Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
SSI is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration. It provides monthly income to people who are elderly, blind, or disabled and who have financial need. If you are approved for SSI you will automatically be enrolled in the Medicaid program.
This process begins at age 18 however it is best to start gathering the medical information as early as you can and keep it updated.
Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. SSI will help you get them.
https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/
Print this checklist for items needed for application:
https://www.ssa.gov/hlp/radr/10/ovw001-checklist.pdf
Fill out this form prior:
https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3368-bk.pdf
Get Appointment:
1. Before 18th birthday, schedule an appointment that is on 18th birthday or after with a local Social Security office. Call 1-800-772-1213 or https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/. Winder SSI office is best. The Norcross office is packed and very little parking and they take longer to process. SSI does birthdate by month. Corey’s 10/10 birthdate was processed as 11/1. If you go before age 18 the requestor’s parent’s income will be included in the decision. If you go after 18 it will not be included.
3. Take all the documents listed above with you.
4. Have mortgage amount, utilities and number of people living in the house. This will be your calculation for support. Mortgage and utilities / # of people in house = support determination
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Medical Records:
Prepare the medical records in a document to hand to the processor. This will speed up the appointment and save you at least an hour of verbally giving the intake person the information.
The medical document includes doctors, hospital visits, testing, therapies, etc. that support the disability, not general health care.
On each health provider or test include at minimum:
1. Date first seen and date last seen. (can be an estimate)
2. Doctor and facility name, address and phone number.
Bring copies of IEP, psychological evaluation, medical documents that support disability determination, and other documents supporting disability. They can make copies of it or you can provide them a copy.
Get a Custodial Checking Account:
In our SSI application interview, it was not suggested to have a separate checking account for Corey’s SSI check to be deposited. In fact, the attorney pro bono for guardianship said not to have a checking account. But we received a call from SSI shortly after our first deposit and Corey did need a custodial checking account for SSI deposits. SSI automatically does electronic reviews and if more than $2000 is in the account you automatically lose SSI. You then have to reapply. Also, you do not need a conservatorship for this custodial checking account. The bank asked for the SSI approval letter and the account was free at Bank of America.
Read and follow the rules for SSI to keep it or to avoid reduction of services.
These two sites are helpful in understanding the rules. The 2025 SSI auditor used Disabilitysecrets.com to help clarify the rules.
Written Rent Contract a Must:
Free room and board = Income/called “in-kind income.” Social Security considers free housing that’s provided to you by someone else as income If you begin to receive housing from someone else for free, Social Security will count it as income. This in-kind income can reduce your SSI payment by one-third. Learn more about how in-kind income affects your SSI benefits.
The SSI processor will ask if the person requesting SSI is paying rent already or owes money for paying rent. However, the processor told us that a rental agreement would have to be supplied after my son was receiving money to be able to pay rent. The month after SSI is received send in or go in with a rental agreement. Make a copy first.
Most people have been told to do “room and board” but then you do not qualify for food stamps. Board refers to food cost. Instead do “Room and Utilities” Rent Contract.
The contract letter includes the landlord (parent, guardian, etc.) and landlord address and contact information, social security number of applicant and states, “room and utilities” are being charged effective on date for the amount of $—. Sign and date by the landlord and the SSI renter. Sample letters can be searched on the web.
Room and utilities are figured out by the [amount of mortgage+utilities/# living in house] or the current room rate in the neighborhood. The current room rate which is fixed rent could be considered taxable so ask your accountant first what is best for you.
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Other Notes:
Anytime the living situation changes, that information must be sent in within 30 days.
This is a federal program so it is not county specific. You can go to any SSI office.
SSI approval can take 4-6 weeks to process. However, from the Winder office 3 of us received approval within 2 weeks. The first check arrived 12/1 for Corey who was processed on 11/1.
Food Stamp Application: If SSI is approved and you do contract for “room and utilities” instead of “room and board”. Print pages 4-13 on the above application. You can drop off, mail or fax to the local DFACS office.
http://dfcs.dhs.georgia.gov/sites/dfcs.georgia.gov/files/Form%20297%20(Rev%20%2002%2015).pdf
Disclaimer: This is my experience and research. This site and Candice Lange are not responsible for anything.