes a direct payment to most Americans, but this has Medicaid recipients wondering how the payment will affect them. Because the payment is not income, it should not count against a Medicaid recipient’s eligibility. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Se... [read more]

Social Security Shutters 'Petri Dish' Offices in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
5 years ago
To protect its workers and the public during the coronavirus pandemic, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has suspended face-to-face service at its field offices and hearings offices nationwide until further notice. Payments to the nearly 70 million Social Security beneficiaries will not be af... [read more]

Tips on Creating an Estate Plan that Benefits a Child with Special Needs
5 years ago
Parents want their children to be taken care of after they die. But children with disabilities have increased financial and care needs, so ensuring their long-term welfare can be tricky. Proper planning by parents is necessary to benefit the child with a disability, including an adult child, as well... [read more]

Some Non-English Speakers Would Lose Disability Benefits Under SSA Proposal
6 years ago
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is proposing to make it more difficult for people who don’t speak English to qualify for disability benefits. Under planned regulations released February 01, 2019, the SSA would no longer consider a person’s “inability to communicate in English” when revie... [read more]

Pooled Trusts: Should You Consider Taking a Dip?
6 years ago
Most special needs trusts (SNTs) are set up to benefit one individual. But it’s possible to contribute to a trust where the funds of many people with special needs are “pooled.” This kind of trust, called a pooled or (d)(4)(C) trust, may be a better option for some people than the conventional SN... [read more]

Are 529 Plans the Best Way to Save for SSI Beneficiaries’ Education Expenses?
6 years ago
For many families, Section 529 College Savings Plans are an excellent investment tool when saving money for their child’s educational expenses. But if the child obtains Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, families should be cautious in using a Section 529 plan. 529 plans, named for a pro... [read more]

New Qualifications for ALJs Are Bad News for Social Security Beneficiaries, Legal Experts Warn
6 years ago
On July 10, President Trump issued an executive order that could compromise the independence of federal agency judges, most of whom work at the Social Security Administration (SSA). "Nothing less than the integrity of the administrative judiciary is at issue here," the president of the American Bar... [read more]

"Mr. Social Security" Now Faces 255 Years in Prison; His Clients Must Once Again Prove Their Disability
6 years ago
A federal magistrate judge has recommended that a new set of charges filed against a disability attorney who dubbed himself “Mr. Social Security” should go forward. But the real victims in the largest-ever Social Security disability fraud case are the attorney’s thousands of clients who now must pr... [read more]

Report: Affordable Housing "Virtually Impossible" for Single SSI Recipients
7 years ago
As rental housing prices continue to escalate nationwide, particularly in urban centers, low-income people with disabilities are finding it increasingly difficult to find affordable housing. The Technical Assistance Collaborative and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities recently rele... [read more]

How to Earn Additional Income Without Losing SSI Benefits
7 years ago
Although Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients are subject to rigid asset limits, the federal government has provided a few avenues for beneficiaries to earn income that supplements their SSI benefit. The Social Security Act imposes a $2,000 asset limit on SSI beneficiaries, a figure that... [read more]

Who May Open an ABLE Account?
7 years ago
ABLE accounts are a great new savings tool for individuals with disabilities, but not all people with disabilities are eligible to open these accounts. The rules for determining eligibility are for the most part uncomplicated, although one requirement is proving controversial. Created by Con... [read more]

Go Fund Me and Other Informal Fundraising Accounts Raise Issues for SSI and Medicaid
7 years ago
Over the past several years, crowdfunding and personal fundraising have become popular ways to raise money for people in need. Crowdfunding cuts out the charitable middleman, allowing a person or organization in need to appeal directly to the general public via the Internet in the hope of raising m... [read more]